Glazed Salmon with Broccoli Rice

So knowing how good salmon is for us, I desperately seek out recipes that will help me to enjoy it.  Unfortunately, I’m not one of those naturally blessed people who enjoy salmon with a fervor, so it was a nice surprise to come across a recipe that was A. Quick to prepare (the whole meal is ready in 30 minutes!) and B. Didn’t require me to choke anything down in the name of health (always a plus).  In fact, I loved the glaze so much you could have just about poured it over a shoe and it would have been deliciously edible!

As with any fish, but especially with salmon, the key is to buy truly fresh fillets that don’t smell outright fishy.  Ask the fish monger to remove any bones  and skin to make it even easier for you.  I can recall several occasions, before my own pair of fish pliers or my ability to remember to ask the fish monger to do so, where I used jewelry pliers to wrestle the bones out of the fish!  That’s not exactly recommended!

The tasty glaze couldn’t be simpler to make and is a beautiful compliment to the salmon by bringing out its inherent richness.  The red onions provide a sharp contrast to the sweet glaze, while the broccoli rice adds a freshness that really rounds out the entire dish!

Glazed Salmon with Broccoli Rice
Adapted from Real Simple

¼ cup brown sugar (packed)
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 cup long-grain white rice
1 head broccoli (stems discarded) chopped (about 2 cups)
4 pieces skinless salmon fillet (about 5-6 ounces each)
1 large red onion, cut into ¼-inch-thick wedges
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper

Heat broiler.

In a small bowl, whisk the sugar and soy sauce; set aside.

Cook the rice according to the package directions, stirring in the broccoli in the last 3 minutes.  Let stand off the heat until the broccoli is tender, about 5 minutes.  Fluff with a fork.  Alternatively, blanch or boil the chopped broccoli in a pot of salted water for 2 minutes, and using a spider, transfer to rice mixture to fluff and mix.

Meanwhile, place salmon and onion on a rimmed baking sheet that you’ve covered with aluminum foil.  Drizzle salmon and onions with olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

Broil, spooning half the sugar and soy sauce glaze over the salmon during the last 2 minutes of cooking, until the salmon is opaque throughout, about 6-10 minutes, depending on your broiler.

Serve the salmon and onion with the rice, spooning the remaining glaze over the salmon and onions.  Now have a glass of wine to cheers to your delicious health!

Tagged as: broccoli rice, glaze, red onion, salmon