Teriyaki Salmon

Teriyaki is a Japanese glaze made from boiling down soy sauce, mirin (rice wine) and a sweetener like sugar or honey into a thick sauce. It bestows a distinct sweet and salty taste and pairs well with pretty much all fish, meat, tofu and vegetables, though it can be particularly complimentary to the rich, buttery flesh of salmon. There are many good pre-made versions available but since it takes only five ingredients and ten minutes to make, a fresh, homemade version is hard to beat. From there it simply gets spooned on the salmon, then it all bakes for 20 minutes. The finished product is a healthy little package bursting with nutrients and bold flavours. One salmon fillet, around the size of the palm of your hand, has over 200% of the vitamin b12 needed for the day (for energy production) along with over 100% of the vitamin D (for strong bones), 3/4 of the selenium (a powerful antioxidant) and 1/2 the essential omega-3 fatty acids (for brain health) needed. It does contain high levels of many other nutrients like protein, phosphorus and vitamin B3 but the previously mentioned ones are especially important because they are all harder to get enough of on western diets. High amounts of processed foods combined with soil degradation and poor agricultural practices means that a lot of what we eat does not have what we need to achieve and maintain optimal levels of health, mentally and physically. Good quality wild salmon is one of the foods I most highly recommend for its nutrient density, ease to prepare and yumminess and it is something I try to consume regularly.Many Asian cuisine inspired sauces have ingredients like oyster or fish sauce that can be intimidating or off-putting to someone who is not used to such items. Teriyaki, on the other hand, is a good gateway condiment that is unobtrusive enough to appeal to picky eaters but has enough layers of flavour to please more sophisticated palates. Mirin is the one ingredient that may seem a little foreign (compared to the honey and soy sauce). It is used in sushi rice and is that extra something that makes the rice pliable and delicately sweet, it is basically just a light coloured vinegar that is sweeter and more mild than similar options like white wine vinegar. If you like Asian flavours it is a great addition to the pantry. Also, the fresh ginger and garlic are what really make the difference between a made-from-scratch and a bottled version.If you don’t like cleaning dishes, parchment paper comes to the rescue with potentially messy meals like this. The bits of sweeter sauces that fall down the sides of the fish tend to harden up once they cool (while you’re eating) but if you have the paper there it keeps the sauce, and salmon skin, from sticking. It makes clean-up easier and faster and ensures that you don’t accidentally pull the salmon all apart, as can happen when the skin sticks underneath to a metal pan. Soba noodles made from buckwheat flour, like teriyaki sauce, originate from Japan. They are dense and have a really nice nutty flavour, making them fully qualified as a healthy comfort food. Many versions also contain regular wheat flour so if it is something you avoid make sure to get noodles that are solely made with (naturally gluten-free) buckwheat. Not all grocery stores have the purer versions but most health food stores have at least one option, and may have additional varieties made with other whole grain flours like millet or brown rice.Adding in a bunch of vegetables drastically increases the dish’s vitamin, mineral and antioxidant levels, plus they add bulk to the noodles, transforming a handful into a plateful.