SUSHI-STYLE SOBA + SEARED SALMON

Third time was not the charm for me on soba noodles. I could safely say that soba was not on my list of favorites, and even with this healthy recipe, it was still not a go-to ingredient. And to make it worse for tonight, this recipe, from Clean Eating's Dinner in 30, was not a hit. I had to make double the vinaigrette, the noodle mixture still came out bland, and the salmon needed more salt. 

In all fairness, I did not use the daikon, or fresh ginger. I doubled the shaved carrots instead of the daikon, and minced ginger from a jar. Also, I omitted the sesame seeds all together. Wood-ear mushrooms, which was in the exotic mushroom family, was a bit too expensive, and baby bella mushrooms were on sale, so I used those instead as well. Even then, I still felt like the dish somehow was missing a punch, some sort of definitive taste profile to make this dish a great one. Either way, it was a healthy dish, yet bland. I would probably recommend doubling the vinaigrette. The recipe made 4 servings.

GATHER:

Soba-Style Salmon + Seared Salmon

Soba-Style Salmon + Seared Salmon

  • 1/4 cup dry shredded wood-ear mushrooms
  • 4 green onions, finely sliced
  • 2 sheets nori, thinly sliced
  • 1 carrot, peeled and finely grated
  • 2 tsp peeled and finely grated fresh ginger
  • 1 cup peeled and coarsely grated daikon
  • 2 cups cooked buckwheat soba noodles
  • 1/4 tsp grape seed oil
  • 2 (5oz) boneless, skinless wild salmon fillets
  • Fresh ground white and black pepper, to taste

VINAIGRETTE

  • Juice of 1/2 orange
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
  • 1/4 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 2 tsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp pure wasabi powder, optional
  • 1/4 tsp fresh ground white or black pepper

MAKE:

  1. Prepare vinaigrette in a medium bowl, add all vinaigrette ingredients and whisk until well blended with no lumps remaining. Set aside.
  2. Place mushroom in a small bowl and cover with hot water. Set aside until al dente, about 4 minutes; drain well.
  3. In a large bowl, combine rehydrated mushrooms, onions, nori, carrot, ginger and daikon. Add noodles of half of vinaigrette, and gently toss. 
  4. Rub grape seed oil over salmon and season with pepper. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high. Add salmon and cook until opaque throughout, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer salmon to a cutting board and let rest. When salmon is cool enough to handle, cut into 1/4-inch widthwise slices and lay on top of noodle mixture. Serve with remaining vinaigrette for dipping salmon.