I am not sure if I've admitted that I have a problem.  I am a recipe junkie.  I have files, magazines, and books full of recipes, many of which have just laid around, collecting dust.  I've never counted, but I am sure the number is up into the thousands.  I do try to mitigate this problem by testing out at least one new recipe a week, and the last few weeks I've upped the ante to two or three.  Living dangerously is what I'm all about.



So, anyway, in going through my files for something a little different, I came across today's recipe, which hails from the September 16th, 2008 issue of Woman's Day magazine.  Like me, my mom is a recipe junkie, who subscribes to Woman's Day, so I tore this recipe out of the magazine and put it in my file.  Luckily this week its day had come to shine. 



On to the actual dish- this one is really healthy, being loaded down with vegetables and the excellent meat choice of salmon.  The worst part of this dish in terms of health is the orange marmalade.  This meal is fairly affordable but not in the bargain basement, so if you can make it using items you have on hand already, you'll be benefitted if cost is an issue.  I also liked that all ingredients (even the bok choy) were available at my local grocery store and Wal-Mart.  The taste was solid- it wasn't such a favorite among Drew and me that we'll be making this a lot more frequently, but he's not a huge asian flavors fan anyway.  You get a good balance of sweet and savory with the marmalade-soy glaze, and the vegetables are so flavorful and fresh.  My one complaint about the flavor is that the shiitake mushrooms, which have an incredible flavor, are barely detectable here.  They are such a star and it felt like a waste to not be able to enjoy them.



In terms of preparation, I recommend thawing your salmon before baking/broiling.  I didn't and the cook time was much longer and the glaze that dripped off the salmon carmelized in the pan.  This recipe was originally in a section of one pot meals, but you can get dinner on the table almost twice as fast if you broil or bake the salmon while stir frying the vegetables.  I also think I prefer baking to broiling for the greater amount of control I get, but maybe that's just me.  The magazine suggests serving with rice, and I'd agree that rice would be good.  Eating the leftovers the next day (which I enjoyed more than the first day), I thought about how ramen or other noodles might be really good, too.

Below you'll find the recipe, with the link to its page on the Woman's Day website. 

Ginger-Soy Salmon and Bok Choy
from Woman's Day

2 tsp canola oil

2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
2 tsp minced garlic
1 1/2 lbs bok choy, halved lengthwise, then sliced crosswise in 1-in. strips
4 oz shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, caps sliced
1 cup shredded carrots
4 salmon fillets (5 to 6 oz each)
3 reduced-sodium soy sauce
3 Tbsp orange marmalade
Garnish: toasted sesame seeds

Heat broiler. Heat oil in a large, deep ovenproof nonstick skillet. Add 1 Tbsp ginger and the garlic; cook over low heat a few seconds until fragrant.


Add bok choy, mushrooms and carrots. Stir-fry 4 to 6 minutes, until bok choy and carrots are crisp-tender. Remove to a serving bowl; cover to keep warm.

Place salmon skin side down in skillet. In a small cup, mix remaining 1 Tbsp ginger, the soy sauce and marmalade. Spoon about half of soy sauce mixture over salmon.

Broil 4 to 6 minutes until salmon is just cooked through. Drizzle with remaining soy sauce mixture and serve with the vegetables. Garnish with sesame seeds, if desired.