While training for Ironman Arizona 2018 I ate a lot of salmon and bok choy for dinner. It’s high in protein, low carb, low calories, and full of muscle rebuilding nutrients. But it can get a little boring after a while. This recipe adds a good amount of flavor and just a little spiciness. Serve it over rice if you want to pair it with carbs.
For an added Asian touch I used Korean lemon tea marmalade (photo below). Full disclosure: if you’re at Food Lion right now wondering what aisle this stuff is in you’re in the wrong place. You’ll need an Asian market to find it, but if you don’t have it don’t close the book on this recipe and order that pizza instead cuz orange marmalade will do just fine!
For the record, I intended to use Korean ujacha which is only slightly different but I didn’t have any. And if you’re wondering what the big deal is about ujacha buy some and try this: a heaping spoon of ujacha, a shot of bourbon, and some hot water mixed together is a wonderful treat for a cold or sore throat!
Serves 2
45 minute preparation
INGREDIENTS:
For the Sauce:
- 1/4 cup ujacha (Korean citrus tea marmalade – orange marmalade will do)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp siracha sauce
- 1 tbsp sake or Chinese rice wine
- 2 Thai chilis, minced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
To Serve:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 salmon filets
- 5 baby boy choy, halved (more if you share with your peppers)
- 1 orange, sliced into quarters
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- 2 green onions, chopped
- sesame seeds to garnish
- salt and pepper to taste
RECIPE:
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Dry the salmon filets with a paper towel and sprinkle both the salmon and the bok choy lightly with salt and pepper. Mix the sauce ingredients and simmer in a saucepan on low. Heat olive oil in an oven proof skillet over medium high heat. Once heated, add the salmon and fry for 2 minutes on each side. Add the bok choy and orange slices and place in the oven for about 12 minutes or until salmon is done throughout.
If your dogs are drooling like mine do at this stage it’d be a good time to sneak them a piece of that extra bok choy you cut up!
Remove from the oven, add the heated sauce on top of the salmon box choy mixture, and serve topped with cilantro, green onions, and sesame seeds.
This looks SO delicious, even at 8 a.m. as I’m reading your blog! I wish SOMEone would cook it or me though 🙁
My family will love all this spicy stuff. Me, not so much. We’re pretty good at dishing mine out before exploding it with spices. But question, is there a substitute for 5 spice? I don’t think I can even get another jar of spice in my cupboard. We are in luck as the fish sauce arrived yesterday.
Good question. Five spice has cinnamon, anise, fennel, ginger, cloves, and licorice root….so you’d think they’d call it 6 spice! Making your own version is an outstanding way to personalize your recipe. You can add any combination of these from what you have in the cupboard instead of adding a jar of 5 spice if you like. It will still taste great! And if you simply don’t like all that spiciness feel free to omit it. 👊