Directions
It’s so nice when things work out just the way they are supposed to, isn’t it? It seems like our lives have been in warp speed lately between holiday prep, trips, school, after-school activity overload, homework, projects, meetings, deadlines, etc. etc… The few months that the girls have been back in school have been a whirlwind, and the next few months, as we prepare to move, are going to be just as crazy, if not crazier.
So, it’s always nice when I’ve planned something simple, and it works out to actually be…simple.
This dinner was exactly that. From fridge to table, this takes about thirty minutes total. Fifteen minutes of that are hands off. That’s my kind of dinner.
I started by whisking together a marinade for my salmon. It was simply some honey, soy sauce, minced garlic and a bit of Chinese Five Spice powder.
Once that was together, I poured it over four salmon fillets to marinate, at room temperature, for about fifteen minutes.
While that was happening, I turned my broiler on and moved one of my oven racks so that it was about six inches from the heating element. I lined a baking sheet with foil and sprayed it with nonstick spray.
I also tossed some beautiful, slender green beans with a little canola and sesame oil.
After fifteen minutes, I placed my salmon fillets on one side of the baking sheet and then spread my green beans out on the other side and sprinkled them with some salt. Then, I took the marinade that was left over in the dish and brushed it all over the salmon.
Once that was done, my dinner was ready to pop in the oven!
I placed the pan on that top rack, and let the salmon and green beans broil for about four minutes. After that time, I tossed the beans around a bit and then put the pan back in the oven for another five minutes.
After those last few minutes, the salmon was cooked through evenly and the beans were just beginning to toast up. I moved the beans to a bowl and tossed them with some sesame seeds and a good squeeze of lemon juice, and we were ready to eat!
This was just as delicious as it was simple. The glaze on the salmon was sweet and savory, and the fish itself was beautifully tender. The green beans had amazing depth and flavor. It had worked out exactly as I had planned. Score! It didn’t take much time, or effort, and we were able to sit down to a peaceful, non-hectic, not-crazy dinner together.
Say it with me, “Aaaaaahhhhh.”
FIVE-SPICE GLAZED SALMON WITH ROASTED SESAME GREEN BEANS
Adapted from Fine Cooking: CookFresh
- 1/4 cup honey
- 4 tsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp. five-spice powder
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 4 (6 oz.) salmon fillets, pin bones removed
- 1 lb. slender green beans (haricot vert, if you can find them)
- 2 tsp. canola oil
- 1 tsp. Asian sesame oil
- kosher salt and pepper
- 2 Tbsp. sesame seeds
- 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
- In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, soy sauce, five spice powder and garlic.
- Put the salmon in a dish and pour the mixture over the tops of the salmon fillets. Flip the salmon over so they are skin side up in the pan and let the salmon marinate for 15 minutes at room temperature.
- Meanwhile, position a rack in your oven so that it’s 6 inches from the heat, and heat the broiler on high. Line a large baking pan with foil and spray it with nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, toss the green beans with the canola and sesame oils.
- Arrange the green beans on one side of the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Arrange the salmon on the other side, skin side down, and brush any remaining marinade over the tops of the salmon.
- Broil the salmon and beans for 3-4 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and toss the beans a bit. Reposition the salmon, if necessary, to cook evenly. Continue to broil until the salmon is just cooked through and beans have just started to toast up, another 3-5 minutes.
- Toss the green beans with the lemon juice and sesame seeds before serving.
- ENJOY
