Terriyake Glazed Salmon Steamed with Shitakes, Celery and Peppers

I love salmon and I'm really getting into the delicious meaty flavors of shitake mushrooms. Low and behold, the two work together magically. This meal was put together on a whim and was purely inspired by the contents of my refrigerator and the constant "Whatever you make is great!" remarks from my boyfriend - the Taste-Tester. Our soundtrack was the Rolling Stones' 1971 Sticky Fingers. The weather is turning cold, we have an ever increasing desire for warm meals, and I'm convinced that salmon is one of those super foods that makes everyone feel great. There are a couple of key things that make for a fantastic salmon dish. The first tip is to marinate: no less than 30 minutes and no more than 2 hours, get creative and marinate. I think Ziploc bags are the way to go; simply place your salmon filets in the bag, fill with the ingredients with which you wish to marinate, and gently mix around, refrigerate. Without Ziploc bags, Tupperware works very well too. For an extra citrusy zing I like to place two slices of lemon over the filets while it's cooking. This tasted so delicious and I had some leftovers for a lovely meal the following night. The Taste Tester loved this meal and was giddily delighted by how healthy it was. I served this over a bed of quinoa and watercress. Getting fancy I made a little Martha Stewart-esque flower out of Radicchio and avocado. As it turns out, we made lovely little radicchio salmon boats. Yes, we called them salmon boats and you can see the nice little pictures below.

Ingredients:

For Marinade:

1/3 cup orange juice

4 tablespoons teriyaki sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon soy sauce

Garlic powder

2 salmon fillets

6 cloves garlic, chopped

6 shitake mushrooms, sliced

1 large yellow bell pepper, sliced

2 stalks of celery, sliced

Directions:

1. Place the salmon fillets in a Ziploc bag or a Tupperware container; pour the marinade ingredients over the salmon, flipping the fillets to make sure both sides are coated evenly. Generously sprinkle garlic powder. Seal and chill for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours.

2. In a non-stick skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil and garlic for a few minutes until garlic is fragrant. Add the mushrooms, bell pepper, and celery and make a space in the middle of the pan for the salmon. Carefully place the salmon fillets in the pan and pour the remaining marinade over the salmon and vegetables. Cover and turn to medium heat and cook until salmon is a light pink. About 15-25 minutes. Enjoy!

                        

Here is a radicchio avocado salad. While waiting for the salmon to cook, I got all excited about making it look like a flower.

                         

And here are the little salmon boats! Essentially a piece of radicchio with a slice of avocado and some salmon, exra quinoa and watercress for flavor :)