Serve over rice or cauliflower rice for a fast, satisfying meal that's big on flavor and low on effort.

Ingredients with Traditional Chinese Nutritional Information

There are 5 energies of foods cold, cool, neutral, warming and hot foods, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). The goal is to balance the energy of food in a recipe to maintain your bodies' hemostasis. Each one of us has a different body constitution but neutral foods are tolerated by all body types. As you can see, there is a nice mix of warming, cooling and neutral foods in this quick Asian shrimp and egg recipe.

• Eggs - (Neutral Energy) - extra-large organic preferred.Assume 2 to 3 eggs per person depending on how hungry they are. You can also use all egg whites or a mixture of egg yolks and whites, if you are watching your cholesterol levels. Did you know that egg yolks are considered warm and egg whites are considered cooling. Combined, they become neutral in energy.
• Shrimp - (Warming Energy) - If you can find large peeled and deveined shrimp, this can save you even more time. Otherwise, you will need peel and devein them before adding them to the egg and shrimp stir fry. 
• Tofu - (Cold Energy) not scrambled but firm tofu cubed and seared. Of course, you can use soft tofu for a silkier texture, if desired.Try to choose an organic and non-GMO option. As you will only use ½ a tofu block, there is plenty leftover to make savory Asian tofu pancakes.
• Green onions vs scallions - (Warming Energy) - either is fine. This aromatic gives
• Freshly grated ginger (Hot Energy) - adds a pop of flavor and freshness to this high protein meal. When all the flavors mingle it creates this light ginger scallion essence.
• Tomatoes (Cold Energy) - Optional but when the tomatoes break down, the juices create a savory saucy egg dish. (Sorry, the tomatoes got left on the counter and did not make it to the shot.) Try our easy tomato grating method, like in our spicy tomato glass soup recipe, so you don't have tough tomato skins or use cherry tomatoes like we did for this recipe.
• Soy sauce or Tamari or coconut aminos for gluten free (Cold Energy) - Adds that classic Chinese-style flavor.If you need to watch your sodium intake, consider substituting a lower sodium soy sauce.
• Sesame oil - (Warming Energy) - Nutty, rich and takes this easy shrimp and egg recipe to the next level.
• Cornstarch - (Cool Energy) seals in the juices and makes the shrimp extra crunchy when stir fried.
• White pepper (Warming Energy) or regular black pepper for a little kick of heat.

Step By Step: How to Stir Fry

• Peel and devein shrimp and toss with cornstarch.
• Cut tofu into small chunks.

• Beat the eggs.
• Add tofu to the beaten eggs

• Sauté shrimp on both sides and remove from pan
• Stir fry freshly grated ginger and scallions
• Add fresh chopped tomatoes.

• Lightly scramble the eggs and tofu mixture and season to taste.
• Drizzle in soy sauce (tamari), sesame oil and splash water and toss well.
• Add the cooked shrimp to the scrambled eggs and tofu with a quick toss.
• Serve while hot!

Easy Asian Stir Fry Recipes

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Shrimp & Egg Stir Fry

This easy shrimp and egg stir fry is a one-pan, high protein meal. Aromatics, tomatoes, and seasonings create a savory self-saucing dish in 15 minutes.

Course dinner, lunch

Cuisine Chinese

Diet Gluten Free, Low Lactose

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4 bowls

Calories 289kcal

Author HWC Magazine

Equipment

• 1 frying pan or wok

Ingredients

• 6 ounces shrimp tails removed, shells removed and deveined and dried well
• 1.5 teaspoon cornstarch
• salt to taste
• white pepper or black pepper to taste
• 8 ounces tofu extra firm - sliced into 1 inch cubes (See recipe notes)
• 6 large eggs beaten
• 2 tablespoon oil light flavored (1 tablespoon to cook the shrimp and 1 tablespoon to cook the aromatics)
• 1 tablespoon ginger peeled and freshly grated (1 knob)
• 4 scallions (green onions) chopped
• ½ cup tomatoes chopped or grated
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari or coconut aminos for gluten free.
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• ⅓ cup water

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Dry peeled and deveined shrimp well with paper towels. In a medium bowl, mix the prepared shrimp with cornstarch, salt and white pepper and Set aside.
• Dry tofu with paper towels and chop into 1 inch cubes.
• Beat the eggs together and toss in the diced tofu. Season to taste. Set aside.
• Add light flavored oil to a wok or large frying pan. Pan sear the shrimp over medium high heat on both sides until lightly golden and the shrimp are no longer translucent. (Don't crowd the pan and do not overlap the shrimp. Cook in batches if pan is too small.) Remove shrimp from the pan and keep warm.
• If pan is dry, add in another tablespoon of light flavored oil and add in the grated ginger and scallions. Stir fry for 1 minute until aromatic. Toss in the chopped or grated tomatoes for 1 to 2 minutes or until bubbly. (If you want to add any other quick cooking vegetables like spinach, bok choy, thinly sliced cabbage or other, add it now and stir fry for a minute or two, until crisp tender.)
• Pour in the beaten egg and tofu mixture into the pan on medium-low heat with the aromatics and tomatoes. Lightly scamble with slow and easy movements until about 50% cooked.
• Add in soy sauce, sesame oil and water to the eggs along with the cooked shrimp. Toss lightly until about 75% cooked through with a light ginger scallion sauce. Remove the pan from the heat. The heat from the pan will continue to cook the eggs.
• Serve on top of hot steamed rice, caulflower rice or your favorite veggies. Garnish with freshly chopped scallions, if desired.

Video

Notes

***Nutrition information does not include rice or cauliflower rice. 

Tofu Preferences

There are a few ways to prepare the tofu in this easy weeknight recipe, but it all comes down to your personal preference.

Silky-Smooth Cantonese Method: Use silken tofu instead of firm tofu. You will prepare the recipe the same except, instead of tossing and scrambling the eggs and tofu together, you will turn down the heat after adding them both to the pan, add seasonings and cover with a lid. Then, continue to cook without moving the ingredients in the pan, just until the eggs set. Top with cooked shrimp and serve over rice.

Asian Fusion Method: This is the method we used for this recipe. It’s a combination of the silky-smooth Cantonese method and the seared tofu method. The result is a soft and tender texture with loads of flavor.

Seared Tofu Method: First, dry the tofu well so you can achieve the crispy edged tofu. This method uses extra firm tofu coated with a little cornstarch, salt and white pepper. Sear the tofu in oil on both sides until lightly golden.  If your pan is large enough, you can do this along with the shrimp. This method gives a unique crunchy texture with soft eggs.

Tofu Scramble Method: Have you tried our Spicy Tofu Scramble or Italian Scrambled Eggs? The texture is kind of a combination of both. We tried it and I must say we prefer to have distinct tofu cubes in the recipe from a texture perspective. But you do you!

How to Thaw Frozen Shrimp Fast

It only takes about 5 minutes to that frozen shrimp. Remove the shrimp from the freezer and remove from them from the storage bag. Place the shrimp in a bowl with room temperature water. Strain the water and add more water to allow the shrimp to thaw. Repeat this process a couple of times until the shrimp are pliable. Drain shrimp and dry well with paper towels before using in the recipe. 

Storage

This easy shrimp, egg and tofu recipe is best enjoyed straight away. However, you can refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 3 days. We do not suggest freezing it because tofu has an odd texture after frozen. 

Reheating

Stove Top is our preferred way to reheat scrambled eggs and shrimp is on the stovetop.  Over low medium heat with a couple of tablespoons of water and a lid steam until warm and toasty. Season to taste and enjoy. 

Microwave method - Place the stir fried eggs and shrimp in a microwave safe dish with a couple of teaspoons of water. Cover with a paper towel to prevent splattering. Microwave on 50% power for 15 to 30 seconds at a time until warm and toasty, turning halfway. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 289kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 347mg | Sodium: 452mg | Potassium: 354mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 771IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 155mg | Iron: 3mg

The post Shrimp & Egg Stir Fry appeared first on Healthy World Cuisine

Craving quick and healthy Chinese food? This Asian Bay Scallops Stir Fry is an easy 15-minute dinner idea you'll want to make on repeat! It's brimming with sweet and buttery smooth scallops, crisp asparagus, spring peas, carrots and tossed in a light Chinese garlic sauce.

We can't wait to share with you our quick and easy recipe tips to achieve a Chinese restaurant style seafood dish using either fresh or frozen bay scallops. Little bay scallops, unlike the large sea scallops with garlic vermicelli, are so darn cute and only take a fraction of time to cook.

The secret to making a tender and succulent bay scallop recipe is a simple drying process and speedy cooking technique.  Are you ready to learn how to make the best stir-fried bay scallops and asparagus? Let's Go!

Ingredients Needed

Bay Scallops (depending on where they were harvested are sometimes also called Atlantic Bay scallop or blue-eyed scallops) are small (about the size of a US dime) and only about ⅓ the size of a sea scallop. They come either fresh or frozen depending on where you live. These are raw and not the dried ones you get at the Chinese Medicine stores in Sheng Wan, Hong Kong or in XO sauced beef noodles.

Spring Veggies like asparagus, peas and carrots add a pop of freshness to this Asian bay scallop stir fry. Feel free to substitute with your favorite seasonal vegetables of choice.

Aromatics such as ginger and garlic are key to this light and flavorful Chinese stir fry. In a pinch, you can substitute with ground spices but fresh is best.

Light Flavorful Chinese Sauce is made with chicken bouillon mixed in water, sesame oil, oyster sauce and cornstarch to thicken. We used a teaspoon of Better than Chicken Bouillon in ⅓ cup water. You can also use a powdered bouillon or a crushed bouillon cube in either chicken or vegetable flavor. Just a tablespoon of oyster sauce will make this Asian recipe and our chicken and mushroom recipe extra flavorful. If you are celiac, there are gluten free options for both oyster sauce and chicken bouillon.

How to Prepare Frozen Bay Scallops?

Recipe Tip: The most important rule is to get the bay scallops as dry as possible without drawing out any of their natural juices.

Unlike other stir-fried bay scallops' recipes, ours does not include blanching them in hot water, brining with salt or dusting them in cornstarch. These are unnecessary steps that can draw the water out, but it makes them tough and rubbery in the process.

If you want succulent tender scallops, here's how you do it - No special tools or talents needed!

• Remove frozen bay scallops from their original container and place in a covered container in the refrigerator overnight. Bay scallops do not need to be rinsed. Please do not soak them in water because they will get waterlogged. Instead, just let them thaw naturally all by themselves and they will do their magic.

• When you are ready to cook fresh caught or thawed bay scallops, drain any liquid in the bowl they were sitting in.

• Then, lay out a couple layers of paper towel or a tea towel out. In a single layer, spread the bay scallops out on the towel.

• Take another paper towel or tea towel and dab dry.

• Allow them to stay on the towel to dry while prepping the other part of your recipe ingredients.

How to Make a Seafood Vegetable Stir Fry?

• On a towel, pat dry the bay scallops. Leave them on the towel at room temperature for 10 minutes while you prep the other ingredients.
• Remove the tough stems from the asparagus, like we do with our grilled asparagus recipe. Then, chop into 1.5-inch segments.

• Slice the carrots and finely mince ginger and garlic.
• Make the simple Chinese sauce. Add the chicken bouillon powder or paste to water and stir along with sesame oil, oyster sauce and cornstarch.

• Steam the sliced carrots in the pan with a little water and place on the lid for 1 minute or until the water evaporates.
• Add in oil, aromatics, asparagus in with the steamed carrots and stir fry until vegetables are crisp tender. Remove the veggies from the pan.

• Stir fry the bay scallops for 1 minute on one side and flip over for about 30 seconds on the other.

• Quickly add the cooked veggies and Chinese sauce into the pan until the sauce thickens.
• Add the thawed cooked peas to the stir fry and give the Asian bay scallops stir fry a quick toss.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

More Healthy Stir Fry Recipes

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Asian Bay Scallops Stir Fry with Spring Veggies

Enjoy a quick 15-minute Asian Bay Scallops Stir Fry with spring veggies. This healthy Chinese seafood recipe features a light sauce and easy tips for success!

Course 30 Minute Meals, dinner

Cuisine Chinese

Diet Low Fat, Low Lactose

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Calories 372kcal

Author HWC Magazine

Equipment

• wok or pan with lid

Ingredients

Bay Scallop and Vegetable Stir Fry

• 1 pound bay scallops fresh or frozen. (if frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator)
• 8 medium asparagus fresh spears
• 1 medium carrot fresh peeled and sliced thinly
• ½ cup peas thawed from frozen
• 1.5 inch ginger fresh peeled and minced
• 2 cloves garlic fresh peeled and minced
• 2 tablespoons water to steam carrots
• 2 tablespoons oil divided (1 tablespoon to cook veggies and 1 tablespoon to cook bay scallops)
• white pepper optional - to taste

Chinese Stir Fry Sauce

• 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules/powder or paste (or vegetable) - choose gluten free if needed
• ⅓ cup water
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce choose gluten-free brand - if needed
• 1.5 teaspoons cornstarch choose gluten-free brand - if needed

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare Bay Scallops (Fresh or Frozen)

• If using frozen bay scallops, remove them from their original container and place in a covered container in the refrigerator overnight to thaw. Bay scallops do not need to be rinsed. Please do not soak them in water because they will get waterlogged. Instead, just let them thaw naturally all by themselves and they will do their magic. If using fresh bay scallops, proceed to the next step.
• Drain any extra liquid in the bowl or package that the bay scallops were sitting in. Then, lay a couple layers of paper toweling or a tea towel out on a sheet pan or on the counter. In a single layer, spread the bay scallops out on the towel. Carefully use another paper towel or tea towel and dab dry the bay scallops. Set aside the bay scallops to dry at room temperature while you prep the other ingredients.

Prepare Veggies and Aromatics

• Snap the tough ends off of the asparagus and chop into approximately 1.5 inch segments. Peel and slice the carrot. Thaw the frozen peas. Peel and mince garlic and ginger. Set aside.

Make Chinese Stir Fry Sauce

• In a small bowl, add in 1 teaspoon of chicken bouillon powder/granules or paste along with ⅓ cup water. Add in 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce and 1.5 teaspoons of cornstarch. Stir together and set aside.

Stir Frying

• Add carrots slices to wok or pan and 2 tablespoons of water and place on the lid. Steam over medium high heat until the water is absorbed and the carrots are crispy tender - about a minute.
• Then, add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan along with the steamed carrots. Next add ginger and garlic and fry a couple of seconds until aromatic. Then, add in the chopped asparagus and stir fry for about a minute until bright green and crisp tender. Remove the vegetables from the pan and place in a dish. Keep the vegetable dish and the prepared sauce near the pan as you are going to be adding them back into the pan very shortly.
• Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil into the pan. Over medium high heat, add the raw bay scallops into the pan and lay out in a single layer. Do not touch them. Allow them to sear for 1 minute. Then, quickly do a toss or stir and sear them on the other side for 30 seconds.
• Keep the heat on medium high. Quickly pour the stir fried carrots and asparagus with the aromatics back in along with the pan seared bay scallops. Give the Chinese stir fry sauce another stir to make sure the cornstarch stays mixed and pour into the pan. Add the thawed peas and white pepper - if desired. Stir fry all the ingredients together until the sauce is thick and bubbly. Serve with rice and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Recipe Tips

• Do not marinate sea scallops in cooking wine or any liquids before cooking. It will cause steaming instead of searing in the pan. 
• If your bay scallops are still waterlogged, they will shrink and extract water into the wok or pan while stir frying. That is why it is imperative to thaw frozen ones overnight. Do NOT soak them in water or try to do a quick thaw using water. 
• Fresh or recently thawed raw scallops need to be cooked within 1 to 2 days of refrigeration. Do not refreeze thawed bay scallops.
• Choose smaller and similar in diameter sized asparagus vs the thick and larger in diameter ones. This ensures that they cook fast and evenly.
• Do NOT over crowd the wok or pan so the ingredients can get a good sear.
• Getting everything prepped and ready (mise en place) is important because the actual stir-frying process is going to go fast - less than 5 minutes.
• For the Chinese stir fry sauce to thicken, the pan must be a medium high heat. After you bring the sauce up to a boil, the sauce will start to thicken. Keep stirring because it takes only a few seconds.

Storage and Reheating

Leftovers, if you have any, can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. We do not recommend freezing this recipe. You can reheat in the microwave on medium heat for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until toasty warm or on the stovetop. Do not over cook. Asian bay scallops stir fry with spring veggies is best fresh - the same day it was prepared. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 372kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 1173mg | Potassium: 819mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 5864IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 3mg

The post Asian Bay Scallops Stir Fry with Spring Veggies appeared first on Healthy World Cuisine

But that's not all! These salmon bites cook up in just about 6 minutes making them perfect for a busy weekday meal or crowd-pleasing Asian appetizer. In addition, we will be sharing our secret way to effortlessly remove skin from salmon with our quick and easy video demonstration. Lastly, these salmon nuggets are made without breading and are entirely gluten-free when made with either tamari sauce or coconut aminos.

So, let's turn fish haters into fish lovers with this quick and easy air fried salmon recipe.

Ingredients

Salmon - Use the thicker portion of the fillet for the best salmon bites. Wild caught is preferred to farmed. Fresh is best but you can also use frozen fillets. Choose your favorite type and one in your budget.

• King (Chinook) is highest in fat and in cost. 
• Sockeye is redder in color and leaner and from the Pacific.
• Coho (Silver Salmon) from the Pacific have a little less oil but are brighter in color compared to Atlantic.
• Atlantic salmon are usually farm-raised but are less expensive.

If you can't find salmon, try mackerel, or black cod which are both high in omega-3 fatty acids.

Oranges or Mandarin Oranges - or even try blood oranges when in season - fresh juice and zest

Lime or Lemon - fresh juice and zest

Garlic and Ginger - fresh or dried ground spices.

Soy sauce - or tamari or coconut aminos to keep this recipe gluten-free.

Sesame Oil - and a little light flavored oil to prevent sticking to the air fryer grates.

Garlic Chili Sauce or Sriracha Sauce - to give this recipe a little spicy kick. Alternatively, you can add a little dash of dried red pepper flakes or even fresh chili peppers.

Honey - or maple syrup or other sugar alternatives of choice.

Air Fryer Instructions

• Remove the salmon skin, if desired, and cut it into 1.5-inch cubes. Ours look more like rectangles. (smiling)

• Make the orange salmon marinade. Zest and juice the oranges and limes. Then, stir in garlic, ginger, soy sauce (tamari or coconut aminos), sesame oil, garlic chili sauce and honey.

• Add ½ of the orange salmon marinade to the patted dry salmon cubes. Reserve the other half of the marinade for the glaze.

• Place the marinated salmon nuggets in a lightly oil sprayed air fryer basket or tray. Air fry salmon bites at 400° F (204° C) for about 6 to 8 minutes or until easily flakes with a fork or the internal temperature is 145° F (62° C). Turn the salmon or shake the basket halfway through the cooking process.

• In the meantime, reduce the other half of the orange marinade by half or until thick and bubbly.
• Drizzle the orange glaze over the air fried salmon bites. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions, if desired, and enjoy.

The Irresistible Orange Glaze

Have you tried our mandarin orange chicken? Then you will know how delicious the natural sweetness of oranges and zest from citrus can brighten up any dish. You are going to love this orange glaze over air fryer fish bites because it's completely balanced. Actually, make extra because it is so good over air fryer ham, drizzled on roasted carrots or even duck.

Salmon Skin On or Off?

Should you keep the skin on or off the salmon before air frying? The easiest way to solve this debate is to look at the pros and cons of each and you be the judge. We prefer to take the skin off when cooking fish in the air fryer.

Leaving the Skin on

Pro's

• Saves time.
• No need to flip the salmon.
• Protects the fish from drying out.

Con's

• Higher probability that that one side of the salmon will not get browned.
• The skin may stick to the air fryer tray.
• Skin will not be truly crispy.  If you want to eat the salmon skin as a crispy snack, you will need to air fry the skins separately from the salmon flesh.
• Might not be aesthetically pleasing to those that are not true fish fans.

Removing Skin

Pro's

• Easier to eat because you do not have to remove the skin first.
• This method is more appealing to those finicky eaters.
• The salmon nugget gets crispy on all sides.

Con's

• It takes a little more time. However, with our quick and easy hack shown in our video below, you will have the skin off in less than 5 minutes.
• Be extra careful not to overcook the salmon. The skin acts as a heat barrier and keeps it moist.

How to Remove Salmon Skin

Removing the skin to make fish bites can be done in a couple of different ways.

1. Ask your fish monger to remove the skin for you.
2. The knife method is where you lay the salmon skin side down and flesh side up and run your sharp knife between the skin and flesh. This can be tricky as it takes some skill. In addition, if you are not monitoring what you are doing you can inadvertently take off too much of the salmon flesh.
3. We chose to use the Hand method to remove the skin.
4. Lay the salmon flesh side down on a cutting board and the skin side up.
5. With a sharp knife or your fingers, pull up the edge of the skin and hold it with one hand. Use the knife or your other hand to hold the salmon fillet down on the cutting board. Then, pull the skin back with a light side to side motion to help peel the skin away from the flesh.

In either method, sometimes you need to remove a little extra brown fish flesh (bloodline) located next to the skin with a sharp knife. Although you can eat the bloodline, it has a little stronger flavor - so the choice is yours.

Breading-Free Salmon Nuggets

We are all about keeping things simple, healthy, and less messy in the kitchen. The air fryer can help you do this by making the salmon edges crispy while keeping the interior is flaky and succulent - and your kitchen clean. No messy breading stations and it is happily gluten-free. Say goodbye to greasy stovetops and extra dishes to clean up.

How to Serve Salmon Bites

Can you keep a secret? We have been eating orange glazed salmon bites, one right after the other, straight off the air fryer tray. They are just that good. (smiling) Alternatively, you may like to try these other ways to serve air fried salmon bites.

• Serve air fryer salmon bites with rice and stir-fried fresh veggies or make an Asian style buddha bowl.
• Grab a few skewers or toothpicks and serve them up as an appetizer with extra orange glaze dipping sauce on the side.
• Try them in a green salad. Add orange segments and toss with a lemon balsamic vinaigrette
• Bring on Taco Tuesday with an Asian flare. Enjoy salmon bites in a hard or soft shell and top with an Asian coleslaw, spicy garlic pickles and enjoy.
• Add these orange glazed salmon bites to a sandwich, slider bun or Chinese bao (bread).

Recipe Tips

• Cut salmon into uniform sized pieces. In addition, use the thick center cut of the salmon fillet. You can save the thin odd, shaped pieces for Thai Salmon Curry.
• Pat the salmon bites dry with a paper towel before air frying. This ensures a crispy result.
• Don't overcrowd the air fryer basket. Make sure that the salmon bites have room for the air to flow around them. Do not overlap the fish slices.
• Do not overcook! Start checking on your air fryer salmon bites at the 3-to-4-minute mark. Turn salmon or shake the basket, depending on the type of air fryer you have. As soon as the fish flakes easily, are golden brown or have reached 145°F (62° C)- they are done cooking.
• You can make the Asian orange marinade up to 3 days in advance for an easy meal prep idea.
• Do not marinate the salmon for longer than 10 to 15 minutes. The acid from the citrus will start to "cook" the fish, like a ceviche recipe, if left on longer.

Storage Instructions

If you have leftover air fryer orange glazed salmon, lucky you! You may want to hide these delectable bites under the broccoli. No one will ever look there. Then when you want a snack or tomorrow for lunch - your orange glazed salmon bites will be there waiting for you.

Once salmon bites are cooked, they can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

Simplify dinner! This salmon recipe is fast and easy for busy back to school days and crazy busy workdays.  Perfect for the days you really do not feel like cooking but want a cozy healthy dinner.

Don't worry if you are late hopping on the air fryer bandwagon!  Start today, to create extra crispy salmon bites without all the mess of frying.

More Air Fryer Recipes

More Salmon Recipes

Did You Like Our Recipe? Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and/or a review in the comments section below. Your feedback is always appreciated! Follow us for more delicious recipes on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook! Don't forget to sign up for our email list for more free recipes.

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Orange Glazed Air Fryer Salmon Bites

Easy Orange Glazed Air Fryer Salmon Bites are crispy, yet succulent, with an addictive sticky sweet & spicy orange sauce and marinade.

Course Mains

Cuisine American, Chinese

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 6 minutes minutes

Total Time 16 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 332kcal

Author HWC Magazine

Equipment

• air fryer

Ingredients

• 4 fillets salmon
  skin and bones removed approximately 6 ounces each or 24 ounces total.
• ½ tablespoon lime zest
• ½ tablespoon orange zest
• 1 tablespoon lime juice or juice from ½ of a lime
• ¼ cup orange juice or juice from one medium orange
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic large cloves peeled and minced or ½ teaspoon dried ground garlic
• 2 teaspoons ginger freshly peeled and grated or just a touch of dried ground ginger
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari or coconut aminos for gluten free
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon oil light flavored - plus extra to coat the air fryer basket or tray
• ½ tablespoon garlic chili sauce or Sriracha sauce
• 2 tablespoons honey or to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Remove the salmon skin. Cut the salmon into approximately 1.5 inch ( 3.8 cm) cubes or bite sized pieces. Dab the salmon cubes with a paper towel. Place the salmon cubes in a bowl or baggie so they an be marinated. Set aside.
• Make the orange salmon marinade. Add ½ tablespoon lime zest and ½ tablespoon of orange zest in a bowl. Then, add the juice of one orange and juice of ½ of a lime in with the zest. Mix in garlic, ginger, soy sauce (tamari or coconut aminos), sesame oil, light flavored oil, garlic chili sauce (or sriracha sauce) and honey and stir well.
• Place ½ (one-half) of the marinade over the salmon cubes and mix so that the marinade is evenly distributed over the salmon cubes. Marinate the salmon cubes up to 10 minutes. Reserve ½ of the marinade to make the orange glaze later.
• Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (204° C) for 5 minutes. Spray air fryer basket or tray with oil. Place marinated salmon cubes in air fryer basket or tray - making sure they are not touching or overlapping. Allow room between the cubes so that air can circulate. Depending on the size and type of air fryer you have, you may have to cook them in more than one batch.
• Air Fry salmon bites for approximately 6 to 8 minutes or until the internal temperature is 145°F (62° C) or they flake easily with a fork and are slightly golden brown. Half way through you can give your air fryer basket a little shake or turn the cubes so they get golden on all sides.
• While the salmon bites are cooking in the air fryer, reduce the other half of the reserved orange salmon marinade in a pan over medium - high heat. Cook until the orange glaze is thickens and bubbly. This process takes about 2 minutes.
• Remove the air fryer salmon bites from the air fryer. Drizzle with the orange glaze. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions, if desired. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Recipe Tips

• Cut salmon into uniform sized pieces. In addition, use the thick center cut of the salmon fillet.
• Pat the salmon bites dry with a paper towel before air frying. This ensures a crispy result.
• Don't overcrowd the air fryer basket. Make sure that the salmon bites have room for the air to flow around them. Do not overlap the fish slices.
• Do not overcook! Start checking on your air fryer salmon bites at the 3-to-4-minute mark. Turn salmon or shake the basket, depending on the type of air fryer you have. As soon as the fish flakes easily, are golden brown or have reached 145°F (62° C)- they are done cooking.
• It is best to use the temperature or flake method to determine when the salmon is cooked because the size of the salmon pieces can differ. In addition, each air fryer model cooks a little differently.
• You can make the Asian orange marinade up to 3 days in advance for an easy meal prep idea.
• Do not marinate the salmon for longer than 10 to 15 minutes. The acid from the citrus will start to "cook" the fish, like a ceviche recipe, if left on longer.

Storage Instructions

Once salmon bites are cooked, they can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 332kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 468mg | Potassium: 915mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 105IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Orange Glazed Air Fryer Salmon Bites appeared first on Healthy World Cuisine

Bring on the East meets West culinary adventure - introducing the popular Vietnamese pizza recipe! It's grilled to perfection and drizzled with zesty lime mayonnaise for one addictive bite that will have your taste buds longing for more.

Whether you prefer to grill this rice paper pizza on the BBQ or roast on the stovetop, you are going to love making this popular Vietnamese street food at home. We will demonstrate both cooking methods and have included loads of helpful hints.

Vietnamese Street Food

Have you ever been to the bustling streets of Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)? It's a food lover paradise complete with street vendors selling fried spring roll (Chả Giò), fresh summer rolls, Banh mi (special local sandwich), beef pho, Vietnamese pizza and much more.

Rice paper pizza is relatively new to the Vietnamese street food scene. It kind of reminds me of an open faced Chả Giò with some of the very same ingredients - just not rolled up. Due to its quick preparation and affordable price, Vietnam pizza has caught on quickly.

This popular street food originated in Da Lat located in the Central Highlands region of Vietnam.  This city has cooler temperate weather, so the toppings are rich, warm, and filling.  Toppings like sausage, minced pork, lots of chilis, dried shrimp, crushed peanuts, butter and even duck blood (yep, we're not too keen on this one).

A Da Lat pizza has a thicker rice paper to hold more toppings and is grilled over the hot coals. Then, the grilled pizzas are folded in half and wrapped in paper for easy portability.

Southern Cuisine

Vietnamese Southern dishes are bright, lively, always fresh, and sometimes a little spicy. Did you know Huy Fong garlic chili paste and sriracha sauce was invented by David Tran, a Chinese immigrant from Vietnam? We make our own homemade chili garlic sauce. It adds a little dash of spice to the bright lime mayonnaise topping for the crab pizza. It's a must try.

Much like Thai recipes, Vietnamese cuisine includes the 4 main taste profiles: sweet, sour, savory and spicy for the perfect balance in flavor. Some common southern ingredients include seafood, fish sauce, chilis, fresh herbs, limes, fresh vegetables, thin rice noodles like in our Shrimp Vermicelli Salad and coconut milk.

Our Vietnamese crab pizza utilizes the sturdiness of the Central Vietnamese thicker rice paper wrapper by sticking two sheets together. However, we chose to keep the ingredients light and bright with southern toppings like sweet crab and a lime chili mayo topping. The beauty of bánh tráng nướng recipe is that you can add whatever toppings your little heart desires.

What are Bánh Tráng?

Bánh Tráng is the main ingredient for this Vietnamese pizza and rice paper dumplings and is the Vietnamese word for dry edible rice paper wrapper. (Sometimes they are also called rice wafers, rice crepes, spring roll skins, nem wrappers, spring roll wrappers, Vietnamese rice paper or even rice crackers.)

"Nướng" in Vietnamese means to grill. If you put it all together, "bánh tráng nướng" means grilled rice papers. Bánh Tráng are usually purchased in a pack with a lid to protect them as they are very fragile. Easily found in Asian food markets and now in many regular grocery stores.

These spring roll rice paper wrappers are naturally gluten free and are usually made with rice flour. However, some can also be made with tapioca flour. (If you are celiac, there are a few organic certified gluten-free options available on Amazon and in specialty stores)

Rice Paper Pizza Ingredients

1) Rice Paper Wrappers (bánh tráng) These spring roll skin wrappers shown above also come in many different sizes, some with sesame seeds and even some square options. We chose the 10.5-inch (26 cm) round option to make crab pizzas.

2) Egg is used as the glue to hold the ingredients in place on the pizza.

3) Imitation crab meat - we used a gluten free brand. However, you can also use freshly cooked real crab meat or other seafood like cooked shrimp chopped finely.

4) Green Onions (scallions, spring onion) - gives that pop of freshness. We also added some fried shallots to give the Vietnamese crab pizza a fun texture contrast.

5) Oil Fried with Aromatics - We've made a homemade chili crisp using a light flavored oil.  This aromatic oil adds extra flavor, crispiness and creates an impermeable layer to prevent moisture from toppings that can make the crust soggy. The chili crisp recipe is included in the recipe below or you can use a store-bought version.

Alternatively, you can cook green onions, garlic and/ or scallions in oil to make it aromatic and skip the chili flakes altogether. Are you feeling extra tired? Just mix a little garlic powder or onion powder and mix it in the oil and call it a day.

Chili Crisp Ingredients

• Light Flavored Oil
• Shallots or Onions
• Green Onions
• Garlic
• Dried Red Chili Flakes

Lime Chili Mayonnaise Ingredients

• Mayonnaise - we love Kewpie brand but use what you have on hand.
• Garlic Chili Sauce or Sriracha
• Fish Sauce - if you do not have this product season with salt to taste
• Lime Zest and Lime Juice

How to Prepare Vietnamese Crab Pizza

• Remove 2 rice paper wrappers from the package. Add a little water with your fingers to the smooth side of one of the wrappers. Gently seal the 2 smooth sides of the wrappers together.
• Preheat the grill or non-stick pan. Place the prepared double rice paper wrappers on the dry grill or ungreased pan. Press the edges of the rice paper down with a spatula. Cook over medium-low heat until the rice paper starts to turn opaque. Flip over and continue to cook until about 50% opaque.
• Top the grilled rice paper with a little aromatic oil or chili crisp with the back of a spoon or brush.

• Add the beaten egg, green onion, and salt mixture on top of the oiled rice paper. Spread out to the edges.

• Next, add a couple tablespoons of finely chopped crab and fried shallots if desired.
• Top with lime chili mayonnaise and enjoy.

Variations and Topping Ideas

The topping ideas for Vietnamese pizza are numerous. The only restraint is what you have in your refrigerator or pantry. However, if you overload your pizza with too many toppings, it can make it soggy. The basic rule is to think about the best ways to balance the flavor. Include savory, sweet, sour, and possibly spicy elements to make the best bánh tráng nướng.

What Toppings Do You Like?

• Cooked ground pork sausage, spam, ham, thinly sliced Vietnamese sausages (Chả Lụa) or pork floss (light a fluffy cooked pork that has the texture of cotton)
• Canned tuna or salmon
• Shrimp, fish, scallops, or crab that are precooked and minced finely.
• Veggies that are not soggy! Yep, even corn - commonly seen on any Asian pizza or savory shrimp pancakes.
• Crushed Peanuts
• Cheese - After all, this is an Asian Fusion recipe - Eat what you enjoy.
• Stir fried mushrooms finely minced.
• Quail eggs
• Sesame Seeds
• Fresh herbs like Thai basil or mint
• Fried Shallots
• Crisp arugula (rocket) or chopped lettuces to be added at the very end of the cooking process.
• Mayonnaise and/or Sriracha sauce

How to Serve

Did you know that you can serve this rice paper snack like a regular pizza or a quesadilla?

If you want to serve up like regular pizza, we have the best luck cutting wedges out with a pair of culinary scissors. You can also cut them with a sharp knife.  However, because these little crab pizzas are so crispy, they can break.

If you prefer to eat it on the go, just fold over into a Vietnamese quesadilla and serve. Add a refreshing rambutan cocktail for a fun weekend culinary experience.

Common Problems: How to Solve

We always say the first Vietnamese Crab Pizza off the grill is for the cook. This recipe is simple but of course there will be some small mishaps until you get the knack of preparing your first one. We tested this recipe doing all kinds of bad things you should never do just so you don't have to repeat those same mistakes.

• Don't overload the pizza. They will get soggy.
• Cook over medium-low heat. It takes at least 3 minutes for the pizzas to start to turn from translucent to opaque. Be patient!
• Even though it may seem like a good idea, don't grease your pan or grill. Stuff will stick and burn.
• Don't put the toppings on the pizza until they are at least 50% percent opaque. Your toppings will start to get overly brown, but it will still be undercooked and chewy.
• If you are a newbie with rice paper pizzas, practice first in a skillet before moving on to the BBQ or gas grill. More skill is required because grills do not cook evenly, and you must be quick. However, we prefer the chargrilled flavor to the skillet method-hands down.
• Best outcomes with using non-stick pan. Iron skillets hold the temperature too much and greater chance for burning and cracking of crust.
• Keep the dried rice paper wrappers away from your drinks or beverages. Spilling water or your gin and tonic on them will quickly make them into a pliable wrapper perfect for spring rolls that taste like gin - not good! 
• If cooking on the grill, keep it moving and adjusting the location to indirect heat as this pizza can and will catch on fire! Things can get exciting.

Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ's)

More Crab Recipes

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Vietnamese Crab Pizza

Grilled Vietnamese Crab Pizza (Bánh Tráng Nướng) is made with gluten-free imitation crab, lime chili mayo on a crispy rice paper crust. Ready in 5 Minutes!

Course Appetizers/ Snacks, Breakfast and Brunch

Cuisine Vietnamese

Diet Gluten Free, Low Lactose

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4 pizzas

Calories 91kcal

Author HWC Magazine

Equipment

• non-stick pan or grill can cook on either the stovetop or grill
• tongs or spatula to turn pizza
• culinary kitchen scissors to cut the pizza

Ingredients

Vietnamese Crab Pizza - 4 servings

• 8 whole rice paper wrappers dry Vietnamese spring roll wrappers - gluten free options available
• 6 ounces imitation crab meat gluten-free options if needed minced finely
• 4 whole eggs beaten
• salt to taste
• 4 whole green onions sliced
• ⅓ cup fried shallots optional
• chili crisp oil recipe below (oil fried with aromatics) or can use store bought.
• lime chili mayonnaise recipe below (optional)

Chili Crisp Oil (Oil Fried with Aromatics) - or can use store bought

• ½ cup oil light flavored
• ½ cup shallots or onions chopped
• ⅓ cup green onions sliced
• 3 garlic cloves peeled and minced
• 2 - 3 tablespoons red chili flakes optional

Lime Chili Mayonnaise (optional)

• ½ cup mayonnaise we love Kewpie brand but use what you have on hand
• 1 - 1.5 tablespoons chili garlic sauce or sriracha
• 1 tablespoon lime zest zest from 1 lime
• 1 teaspoon lime juice fresh

Instructions

Make Chili Crisp Oil - skip step if using store bought

• You can make this flavored aromatic crisp oil with or without the chili flakes. If you like a little spice, place dried chili flakes into a heat resistant bowl. On the other hand, if you just want a flavorful and aromatic oil skip the chili.
• Put oil in a small pan and increase to medium- high heat. Add the onions and sauté until translucent. Then, add the green onions and give it a quick stir. Lastly, add the fresh garlic for one quick stir and remove from heat. Immediately pour the hot oil over the chili flakes for spicy or into another heat save empty bowl for not spicy. Stir and set aside.

Make Lime Chili Mayonnaise - optional but so good!

• Place mayonnaise, chili garlic sauce or sriracha sauce, lime zest and lime juice into a medium bowl and stir. Set aside

Prepare Egg and Green Onion Mixture

• Add eggs to bowl and beat. Add salt to taste and green onions and stir. You will use approximately 1 egg for each of the 4 Vietnamese pizzas. Set aside

Vietnamese Crab Pizza (pan fried or grilled)

• Remove 2 rice paper wrappers from the package. Add a little water with your fingers to the smooth side of one of the wrappers. Gently seal the 2 smooth sides of the wrappers together.
• Preheat non-stick pan or grill. Place the prepared double rice paper wrappers on the dry grill or ungreased pan. Press the edges of the rice paper down with a spatula. Cook over medium-low heat until the rice paper starts to turn opaque. Flip over and continue to cook until about 50% opaque. (If grilling, place rice paper pizza in an area with indirect flames. Keep moving the pizza gently with tongs or a spatula so that it cooks evenly.) Watch the video demonstrating both cooking methods. .
• Top the grilled rice paper with a little aromatic oil or chili crisp with the back of a spoon or brush.
• Add the beaten egg, green onion, and salt mixture on top of the oiled rice paper. Spread out to the edges. You will use approximately 1 egg for each crab pizza.
• Next, add a couple tablespoons of finely chopped crab and fried shallots if desired.
• Top with lime chili mayonnaise, if desired. Repeat process with the other 3 pizzas. To serve, you can eat like a pizza and cut into wedges with kitchen scissors. To eat it on the go, fold over like a quesadilla and enjoy!

Video

Notes

How to Store:

Vietnamese pizzas  are best served right after cooking when they are crispy. However, they can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 

How to reheat a Vietnamese pizza?

Reheat Vietnamese pizzas in a non-stick pan or on the grill over medium-low heat until the toppings are warmed, and it starts to sizzle – about 2 to 3 minutes. Alternatively, you can reheat in a preheated air fryer at 350°F (175°C) for approximately 3 to 5 minutes. Keep a close eye on them so they do not burn.  Do not reheat in the microwave as this will make them soggy.

Recipe Tips:

• Don't overload the pizza. They will get soggy.
• Cook over medium-low heat. It takes at least 3 minutes for the pizzas to start to turn from translucent to opaque. Be patient!
• Even though it may seem like a good idea, don't grease your pan or grill. Stuff will stick and burn.
• Don't put the toppings on the pizza until they are at least 50% percent opaque. Your toppings will start to get overly brown, but it will still be undercooked and chewy.
• If you are a newbie with rice paper pizzas, practice first in a skillet before moving on to the BBQ or gas grill. More skill is required because grills do not cook evenly, and you must be quick. We prefer the chargrilled flavor to the skillet method-hands down.
• Best outcomes with using non-stick pan. Iron skillets hold the temperature too much and greater chance for burning and cracking of crust.
• Keep the dried rice paper wrappers away from liquids.
• If cooking on the grill, keep it moving and adjusting the location to indirect heat as this pizza can and will catch on fire! Things can get exciting.

Nutrition

Serving: 1pizza | Calories: 91kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 252mg | Potassium: 6mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 16IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 0.1mg

The post Vietnamese Crab Pizza appeared first on Healthy World Cuisine

You are going to love the combination of the crispy crust, creamy crab, and flavored sushi rice. Once it's wrapped up in nori (dried seaweed) with all your favorite toppings - it's a flavor bomb. It's easy to make and perfect for a cozy night in. No fancy rolling required and its always a huge crowd pleaser.

Baked sushi with crab is an easy brunch idea, interactive meal, or party idea. Everyone always loves creating their own little masterpiece. This imitation crab casserole does not require any special skills, sushi rolling mats or even chopsticks.  Just like our Isobeyaki Mochi, you can eat it with your hands.

Baked Sushi vs Traditional Sushi Benefits

If you a looking for a simple Asian fusion dish but without all the fuss of regular sushi - this simple sushi bake is the recipe for you.

• No fussy rolling or special tools required.
• Warm, cozy and the ultimate comfort food - especially during the change of seasons
• Can be made with easy to find ingredients.
• No sushi grade raw fish required - everything is baked.
• Fun idea for a gathering.
• Leftovers rock!
• Complete with Gluten- free and dairy free options

Ingredients

The main ingredients are Japanese short grain rice, sushi rice seasonings, imitation crab meat, mayonnaise, cream cheese, furikake, Sriracha and nori (seaweed). Let's take a moment to review what these items are and where to find them

Japanese Short Grain Rice

Japanese short grain rice also known as uruchimai (粳米) or sushi rice. It's starchier and stickier than regular rice. This stickiness allows the rice to hold its shape when rolled, shaped into sushi, or pressed into the crab sushi bake. If you try to replace sushi rice with regular long grain rice or Jasmine rice, it will fall apart and be more difficult to work with. You can purchase it at an Asian grocery store, Whole Foods or on Amazon.

Sushi Rice Seasoning

Sushi rice seasoning provides two important functions. First, it gives the sushi rice a delicious flavor. Secondly, it helps the rice stick together and hold its shape. You can add the seasoning using these three methods.

1. Rice vinegar, sugar and salt are added to the rice. This may be easiest as the ingredients are easy to source. (Rice vinegar is the type of vinegar needed for the classic sushi flavoring.)
2. Use a premade sushi seasoning rice vinegar.
3. Add a dried sushi rice mix seasoning powder like Tamanoi Sushinoko to the warm rice.

Imitation Crab Meat

Imitation Crab Meat (or fresh crab or canned crab ) work perfectly in this imitation crab casserole and in our Super Easy Crab Salad and Thai Pomelo Crab Salad Avocados. We used a gluten-free imitation crab meat because it is super convenient and less expensive.

You can find imitation crab as crab sticks or flake style like we used in our Grilled Swordfish and Crab Salsa. As you are going to chop it up for the sushi bake, either option is okay. Don't like crab? No worries we have other budget friendly options listed in the frequent asked questions below.

Sauces and Seasonings

Mayonnaise - Hands down our favorite mayonnaise is Japanese Kewpie Mayo. However, feel free to use your favorite brand or whatever you have on hand.

Cream Cheese -Regular or light cream cheese. Alternatives listed in the frequent asked questions below.

Sriracha Chili Sauce - or a little chili sauce mixed in with the mayonnaise adds a little kick to the spicy crab sushi bake. Of course, it's optional but why would you skip it?

Furikake (ふりかけ) is a dried savory Japanese seasoning that is usually sprinkled over rice like Tuna Mayo Rice Balls. It is usually made with roasted sesame seeds, dried seaweed, dried fish, salt, and a little sugar.

There are many different types that have different additions like dried shrimp, vegetables, or salmon. Our favorite is tomago (egg) furikake. Our family fondly refers to furikake as "Japanese Sprinkles". They sprinkle furikake on almost everything just like you would use salt and pepper. If you cannot find the commercially prepared version at the grocery store, you can make your own homemade. (We have included directions in the recipe card for your convenience.)

Nori (Seaweed)

Nori Seaweed Sheets - we used Korean crispy seasoned seaweed snack sheets as they are the perfect size and pre-seasoned. They come in convenient small packages around 0.17 ounces.  However, you can also use dried roasted nori sheets and cut them to size - approximately 3-inch x 4-inch sections.

How to Make Baked Sushi: Step by Step

Cook and Season the Rice

• Cook Japanese short grain rice per the instructions on the package. Be sure to rinse the rice in cool water before cooking. Even though you need only half of the rice for this recipe,  we usually cook up 2 cups of Japanese rice so we can make Pepper Lunch Steak and Rice Sizzle with the leftover rice.  
• If you are cooking Japanese sushi rice on the stovetop, follow the package directions as each brand is different. You can also use a rice cooker or instant pot. For cooking Kokuho Rose sushi rice on the stovetop, the ratio is 1 cup rice to 1 and ¼ cup water. Bring to a full boil and then reduce the heat to simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and let it sit covered for another 10 minutes before fluffing.
• 1 US cup (8 oz) of raw short-grained rice is equal to approximately 3 US cups of steamed rice.
• Fluff sushi rice with a fork or a rice paddle. Add the sushi rice seasoning (Rice vinegar, sugar, and salt mixture) into the rice. Then add a little Furikake dried seasoning, if desired.

Creamy Crab Mixture

• Finely chop imitation crab meat and set aside.
• Mix the cream cheese and mayonnaise in a bowl.
• Then, add the chopped crab into the cream cheese and mayonnaise mixture and stir well.

Spicy Mayonnaise

• Add mayonnaise and Sriracha chili sauce in a bowl and mix well. Make extra so that you can enjoy the spicy mayo with our Kimchi Salmon and Quick Pickles or as a dip for Japanese Sweet Potato Fries.

Layer it Up

• Grease a baking pan with oil to prevent sticking.
• Spread the seasoned sushi rice in the baking pan and press down in the pan.
• Sprinkle with dried Furikaki seasoning if desired.
• Place the cream crab mixture on top of the seasoned rice.

• Sprinkle with more dried Furikaki seasoning.
• Drizzle with ½ of the spicy mayo mixture.

• Bake at 385 degrees F (196 degrees C) for approximately 20 - 25 minutes or until the baked crab sushi is toasty and golden on the top.

Serve it Up!

• Drizzle on the other half of the spicy mayonnaise.
• Spoon a little of the warm and cozy crab sushi bake into a cut nori sheet.
• Add your favorite toppings and enjoy! Go bake for seconds and thirds because you deserve it.

How to Make the Perfect Sushi Rice?

If you want to get the best flavored and textured sushi rice, try these recipe tips.

Rinsing

1. Do a quick rinse of the rice a couple of times to remove some the excess starch and things that should not be in the rice.
2. Be sure to drain the rice well so that you get a proper rice to water ratio when cooking the rice.
3. Don't soak the rice before cooking as this will make the rice mushy.

Cooking

1. Japanese sushi rice to water ratio depends on the brand of rice. Follow the package instructions. Kokuho Rose is 1 cup rice to 1.25 cups of water.
2. If you want to make traditional sushi rice, you can add a slice of dried kombu (Japanese kelp) on top of rice and water before cooking.
3. Cooking on the stovetop?  Bring rice to a boil with a tight-fitting lid. Then, simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes. Then take off the heat and allow it to rest for 10 minutes.
4. Take note of the pot and lid you are using. The lid cannot have any vet holes and the pots should not have a pouring lid. The reason being is that the steam will escape, and your rice will not cook properly.
5. Be gentle when fluffing the rice. Use a fork or a rice paddle to fluff the rice so you do not break the steamed rice grains.

Seasoning

1. Transfer rice to a non-reactive bowl BEFORE adding the sushi seasoning.
2. To properly season the rice, add a mixture of rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. You can also exchange with ¼ cup seasoned sushi vinegar or ½ packet (1.32 oz) of a dried sushi rice mix seasoning powder like Tamanoi Sushinoko to approximately 2 cups of cooked Japanese Rice.
3. Add the sushi seasoning while the rice is still warm and adjust to your personal taste preference.
4. Use a wooden spoon or rice paddle to mix in the sushi seasoning. Be gentle and do not crush the rice grains.

Recipe Tips

• Did you know there is a big difference between a standard US measuring cup vs a Japanese rice cooker measuring cup? For this sushi rice recipe, we used an 8-ounce (236 ml's) US standard measuring cup. Whereas a Japanese rice cooker cup is only6.10 ounces (180 ml's).
• 1 US Cup of raw Japanese short-grained rice will yield about 3 cups of cooked rice. However, a Japanese rice cooker cup will only yield approximately 2 and ⅓ cups cooked rice.
• The texture of the dish will be mushy if you try to substitute sushi rice with Jasmine rice.
• It is not recommended to exchange the rice vinegar with other types of vinegar as it will taste odd.
• Use a 9 x 9 or larger baking pan for the perfect rice to creamy crab mixture ratio. We used a 11 x 8 x 2 inch (2.4 quart) oval pan.
• Baking the imitation crab sushi bake at a lower temperature (385 degrees F) allows the top to get brown and crispy and it cooks all the casserole way through, so it is warm and toasty. If you cook it at a high temperature, it gets hot, but it does not brown.

Topping ideas

Do you have a favorite topping? When you think about a classic California roll, you are probably thinking about cucumbers and avocadoes. However, there is so much more. You may want to try some of these different topping ideas to elevate your sushi game. The only requirement is that you chop or slice the toppings small, so they fit easily on top.

• Japanese pickles like Lemon Daikon Radish Refrigerator Pickles julienne sliced.
• Pickled ginger
• Green onion
• Tenkasu are essentially the little crunchy bits left over after making a batch of vegetable or Shrimp Tempura. You can buy tempura crunch tenkasu pre-packaged at Asian food stores.
• Spicy Mayo
• Roasted Sesame seeds or extra furikake.
• Tobiko or masago - flying fish roe.
• Eel Sauce or Unagi Sauce (うなぎのたれ) is a sweet and salty made with mirin, sake, sugar, and soy sauce.
• Avocado
• Cucumbers

What to serve with a California Roll Casserole?

Now let's have a little fun! One of the perks of crab sushi bake recipe is that it can be served as an appetizer or a satisfying main dish when complemented with some easy side dish ideas.

1. Simple green salad or try our Sesame Burdock Root Salad.
2. Grilled Shishito Peppers or your favorite Japanese pickles.
3. Miso soup
4. Add some lower carb options like Asian Beef Roll Ups or even Japanese Egg Roll Tomagoyaki.
5. Steamed edamame (steamed soybean pods) are delicious drizzled with a little sesame oil and salt.
6. Don't forget about dessert! Matcha Banana Strawberry Ice Cream Cups are healthy and always a crowd pleaser.

How to Choose Sushi Rice

Short grain Japanese sushi rice is best for making a sushi bake as it has a slight sweet flavor and sticky texture that holds together well. When choosing the best Japanese rice, please check the expiration date for freshness. The goal is to choose a rice that is sweet, shiny, has no broken rice pieces and has a delightful fragrance. 

Popular Brands of Japanese Rice

Did you know that for many years Japan did not export any rice? The purpose of the ban was important for food security purposes and maintenance of Japanese Culture. Since then, the ban has been lifted on some of their exports. However, some of the prized rice farmers keep the rice in Japan.

If you are living in the US, California produces most of the Japanese rice used to make sushi. There are many different brands available in the US. Here are a few on the better rated options.

1. Lundberg Organic California Sushi Rice is a short, grained Japanese rice. We like it because it is organic.
2. Nishiki, Botan and Kokuho Rose are a bit less expensive. They have a slightly sweet flavor and sticky texture that holds together well. As this baked sushi recipe is not the traditional type of sushi, we choose to use the less expensive Kokuho Rose rice.
3. Tamaki and Tamanishiki are premium brands, but they can be very expensive.

Don't Prepare Sushi Rice in a Metal Bowl

Here we go!  Full on science nerdy moment - but this is important!

Have ever wondered why you see Japanese sushi chefs mix sushi rice in a wooden bowl or basket?  Please do not use a metal bowl because the vinegar in the sushi rice can react with the metal. It may result in metallic tasting and possibly cause the rice to change colors. This is because vinegar is an acidic ingredient. When vinegar comes in contact with reactive metals, such as aluminum or copper, it can cause a chemical reaction that alters the taste and appearance of the food.

Instead, please mix your rice in a non-reactive wooden, glass or ceramic bowl. This also applies to the utensils used to mix the seasoning in the rice. Please use a wooden spoon, plastic spatula, or rice paddle (also called Shamoji) to mix the rice in with the vinegar mixture.

Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ's)

Did You Like Our Recipe? Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and/or a review in the comments section below. Your feedback is always appreciated! Follow us for more delicious recipes on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook! Don't forget to sign up for our email list for more free recipes.

More Asian Snacks

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Crab Sushi Bake

Get your California roll fix with an easy Crab Sushi Bake casserole recipe.  No rolling required. Creamy, savory, and the ultimate comfort food.

Course Appetizers/ Snacks, Mains

Cuisine American, Japanese, Korean

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Resting time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 8 people

Calories 268kcal

Author HWC Magazine

Equipment

• 1 baking dish 10 x 8 inch oval (2.4 quart) or 9 x 9 inch pan

Ingredients

Cooked Plain Japanese Sushi Rice

• 1 cup short grained rice uncooked (raw) Japanese sushi rice (8 oz. standard US measuring cup)
• water per directions on your rice package

Seasoned Sushi Rice

• 3 cups cooked short grained Japanese rice ingredients above cooked
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar Unseasoned - plain
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• oil to grease the baking pan

Creamy Crab Mixture

• 4 ounces cream cheese regular or low fat at room temperature
• ½ cup mayonnaise We used Kewpie Mayo
• 8 ounces imitation crab meat chopped finely

Spicy Mayonnaise

• ⅓ cup mayonnaise We used Kewpie Mayo
• 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce chili sauce

Basic Toppings

• ¼ cup Furikaki dried seasoning dried savory Japanese seasoning (homemade directions in the notes below) + extra for serving.
• 2 green onions sliced to garnish - optional
• 3 packages Korean crispy seasoned seaweed snack sheets or roasted dried nori sheets (seaweed) cut into 3 inch x 4 inch sections.
• 1 avocado sliced thinly and diced to serve - optional
• ⅓ cucumber sliced and diced to serve - optional

Optional Extra Topping Ideas

• Japanese pickles optional
• pickled ginger optional
• furikake seasoning or roasted sesame seeds optional
• tenkasu tempura crunch - optional
• tobiko or masago flying fish roe - optional
• Unagi (Eel Sauce) optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 385 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Cook Rice

• Place raw Japanese sushi rice in a colander and rinse a couple of times until the water runs clear. Drain very well.
• Cook the rice per the instructions on the sushi rice package. Each brand of sushi rice or different cooking method may require different rice to water ratios. (we cooked ours on the stovetop)
• Mix together the rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl. (We do not like to heat the vinegar as it changes the taste but you can microwave it for just 15 - 20 seconds or until the sugar melts.) Place the warm cooked sushi rice in a large non-reactive bowl.
• Add the rice vinegar mixture to the rice and mix carefully, using a slicing and turning motion, with either a wooden spoon, plastic spatula or rice paddle. Then, add 2 tablespoon of the furikake seasoning in the rice mixture. Reserve the rest for the topping. Set aside. While your rice is cooking, prep the crab mixture, spicy mayonnaise and the toppings.

Creamy Crab Mixture

• Mix softened cream cheese and mayonnaise in a medium bowl until combined. Add in the chopped imitation crab meat and stir until mixed well. Set aside.

Spicy Mayonnaise

• In a small bowl, add mayonnaise and Sriracha sauce and mix well. Set aside.

Layer it up!

• Grease the baking pan with oil to prevent sticking. Spread the seasoned sushi rice in the baking pan and press down in the pan. Place the crab mixture on top of the seasoned sushi rice. Sprinkle the top with the remaining furikaki seasoning. Then, pipe or drizzle ½ of the spicy mayonnaise mixture over the top of the crab sushi bake casserole.
• Bake at 385 degrees F (196 degrees C) for approximately 20 - 25 minutes or until the baked crab sushi is toasty and golden on the top.

Serve it Up

• Drizzle the other half of the spicy mayonnaise on top for serving. Topped with sliced green onions, if desired. Spoon a little of the warm and cozy baked sushi into a Korean crispy seasoned seaweed snack sheets or cut nori sheet. Add your favorite toppings and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Rice Tips

• Cook sushi rice according to the package directions. (For example, we used 1 cup of Kokuho Rose sushi rice and 1.25 cups of water. We cooked ours on the stove top. First, we brought the rice and water up to quick boil and then reduced the heat and simmered for 20 minutes. Then, remove the pan from heat and let it sit covered for another 10 minutes before fluffing.)
• Did you know there is a big difference between a standard US measuring cup vs a Japanese rice cooker measuring cup? For this sushi rice recipe, we used an 8-ounce (236 ml's) US standard measuring cup. Whereas a Japanese rice cooker cup is only 10 ounces (180 ml's). 1 US Cup of raw Japanese short grained rice will yield approximately 3 cups of cooked rice. However, a Japanese rice cooker cup will only yield approximately 2 and ⅓ cups cooked rice.
• We used a 11 x 8 x 2 inch (2.4 quart) oval pan for this recipe. Using at least a 9 x 9 inch baking pan is best for the perfect rice to creamy crab mixture ratio. A 8 x 8 inch pan is still okay but the rice layer will be a little thicker than the crab layer.
• If you need to use a 9 x 13 inch baking pan, please cook up 1.5 cups of raw sushi rice. Increase the rice vinegar mixture to 4.5 tablespoons of rice vinegar, 1.5 tablespoons of sugar and 1.5 teaspoons of salt. In addition, please double the creamy crab and spicy mayo mixture. Of course this will feed a bigger crowd. 

Storage

Baked sushi can be stored in a covered sealed container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. We do not like to freeze it as it changes the texture of the rice.

Reheating Sushi Bake

Baked sushi is the best served hot out of the oven but it can also be served at room temperature or even cold. If you have leftovers, you can reheat baked sushi using many different cooking methods. Choose an option that is easy and convenient for you.

• Air Fryer - Preheat the air fryer to 375 Degrees F (190 degrees C) and air fry covered for about 5 minutes or until toasty warm all the way through.
• Oven - Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) in the original baking pan or baking sheet and cover with aluminum foil so it does not dry out. Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes or heated through.
• Microwave - Place a slice of crab sushi bake on a microwave save plate. Cover to prevent splattering and microwave on high for 30 to 45 seconds or until heated through.

Homemade Furikake (Japanese Dried Rice Seasoning)

• 4 tablespoons roasted sesame seeds
• 1 sheet finely chopped toasted nori (seaweed)
• 1 teaspoon sugar of choice
• ¼ teaspoon salt or more to taste
• 1 to 2  teaspoons of crushed dried bonito flakes  (optional)

Nutrition

Serving: 8g | Calories: 268kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 716mg | Potassium: 239mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2565IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 104mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Crab Sushi Bake appeared first on Healthy World Cuisine

Try our Old Bay seasoned whitefish in tacos, salads, or with a drizzle of lemon butter sauce.  Just like our Crab Stuffed Whitefish, it will soon become your family's favorite fish dinner.

Whether you plan on cooking fresh or frozen tilapia, or don't even have an air fryer, we've got you covered. We've included oven baked directions in the recipe card for your convenience. So, let's get started!

What's to Love

• If your fish is frozen when you get home from work, you can still get a healthy dinner on the table in a jiffy. (Hey, we've all been there.)
• Huge time saver! Cooks in around 14 minutes from frozen or 7 minutes for fresh fish, depending on the thickness of the fillet.
• Low carb, keto and diabetic friendly with only 2 grams of carbohydrates per serving. These tilapia fillets are made without flour or breading. Serve these air fried tilapia fillets with a refreshing Heirloom Tomato Cucumber Salad or tossed greens for a healthy dinner idea.
• Seafood recipe only uses a handful of pantry ingredients and cleanup is a snap.
• Cooking tilapia in the air fryer makes them extra crispy on the outside but tender and flaky inside. Seriously, if all you ever make in your air fryer is fish, it's worth its weight in gold. The air fryer is our secret tool for making the Best Tasting Fish and Seafood Recipes for Picky Eaters.
• Uses less oil and fat than traditional cooking methods. After all, who wants to clean the kitchen disaster after deep or pan-frying fish on the stove.

Ingredients for Fish

Tilapia - is a very mild flaky fish with a delicate flavor so it's perfect for those weary fish eaters. You can use either fresh or frozen fish fillets. We prefer ours with the skin off.

Tilapia is a budget friendly option in the US and is also a delicious choice for our Baked Tilapia with Caramelized Onion Lentils. You can also use your favorite mild sustainable white fish of choice. A thin white fish like flounder, halibut, sole or maybe fish local to your region are all good choices. Wild caught fish is best but can be hard to come by.

If you do purchase farmed tilapia, it is best to purchase from aquaculture farmers who use a controlled closed system with recirculation tanks and a form of wastewater treatment management. In addition, you want to confirm that they do not use antibiotics or hormones.

According to Seafood Watch, Blue Tilapia from Peru, Hybrid Red Tilapia from US and Ecuador are listed as the top 3 best choices for sustainable tilapia. Be sure to check out the package to find out "where" your fish originated before you make a purchase.

Old Bay Seasoning - is a spice blend that makes seafood taste extra delicious with a punch of spice and flavor. The primary ingredients are celery salt and paprika with a pinch of cayenne pepper and other spices.

To keep it lower sodium, you can make a homemade mixture of paprika, black pepper, cayenne pepper without adding the celery salt. Other close substitutions to Old Bay Seasoning are Cajun Seasoning or Creole seasonings. We are all about using what you have on hand.

Garlic Powder - dried ground. You can substitute fresh minced garlic for dried.

Parsley - we used dried as that was in the pantry. This garnish can be omitted. Alternatively, you can use fresh, if desired.

Fresh Lemon Slices - this is not a mandatory ingredient, but it prevents the fish from sticking and gives the fish a bright flavor.

Garlic Butter Sauce for Seafood

A little bright buttery drizzle on top of the fish upon serving is optional but it's just too good to pass up. 

Butter - If you are lactose intolerant, you can try ghee or a plant-based butter.

Lemon Juice - Fresh is best but you can swap with a splash of lemon juice concentrate. Fresh lime juice is also quite nice.

Garlic powder - just a pinch for good measure

Parsley - dried or fresh. It's an optional ingredient.

Step by Step

The full seafood recipe with all the recipe tips is in the recipe card below. Here are the basic steps for how to cook frozen tilapia in the air fryer with a garlic butter sauce.

• Preheat the air fryer to 400° F (204° C)
• Slice fresh lemons for fish to air fry on-approximately 2 slices per fish. This provides 2 functions. First it prevents the tilapia from sticking to the air fryer basket. Secondly, it seasons the fish with a bright lemon flavor.
• Remove the frozen fish from the plastic.
• Spray fish with a light oil on each side and sprinkle Old Bay Seasoning, garlic powder, parsley and salt and pepper to taste.

• Place the lemon slices in the air fryer basket and place the seasoned frozen or tilapia on top of the lemons. We like to line our Cosori toaster oven style air fryer tray with parchment paper for easy cleanup.

• Melt butter in microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Then, add the lemon juice, garlic powder and parsley and stir to mix.

• Air fry frozen tilapia at 400° F (204°C) for 12 to 15 minutes or the fish flakes easily with a fork or registers 145° F (62°C) with a meat thermometer. Fresh tilapia, depending on the size may cook in half of the time.
• Drizzle the lemon butter sauce over the fish and enjoy!

Recipe Tips

You are going to love this easy fool proof fish recipe. Try these helpful hints for a perfectly air fried fish every time.

• If your make and model of air fryer allows you to line the basket or tray with parchment paper or aluminum foil, do it. It makes cleanup a snap.
• Placing the prepared frozen fish fillets on top of fresh lemon slices is not required. However, it makes it for easier clean up and adds a lovely bright flavor.  
• Leave space in between the tilapia fillets. If you overcrowd the air fryer, it can't function as convection oven and circulate the air around the fish.  Instead, you may end up with a steamed fish fillet instead of a crispy one.
• Lightly spray or brush fillets with a little oil before putting on the spices. It helps the spices stick to the frozen fish and makes the exterior of the fish crispy.

How Long to Cook Frozen Tilapia in the Air Fryer?

Every tilapia fillet can be a different size and thickness. They range in size from around 3 ounces per fillet to up to whopping 8 ounces per fillet depending on the species. For a 3.5-ounce frozen tilapia fillet, it takes between 12- 15 minutes of air fry time at 400° F (204°C)

If you are cooking a thawed or fresh fish 3.5-ounce fillet, it takes approximately 7 to 8 minutes to cook at 400° F.  We recommend that you do not depend on time to know when the fish is done cooking.

Instead, we suggest you check the fish for doneness when it meets one of these 2 criteria...

1. Fish fillet registers 145° F (62°C) on a meat thermometer.
2. Tilapia is no longer translucent and flakes easily with a fork.

If you decide to cook a whole tilapia fish, it will require a much longer time to cook, especially if still frozen. In addition, it may not fit in your air fryer. You might prefer to try our recipe for Asian Steamed Fish, if space is an issue.

No Flour or Breading

To keep our fish keto diet friendly, we opted to not use any breading or flour on the tilapia. It's super crispy without the added carbohydrates. Other low carb topping ideas for fish are ...

• grated parmesan cheese
• crushed pork rinds
• your favorite spices
• lemon pepper

If you do use a prepared spice mix, you will want to make sure there is not an added sugar.

What to Serve with Fish?

One our first choices are budget friendly rice dishes. Say hello to a side of Lemon Pepper Rice. Its bright and fresh and the perfect pairing with our air fryer frozen tilapia.  Middle Eastern Rice and Lentils is another quick and easy recipe. We love using red lentils because they cook up quickly.

We may be going meatless but that does not mean you have to hold the potatoes too. Our Herbs de Provence Baby Potatoes and Tomatoes  or garlic smashed potatoes are easy one pan side dishes that complement the delicate flavor of the fish well.

Fresh salads topped with a Lemon White Balsamic Vinaigrette is light and refreshing on all of your favorite greens.

To keep your air fryer tilapia keto friendly, try a side of Garlicky Sesame Stir Fried Green Beans, Grilled Asparagus or even roasted sweet mini peppers.

Storage and Reheating

Leftover air fried tilapia can be stored in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2-3 months. Reheat and enjoy as a tilapia taco, add to soups, curries or just as is.

You can reheat the fish fillets in a pre-heated 325° F air fryer for about 2 minutes or until warm. Alternatively, you can bake at 275° F for 3 to 4 minutes covered or pan fry until warm and toasty. Avoid the microwave, if possible, as it can make your fish texture rubbery.

Frequent Asked Questions?

More Air Fryer Recipes

If you have not quite got on the air fryer bandwagon, we have included oven baking directions in the recipe card below. We were late adopters of this tabletop convection oven but now can't imagine cooking dinner without it. Everything from our Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers appetizers to Banana Spring Rolls dessert is a testament that the air fryer appliance makes everything crispier, with less oil and in less time. You gotta love that!

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Air Fryer Frozen Tilapia

15-minute Air Fryer Frozen Tilapia is crispy on the outside and flaky and tender inside. This low carb fish dinner is air fried and topped with a garlic butter sauce.

Course Fish and Seafood, Main Course

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 2 minutes minutes

Cook Time 14 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 271kcal

Author HWC Magazine

Equipment

• air fryer

Ingredients

Air Fryer Tilapia

• 4 small tilapia fillets or sustainable white mild fish of choice. Can be frozen or fresh with skin removed.
• 1 whole lemon sliced to air fry the fish on - optional
• oil spray just enough to lightly coat the fish and in the air fryer basket to prevent sticking.
• 1.5 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning or to taste
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon parsley dried or 1 tablespoon fresh - optional
• ground black pepper to taste

Lemon Butter Garlic Sauce

• ¼ cup butter 4 tablespoons - ghee or plant based butter
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice or about ½ fresh lemon
• 1 teaspoon parsley dried or 1 tablespoon fresh

Garnishes

• sliced lemons as desired

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Preheat the air fryer to 400° F (204° C)
• Slice fresh lemons for fish to air fry on. (optional)
• Spray frozen tilapia fillets with a light oil on each side. Sprinkle Old Bay Seasoning, dried garlic powder, parsley (optional) and black pepper to taste on both sides.
• Spray air fryer tray with oil or line with parchment paper (if your air fryer type permits this) to prevent sticking. Place the lemon slices in the air fryer basket and place the seasoned frozen or tilapia on top of the lemons.
• FROZEN TILAPIA: Air fry frozen tilapia fillets until the fish is no longer translucent and flakes easily with a fork OR registers 145° F (62° C) with a meat thermometer. Our 3.5 ounce frozen tilapia fillets usually take around 12 to 15 minutes to cook. As every tilapia or fish is a different thickness, it may take less or more time.

  If your fish is very thin, you do not need to flip it halfway during the cooking process, as it may fall apart. For larger tilapia fillets, we like to turn them over halfway in the cooking process to ensure even cooking.
• While your fish is air frying, make the Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce. Place the butter in a small bowl and microwave for 30 seconds or until melted. Add garlic powder, lemon juice and parsley and stir. Set aside.
• Drizzle the Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce, garnish with lemons and enjoy while hot.

Video

Notes

AIR FRIED FRESH OR THAWED TILAPIA: Needs to be patted dry first before adding the oil spray and spices. Depending on the size of the fillet, it may cook in half of the time of a frozen tilapia fillet. For example, a fresh or thawed 3.5 ounce tilapia fillet air fried at 400° F (204° C) may take around 7 to 8 minutes. 

BAKED FROZEN TILAPIA: Preheat oven to 400° F (204° C). Line baking dish with aluminum foil for easy cleanup and spray fish on both side with oil spray. Season both sides with Old Bay Seasoning, garlic powder, pepper and parsley. Lay lemon slices in pan and top with seasoned fillets. Pour Lemon Garlic Butter sauce over fish. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for about 15 to 25 minutes until the fish is no longer translucent and flakes easily with a fork OR reads 145° F on thermometer. The cook time depends on the size and thickness of fish.

STORAGE :

Leftover air fried tilapia can be stored in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months. 

You can reheat the fish fillets in a pre-heated 325° F air fryer for about 2 minutes or until warm. Alternatively, you can bake at 275° F for 3 to 4 minutes covered or pan fry until warm and toasty. Avoid the microwave, if possible, as it can make your fish texture rubbery.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 271kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 116mg | Sodium: 180mg | Potassium: 537mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin A: 379IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Air Fryer Frozen Tilapia appeared first on Healthy World Cuisine

We know all about how fish hating kids and adults respond when they get an inkling that fish might be served for dinner.

• Teenagers are on their cell phones trying to get invited over to their friend's house.
• Elementary school age children lock themselves in their rooms.
• Toddlers have a meltdown.
• Adults start looking into the pizza delivery options.

Sound familiar? Then, you are going to love these dinner ideas for the best tasting fish and seafood recipes for picky eaters.

How to Pick Fresh Fish

First things first! You can't make the best fish recipe without fresh fish.

If it is fresh, they should smell like the ocean and not have a fishy odor.

If choosing a whole fresh catch of the day, be sure that the eyes are bright, clear and are not sunken in. The flesh should firm and gills are bright red and clean. If it is still swimming in a tank at the seafood market - BONUS!

On the other hand, if buying fillets, the flesh should not have any strange discoloration and no dried edges. If the fish still has skin, the scales should be shiny and intact. However, that is of course unless they have already been descaled by your fish monger. 

Just because seafood is labeled "catch of the day", it does not mean it is fresh. It could have been previously frozen and then thawed. In addition, it could have traveled a long way and not stored properly.

Flash frozen fish that are caught and frozen straight away, actually have less risk of contamination.

Characteristics of Fresh Shellfish

There is nothing like enjoying a delicious appetizer of Asian Steamed Scallops with Garlic Vermicelli BUT the shellfish must be fresh. Some examples of shellfish are shrimp, mussels, scallops, oysters, lobster, clams, scallops and more. You can get really sick with food poisoning, if you don't follow these basic guidelines...

• Shellfish should smell fresh like the ocean.  They should not have a fishy or an ammonia like odor. If they do, they may have gone bad.
• Fresh live shellfish need to be cleaned and cooked straight away or stored in the refrigerator for a maximum of 24 hours. If they die before cooking, they can secrete substances that can make you very sick when consumed.
• Live lobsters and crabs should be lively, have actively moving legs and eyes. If not, they may be dead. Live lobsters or crabs, like in our Steamed Shanghai Hairy Crabs recipe, are best cooked asap or within 24 hours.
• Live Clams, mussels and oysters' shells should be closed and if touched the shell should close. If not, toss them as they may be dead.
• Frozen shellfish should NOT have physical signs of freezer burn, broken into pieces, odd changes in color, strange smell or slimy odd texture.
• US Food and Drug Administration has a list of basic guidelines for Selecting and Serving Fresh and Frozen Seafood Safely

Which One is the BEST?

Believe it or not, there is no specific breed of fish or type of seafood that makes it the best tasting fish or seafood in the world.  Of course, the mild flavored fish are best tolerated. However, at the end of the day, it is how the fish and seafood are "prepared" that makes all the difference. 

Just like in our 10 Different Ways to Cook Salmon, some cooking methods are better for those refusing to try fish. The best tasting selections are ones are those that your family will actually eat. Right? I bet we can all agree on that!

How to Make Fish Taste Less Fishy + RECIPES

Try these easy game changing hacks are going to help fish Fridays and seafood dinners come off without a hitch. Each game changing hack features a general overview on how to do this and several delicious recipes to achieve it.

1. Choose a mild fish
2. Experiment with spices, herbs & seeds
3. Add another protein
4. Hide it in a curry or soup
5. Grill it
6. Stuff it
7. Stir fry it
8. Add a crunchy topping
9. Wrap it up
10. Blacken it
11. Hide it in noodles, rice or other carbohydrates
12. Make cakes and pancakes
13. Add a splash of citrus
14. Sauce it up
15. Soak in Milk
16. Make more tacos
17. Air fry it
18. Try it in a salad

1. Choose a Mild Fish

Mild Fish like cod, tilapia, halibut, grouper or sea bass are preferred because they are naturally sweet and tender. Depending on the country you live in and the sustainable options available, these seafood options will differ. Generally speaking, white fish like our air fryer frozen tilapia have a milder flavor than those with natural color such as tuna and salmon.

Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass with Asian Marinade - Drive Me Hungry

Mild buttery Chilean sea bass is marinated with an Asian sauce for maximum umami flavor.  Then, pan seared for the ultimate addictive crispy skin. The tender flaky flesh of Chilean sea bass melts in your mouth. However, it is the special marinade that takes this recipe to the next level. Fish haters will be transformed into fish lovers after the first bite.

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Asian Steamed Fish (Ultimate Guide + VIDEO) - Healthy World Cuisine

Cod is a very mild and tender fish that picks up flavors of whatever you add to the recipe. Cantonese steamed fish is generally served with the head on. How scary is that for the kids?! Instead try our Asian Steamed Fish served with fish fillets (no eyes staring back at you) with a sizzling, savory soy garlic sauce.

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2. Experiment with Spices, Herbs & Seeds

Try delicious spices and herbs to accentuate the delicious flavors of the dish. International spices can literally transform fish from "There is absolutely no way I am eating that" to... "Okay, I will try it".

With just a few dashes of dried spices or fresh herbs, you can travel the world without ever leaving your kitchen. Not only do they add tons of flavor to your seafood recipes, but picky eaters can smell the aroma of the spices instead of the fish cooking.

Tandoori Fish Recipe - Oven Baked or Pan Seared - The Curry Mommy

Just look at the delicious marinade of turmeric, tandoori masala, coriander, garlic, chili and more on this Tandoori Fish Recipe. Every bite of this Indian seafood recipe is a pop of spice.

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Salmon Furikake Seasoning (+VIDEO) - Masala Herb

A gentle way to get picky eaters to try fish is to try "Sprinkles" on their rice. Salmon Furikake Seasoning is a wet savory topping great for rice and noodle bowls and bento box lunches.  The addition of sesame seeds and seasonings adds a delicious flavor and crunch to the small little bites of salmon.

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3. Add Another Protein

A savory protein like sausage adds a much-needed fat in a seafood dish. When meat is stir-fried in the pan, it releases its fats and they are absorbed into the seafood.  This changes the flavor profile of the dish. Our Chorizo and Shrimp Fried Rice is great example.

Paella Recipe - How to Make Spanish Paella - The Forked Spoon

Savory sausage and floral saffron season the Spanish rice and mixed seafood. Paella is a fun recipe to share with family and friends. Each bite is a little different and gives everyone a chance to try something new.

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Baked Chorizo Crusted Fish and Potatoes - Healthy World Cuisine

You are going to love this German seafood sheet pan recipe. It is complete with chorizo and herb crusted whitefish baked on top of potatoes. Have you ever met a kid that does not like potatoes and sausage? This Baked Chorizo Crusted Fish and Potatoes can turn any fish hater into a fish lover.

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Low Carb Shrimp and Sausage Skillet - Healthy World Cuisine

A family favorite! Mom's and Dad's love it because it can be on the table in 20 minutes and it is low carb. Kids love the sausage!  

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4. Hide it in a Curry or Soup

Moms and Dads are notorious for being able to hide all kinds of healthy things in soups, stews, and curries. If the broth is extra savory and delicious, you can hide vegetables and even small slices of fish and seafood and not one will ever be the wiser.

Manhattan Clam Chowder Recipe - Little Sunny Kitchen

Try this delicious Manhattan Clam Chowder tomato-based clam soup made with bacon and potatoes to keep you warm and cozy. 

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Halibut Coconut Curry in a Hurry - Healthy World Cuisine

Halibut Coconut Curry is a very mild creamy Thai curry recipe for picky eaters. There are no chili peppers in this curry.  Instead, it is seasoned with Essential Thai Herbs and Spices, savory fish sauce, heat from the turmeric and ginger, sweet from maple syrup and little sour lime for the 4 basic flavors of Thai cuisine.

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Shrimp Stuffed Tofu Soup - Healthy World Cuisine

Try this cozy nourishing ginger broth with shrimp stuffed tofu packets for a delightful and unique Asian soup.

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Instant Pot Salmon Tikka Masala (Pressure Cooker) - Piping Pot Curry

Spices and a rich creamy broth make this Instant Pot Salmon Tikki Masala succulent, savory and one of the best tasting fish. This Indian seafood recipe is quick and easy and made all in one pot!

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Thai Red Curry Salmon - Healthy World Cuisine

Salmon and Shrimp Recipes are always a hit, especially when combined with a creamy coconut broth and spicy red curry sauce. Our Thai Red Curry Salmon is delicious served over noodles or rice for a complete meal in under 30 minutes.

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Gluten-Free Coconut Curry Laksa - Healthy World Cuisine

This famous Singaporean noodle dish has oodles of gluten-free rice noodles in a rich laksa broth. Shrimp are added along with any of your favorite vegetables, 6-minute eggs and a squeeze of fresh lime.

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5. Grill it

Dinner is always more fun and delicious when it comes off the BBQ grill. First and foremost, it infuses a smoky flavor that you cannot achieve in the oven or stove top.  In addition, adding a few grill marks on the fish and seafood adds more flavor.

Garlic Butter Salmon {Grilled or Baked} - Out Grilling

You are going to want to crack out that grill to try this delicious Garlic Butter Salmon. With just a handful of staple ingredients and 30 minutes, dinner is on the table.

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Grilled Mahi Mahi - Flavor Mosaic

Check out those grill marks on those herb spiced mahi mahi filets. Delicious smoky flavor with a little bright lemon juice upon serving is what makes this recipe extra special.

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Grilled Bacon Wrapped Tilapia - Fearless Dining

According to teenagers, bacon belongs in its own food group. The smoky flavor of the grilled bacon wrapped tilapia is one sure way to turn fish haters into fish lovers.

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Tropical Thai Swordfish - Healthy World Cuisine

Did you know that Swordfish has a texture like a very tender steak? As you know with picky eaters, texture is everything. Add a few grill marks and smoky flavor from the grill to make one of the best tasting fish.  We used fresh Thai aromatics to marinate but have easy to find Western substitutions listed in the recipe.

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6. Stuff it

Want to add MORE flavor? Stuff your seafood!

Easy and Delicious Shrimp Puff Pastry - Sustain My Cooking Habit

Delicious buttery crust puff pastry stuffed with shrimp and herbs. A crowd- pleasing hot appetizer.

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Crab Stuffed Whitefish - Healthy World Cuisine

There is a reason why our Crab Stuffed Whitefish has been one of our top recipes for over 10+ years and it can be on your table in under 30 minutes.  Succulent white fish is wrapped around an herbed crab and creamy cheese filling and baked to perfection. Here is what our readers are saying...

“This was so delicious and very straightforward! The lemon butter sauce is great for counteracting any “fishy” flavor. My whole family loved it, including my sister who normally doesn’t like fish.”

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Camarão na Moranga (Shrimp Stuffed Pumpkin) - Simple Living Recipes

What child does not like carving a pumpkin or Jack - O -Lantern! Spark their interest with this creamy shrimp chowder served in a baked pumpkin.

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7. Stir Fry It!

Stir Frying is fish and seafood is fast and easy.  Add in a special sauce and picky eaters won't even know there is fish in the dish. 

Salmon Stir Fry - Maple + Mango

A delicious salmon stir fry starts out with cutting up all your ingredients the same size with a rocking good sauce. This delicious recipe ticks all the boxes.

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Healthy Shrimp and Vegetable Stir Fry - I Food Real

A honey garlic stir fry sauce makes everything delicious. Try this Healthy Shrimp and Vegetable Stir Fry for a quick and healthy weeknight meal.

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Ginger Chili Stir Fry - Healthy World Cuisine

Bring on the heat and aromatics. Heavy sauces are not needed for this quick and healthy mild white fish stir fry. There is nothing like a little spicy chili pepper and ginger to make the chili heads in the family happy.

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8. Add a Crunchy Topping

You know what your family does it you serve a plain fish filet to them, right? Skip all the dinner time drama.  Instead, dress up your fish. Top it with a crispy crunchy topping and watch the frowns turn to smiles.

Baked Crunchy Breaded Fish Recipe - Fool Proof Living

A mild fish with an addictive homemade crunchy herbed bread topping for the win.

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Parmesan Crusted Cod - Haute & Healthy Living

With just a handful of pantry ingredients and 20 minutes, you can make kid friendly fish dinner.

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Mini Cheesy Kids Fish Pie - Emily Leary

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10. Blacken it

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11. Hide it in Noodles, Rice or Other Carbohydrates

Bring on the carbohydrates! There is something comforting and cozy about rice and pasta. Right? It brings familiar foods to the table so the brain registers this as a safe place. Start out with just a little seafood and let the pasta win first place for success at the dinner table.

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One of our most popular recipes! Just one sheet pan, handful of ingredients, pantry staples, and 40 minutes you can have a complete dinner. Who does not love roasted potatoes, right? Add a few peppers, onions and shrimp and watch those picky eaters clean their plates.

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Smoked Salmon Crème Fraîche Pasta - The Family Food Kitchen

You are going to love this creamy smoked salmon pasta.  All 6 ingredients cook in one pan and it's ready in under 30 minutes.

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12. Make Cakes and Pancakes

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Salmon Patties With Cornmeal Recipe - Healthy Recipes 101

Cornmeal and Japanese mayo are used as a binder in these delicious crispy pan-fried salmon patties. Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

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Kimchi Salmon and Rainbow Pickles - Healthy World Cuisine

Let's head to Korea for a unique international seafood recipe. Salmon and kimchi cakes are pan seared, so they are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Then, topped with a rainbow pickle slaw and a gochujang mayo sauce.

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13. Add a Splash of Citrus

You can add a splash of lemon to neutralize the flavors of strong seafood. In addition, sometimes lemon is used in a ceviche to break down the proteins just like cooking does without adding heat. Adding lemon is one of the best ways to make fish taste less fishy.

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14. Sauce it Up!

Sauces can be creamy, spicy, zesty, sweet, and so good on top of fish. The best tasting seafood might be the one drizzled in a complementary sauce. 

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Baked Spicy Salmon and Sweet Potato Kale Hash - Healthy World Cuisine

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15. Soak Fish in Milk

You may have heard that soaking your fish in milk or coconut milk before cooking makes fish taste less fishy. According to eHow, learning Hot To Soak Fish Before Cooking the milk reverses the chemical reactions that cause the fish to be fishy.

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16. Make More Tacos

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Cornmeal Crusted Fish Tacos - Our Love Language is Food

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17) Air Fry It!

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18. Try it in a Salad

Need a dish to pass or having a picnic?  Salad dressings and rainbow vegetables are the perfect medium to camouflage fish and shellfish. Try these easy seafood salad recipes for people who don't like fish.

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Thai Pomelo Crab Salad Avocados

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Thai Mango Shrimp Salad - Healthy World Cuisine

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Authentic Thai Fish Salad - Healthy World Cuisine

Need a game changing recipe to turn fish haters into fish lovers? This Authentic Thai Fish Salad is it! The combination of crispy spiced Thai fish, fresh herbs and vegetables and that zippy vinaigrette is what makes this recipe special.  Great with any whitefish or local wild caught fish.

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Serving up fish recipes for people who don't like fish is very difficult.  We hope that these 75 delicious, best tasting fish recipes will inspire you in the kitchen.

Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ's)

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The post Best Tasting Fish and Seafood Recipes for Picky Eaters appeared first on Healthy World Cuisine

Ingredients  

There are just a handful of ingredients in our Asian steamed scallops with garlic vermicelli. Four of the ingredients are staples you probably already have at home.  

Step By Step Instruction Overview 

Outlined below are the recipe step highlights and helpful hints.  For the full and complete recipe, please see the recipe card below.  

• Soak mung bean vermicelli (also known as cellophane or glass noodles) in hot water for about 15 minutes or until pliable or softened. Drain, rinse with cold water, drain again and set aside.  
• Clean and dry scallops as discussed above.  

• Place a a scallop in a shell or little ramekin. Add a little garlic on top.
• Then, place a little of the cellophane noodles on top and tuck around the sides of the scallop. This helps keeps the juices in.  

• Set up your steamer. 

• Steam for approximately 3 to 6 minutes depending on the size of your sea scallops.  Our shellfish were large and took 4 minutes. Scallops are done when they are white and opaque. In addition, they should feel firm and spring back a little when touched with a chopstick or fork. If still mushy, they need to cook a bit longer.   
• In the meantime, place oil, garlic and green onion and sauté just until aromatic. (If you like cilantro, add about ¼ cup chopped too). Add in the soy sauce, stir and remove from heat. 

• Remove cooked Asian Steamed Scallops from steamer. Carefully brush the noodles to the sides so the scallop is peaking through. (Not required but a cuter presentation) 
• Drizzle the sautéed garlic soy mixture over the top. Garnish with chilis if desired. Enjoy!

Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ's) 

More Seafood Recipes 

Did You Like Our Recipe? Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and/or a review in the comments section below. Your feedback is always appreciated! Follow us for more delicious recipes on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook! Don't forget to sign up for our email list for more free recipes.

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Asian Steamed Scallops with Garlic Vermicelli

Try our easy Asian steamed scallops with garlic vermicelli.  Steamed Scallops are served on the half shell or in ramekins with glass noodles and a Chinese garlic sauce. 

Course Appetizers/ Snacks

Cuisine Chinese

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 6 appetizers

Calories 110kcal

Author HWC Magazine

Equipment

• steamer basket or alternative steamer solution using items you have in your home.
• scallop shells or small ramekin dishes

Ingredients

• 3 ounces mung bean vermicelli cellophane (glass) noodles
• 6 large sea scallops
• 1 tablespoon oil
• ½ cup garlic
  1 whole bulb (peeled and minced) This is not a typo- LOTS of garlic!
• 3 whole green onions
  chopped
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce tamari sauce for gluten-free
• ¼ cup cilantro
  optional - garnish
• fresh chili peppers optional - garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Place dried mung bean vermicelli noodles (cellophane - glass noodles) in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak for about 15 minutes or until al dente. The noodles will start to go from white to slightly translucent. They will finish cooking the rest of the way during the steaming process. Strain vermicelli and run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Then, drain again. Set aside.
• Clean the scallops. We have included 3 methods below depending on whether you can obtain fresh live scallops in the shell, fresh or frozen scallops. (It is NOT REQUIRED to buy scallops in the half shell as you can steam in little dishes)

How to Clean Whole Live Fresh Scallops in the Shell

• Live Scallops such as diver scallops need to be cleaned within an hour of harvesting from the ocean. Use a knife or prying device to pop open the scallop shell. Then, use your knife to cut along the flat side of the shell to release the scallop from the shell. Keep the curved shell and you can discard the flatter shell. Next, there is a dark ring around the outer section of the scallop that needs to be removed by gently grabbing one end and pull it from the shell. Everything needs to be removed (gills, mantle, liver, etc.) except for the adductor muscle - the part you eat and orange roe if you wish. The next step is to detach and remove the scallops muscle from the shell. The last step is to remove the hard little muscle on the side of the scallop. This is a very small white portion that should come off easily. Rinse the scallops of all sand and grit. (FYI - you really need to wash live scallops well after the cleaning process. Scallops get stressed during this process and you need to rinse off that residue.)

Cleaned Fresh Scallops

• Check and remove any remaining hard muscle on the side of the scallop. It should come off easily with your fingers or a knife. Rinse and dry well. This little muscle is usually white. Check out our video to show how we do this.

Frozen Scallops

• Refrigerator Method - (Best Method) Remove scallops from plastic freezer bag. Place frozen scallops in a covered container in your refrigerator overnight. We like to place a dry tea towel under the scallops to soak up any moisture. 

  Cool Water Method – Place the frozen scallops in a large bowl and cover with cool water. Check on them in 15 minutes and replace with more cool water until thawed. Do not soak in warm or hot water as bacteria love this opportunity.  

  Do NOT use the microwave to thaw out frozen scallops as this can make then tough. 

  Then, remove any hard muscle on the side of the scallop. Rinse and dry well.

Set Up Steamer

• If you have a proper steamer, fantastic. However, here are some options using everyday items in your home, if you do not.

  First find a deep pan or wok with a lid. Next, find a plate that will fit inside the deep pan or wok. Place one of these items in your deep pan or wok.

  1) Metal Steamer plates

  2) Crossed chopsticks

  3) Aluminum Foil Balls

  Later in the instructions we will be adding the scallops and water to steam.

Prepare Scallops

• SCALLOP SHELL: If you are working with scallops on the half shell or "culinary safe scallop shells", place the scallops directly in the shell. You can steam directly in a steamer basket this way. If you do not have a proper steamer basket, place the scallops in the shell on a larger plate that will fit inside your deep pan or wok with a lid.

  LITTLE DISHES: If your scallops are not in the shell, place one scallop in a cute little dish like a ramekin. Then place the little dishes in a proper steamer or on a plate that will fit inside your alternative steamer set up. We were able to get 3 ramekin dishes on a plate.

  Now, add a very small amount of chopped fresh garlic on each scallop. (reserve the rest of the garlic for the garlic sauce)
• Next, wrap a little of the mung bean vermicelli (cellophane noodles) over your fingers and wrap around the scallop and place a little on top of scallop to help seal in the juices.

Steam Scallops

• Bamboo Steamer - add about 2 inches water to wok or large pan. Place the prepared scallops in the shell or in small little ramekin dishes directly into the bamboo steamer and put the bamboo lid on.

  If using the metal steamer plate, crossed chopsticks or aluminum balls steamer method, place your plate with the scallops in the shell or scallops in the ramekins on a larger plate and place on top. (watch the video to see an example). Carefully put about 2 inches water in the bottom of your pan. The weight of the dish will prevent the items underneath from floating.
• Steam scallops with vermicelli noodles for 3 to 6 minutes (depending on the size of your scallops). Very large scallops may take up to 8 minutes. The scallops are cooked when they are no longer translucent and they spring back a little bit when touched with a chopstick or fork.

Prepare the Garlic Sauce

• While your scallops are steaming, add oil to a small frying pan. Gently sauté garlic over low-medium heat until slightly translucent. (Do not brown or otherwise it will be bitter.) Then, add the green onions. If you like cilantro, you can add that as well but it is optional. Finally, add the soy sauce just until combined and remove from heat. Use tamari sauce if gluten intolerant. Set aside.

Plating

• Carefully remove the scallops from the steamer. Try not to tip the scallops in the shell or ramekins as you do not want to loose any of the delicious juices. Place about one heaping teaspoon of garlic soy mixture on top. Garnish with chili peppers, if desired.
• Serve Asian steamed scallops with Garlic Vermicelli  (Zheng Shan Bei) as an appetizer or main course. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Storage

Cooked Steamed Scallops with Garlic Vermicelli are best made and eaten straight away.

However, they will last for up to 3 days in the refrigerator, IF you get them in the refrigerator within 2 hours after serving. (FYI- Cellophane noodles (vermicelli) can grow bacteria very quickly at room temperature.)  Freezing and reheating is not recommended. 

How to Choose the Best Scallops?  

• Raw scallops should smell sweet and fresh. If they have a strong fishy odor, they may have gone bad. 
• If the option is available to you, choose dry scallops over wet scallops as they have less preservatives.  
• Just because scallops are sometimes sold as fresh catch it does not necessarily mean they are fresh. They could have been previously frozen and then thawed or mishandled prior to delivery. Make sure to smell them prior to purchasing as they may have gone bad. 
• Fresh diver's scallops should be shucked, cleaned and eaten all within an hour of catching. 
• Frozen scallops with keep between 2 to 3 months in the freezer.  
• Fresh scallops can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days but are best within one day.  

Serve in Culinary Grade Scallop Shells or Little Plates

Here is a little secret... you can get these cute little culinary safe natural baking scallop shells on Amazon. You can bake or steam in them and they are safe for cooking. These little baking shells really make this dish extra special for entertaining. A show stopper appetizer!  

For a more formal (or continental) presentation, our Asian Steamed Scallops are also super cute in small dishes or ramekins.  

Recipe Exchanges and Substitutions

Cellophane noodles or glass noodles can be made out of mung bean, sweet potato starch, potato starch or sometimes a combination of these. You can exchange any of these options in the recipe. However, they need to be vermicelli (very thin) noodles. In a pinch you can exchange with rice vermicelli but they do have a different consistency but still delicious. These noodles can be purchased at Asian food stores, Asian food section of regular grocery store, Instacart, Whole Foods, Walmarts, specialty markets and also on Amazon. 

Depending on the brand of cellophane noodles you purchase, it can take you less or more time to soften in hot water. Your goal is for the noodle to be softened and it will start to turn transparent. Do not let them sit too long as they will also be cooking in the steamer. You don't want a mushy noodle. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1scallop | Calories: 110kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 312mg | Potassium: 127mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 7IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Asian Steamed Scallops with Garlic Vermicelli  appeared first on Healthy World Cuisine

Super easy Salmon recipes are our quick dinner idea any night of the week. Always less than 30 minutes and with just a handful of ingredients. Now that's our kind of dinner idea.

Low on Time - Big on Flavor!

Did you just buy a gorgeous salmon fillet but have no idea how to cook it? No problem! That's why we've made this ultimate guide.

How to Choose a Fresh Fish Fillet?  

Did you know that there are many different kinds of salmon? The Pacific Ocean is home to six types of salmon such as the King, Sockeye, Silver, Pink, and Chum.  These selection methods work on them all.

Is your salmon still swimming? This is the freshest that this fish is ever going to get. If you were lucky enough to catch one or buy a live one at the wet fish market, you are good to go. For the rest of us who shop at the market, always start with your nose. A salmon fillet should smell fresh like the ocean and never have a fishy smell.

Next, give the fish a little poke with your finger. The flesh of the salmon should spring back and not leave a dent. Have you ever noticed that some salmon are pinker than others?  This is not necessarily a good thing since sometimes coloring is added.

If you are buying your fish whole, the eyes should look bright and not sunken in. The skin and scales should look bright and shiny. Their gills should look clean and bright red. To learn more, read our post on Best Tasting Fish and Seafood Recipes for Picky Eaters.

Health Benefits of Salmon

Did you know that salmon is a "Fatty Fish"? That might sound contradictory that a fatty fish can help you get fit and slim. Right? However, salmon is a great way to add omega-3 fatty acids to your diet. The omega-3 fatty acids from fatty salmon have been shown to reduce inflammation, lower blood pressure and decrease risk factors for disease, according to Zivkovic et. al in their study published in the National Institute of Health.

Difference Between Farmed and Fresh Wild Caught Salmon? 

Does your salmon give you sticker shock? Then most likely you are looking at fresh wild caught salmon. Wild caught is typically more expensive than 'farmed' salmon.

Color can also be used to determine the salmon's origin. Generally speaking, wild Pacific caught salmon are more red orange in hue because they eat shrimp and krill in the wild. They also have less fat streaked through as they are moving fast in their wild environment.

Farmed salmon are fed special fish food and their flesh is usually much paler in color. To address this, farmers sometimes add coloring to their fish food, so the flesh turns pink.  You can also find a fatter marbling throughout, because farmed salmon are not moving as much as their wild counterparts.

Keep in mind sustainability but also your health too.

What is the Best Way to Make Salmon?

There is not one perfect cooking option for everyone. It really depends on what flavors you like best and what cooking options you have available to you. The best way to make salmon is to make it just the way you like it.

Raise your hand If you like a crispy skinned salmon. The pan seared method might be the best option for you. However, if you like a light flaky fish like our Asian Steamed Fish with fresh herbs, then steaming or poached salmon might be your best option. If time is an issue, a super easy 30 minute option [complete with vegetables], is the tried and true Baked Sheet Pan Salmon Dinner.

Different Ways to Cook Salmon

There are many different ways to prepare salmon. There is everything from wrapping up fish in a banana leaf and grilling like in our Philippine Banana Leaf Wrapped Coconut Fish recipe, to pan searing for a crispy skin salmon, and everything in between. Today, we are going to talk about 10 easy no fuss methods for cooking salmon from recipes around the globe.

Baked Salmon

Baking is an easy, healthy, and foolproof way to cook salmon. Hands down this is the least messy option.  Everything, including the salmon and vegetables, go right together on a lined sheet pan for easy cleanup.  Some of our top rated salmon recipes are our Italian Balsamic Glazed Salmon and Roasted Vegetables, Japanese Baked Miso Salmon, Middle Eastern Baked Pomegranate Glazed Salmon,  Baked Spicy Salmon and Sweet Potato Kale Hash and our Hawaiian Pineapple Glazed Salmon.  These less-than-30 minute baked salmon dinner ideas are perfect when you have no idea what to make for dinner.  

We like to bake our salmon in the oven at 350 degrees F (176 degrees C) for about 5-8 minutes per ½ inch thickness. Depending on the size of the fillets, it could take as little as 8 minutes or up to 15 minutes to cook. In addition, we have found if you cut your large salmon fillet into vertical pieces along the length of the fish.  These smaller serving-sized pieces also take less time to bake.

The salmon is perfectly cooked when it flakes easily with a fork, flesh is opaque, or the internal temperature is 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). The FDA states the safe cooked salmon temp is 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). However, please note that your salmon will continue to cook even after you take it out of the oven. It is best to take your fish out before it hits the 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). Do not overcook the salmon!

Pan Seared

Do you enjoy restaurant-style crispy skinned salmon?  Try this easy pan searing method. First, make sure your salmon fillet is descaled and dried really well. Then, heat your oil in a pan while you salt your fish generously. (Don't salt the fish until you are ready to cook it as this will pull moisture out of the fish and cause the skin to get soggy.)

Once your pan is hot, place your fish skin side down and cook for about 5 minutes or until the flesh of the salmon turns from bright pink to pale pink about ¾ of the way through. Turn salmon fillet over in pan and finish cooking for about 30 seconds to 1 minute and remove from pan. Serve your crispy skinned salmon, skin side up over a delicious bed of Creamy Parmesan Risotto with Saffron.

Steamed

Are you looking for a light and healthy salmon recipe for weight loss? Steaming is the perfect solution. It's light, low fat and bursting with fresh herbs like in our  Asian Steamed Fish. It's quick, easy and does not require any special tools. All you need is a pan that is deep and wide enough to hold a plate with your salmon in it and a tight-fitting lid. A wok works nice or a deep frying pan.

After you place about 1 inch of water on the bottom of your pan, bring the water to a boil. Then, place your skinless salmon on a plate placed on top of a small upside-down ramekin, crossed chopsticks or even an apple corer.  Then put on the lid to steam. Depending on the thickness of your fish, salmon will take approximately 8-10 minutes to cook. Steamed salmon is cooked when it flakes easily with a fork.

It is best to remove the skin off the salmon for the steaming cooking method. Check out Healthy World Cuisine's You Tube Video Salmon with Avocado Sauce at the 43 second mark to learn how to remove the skin from a salmon fillet- the EASY way.

Poached

Poaching salmon is another healthy cooking option. Fabulous over a Summer Salad with Strawberry Rose Dressing or with a creamy dill sauce. The poaching method is quite simple. Just add water, white wine, aromatics, lemons and herbs to a pan. Then, lower the salmon into the pot so it is just covered by the liquid. Poach the salmon for about 5 minutes or until it is no longer opaque. Carefully remove and enjoy.

Stir Fried 

Of all the different ways to cook salmon, stir frying is one of our favorites. Have you ever tried stir frying salmon? First, you must remove the salmon skin and cut into bite sized pieces. Next, add oil and get your wok or pan hot. Add your salmon on one side to get a good sear and then flip over to the other side. It only takes about 3-5 minutes to cook. We remove from the salmon bites from pan.  Then, we stir fry our aromatics, vegetables and sauce and then add the salmon back to the wok, just like in our Ginger Chili Fish Stir Fry.

Broiled  

You need to give our Pineapple Glazed Salmon a try! Baked in the oven first and then finished off under the broiler to get those little crisp edges on the pineapple. MMMM so good!            

Grilled

Pump up your barbeque game with grilled salmon. The chargrilled flavor gives a smokey flavor to these juicy flaky salmon fillets. It's best to use a fish basket or grate over the grill to prevent losing any of the delicious fish inside the grill. Been there! Done That!

We first like to clean and oil the grill and preheat our gas grill to 450 degrees F (232 degrees C). Then, dry your salmon well on both sides. Next, we add olive oil and salt and pepper on both the skin side and flesh side of the salmon. We put the skin side down first on the BBQ grill and make sure to close the lid too.

After the 5-6-minute mark, we gently turn our grilled salmon over and grill for another 1 minute or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. We usually remove the skin before eating. Try delicious topping on your salmon like an Easy Mango Salsa or Crab Salsa on Our Grilled Swordfish with Crab Salsa. To add additional flavor to your grilled salmon fillet recipe, try marinating them first like in our recipe for Tropical Thai Swordfish.

Salmon Packets (Salmon en Papillote)

Salmon en Papillote only sounds fancy but it is super easy to make.  Of all the different ways to cook salmon, packets make cleanup a breeze. All you need to do is throw away the paper after you are done.

En papillote simply means "in paper" in French. It's the classic French method of cooking salmon in parchment paper. Cooking in paper allows your fish to be steamed in aromatics either in the oven or on top of the grill.

Salmon en Papillote is an impressive recipe to serve to a crowd as it comes out to the table in the puffed-up parchment paper. When you open up the packet, the aromatic steam awakens your senses. Our top rated salmon recipe, Spicy Citrus Baked Salmon Packets, is topped with sweet grapefruit, warming ginger, spicy jalapeno and served over a bed of spinach for healthy spa dinner idea. Salmon packets are usually cooked at 350 degrees F (176 C) and are cooked in about 8 to 12 minutes depending on thick your salmon is.

Healthy Salmon Patty Recipe 

Do you have salmon haters in the group? The nerve, right? We have a way to trick salmon haters into salmon lovers with our Kimchi Salmon and Rainbow Pickles patties. Spicy kimchi salmon patties dipped in a gochujang mayo and topped with an Asian Slaw and quick pickles is a foolproof way to disguise fish.

Pan Fried

Pan fried is different from pan seared as it is cooked on a lower heat and usually involves a sauce like in our California Inspired Sensational Summer Citrus Salmon or our Thai Red Curry Salmon.  This cooking method in one of the more common ways to cook salmon.

Salmon Lox, Ceviche or Sashimi Style

Number 11: The wild card.  Sometimes you don't really need to cook your salmon at all. If you can get your hands on sushi grade salmon, try it raw in a sashimi salad or in our Tuna Mayo Rice Balls (Onigiri) instead of tuna.

Have you ever tried smoked salmon or salmon lox? Salmon is brined in salt, sugar, seasonings and this cures the salmon. A tasty way to enjoy salmon lox is our DIY Ultimate Bagel Bar Brunch  .

Ceviche is another fancy word for marinating or cooking fish in citrus like lime or lemon juice.

What is a Good Side Dish to go Along with Salmon?

A good side dish for salmon depends on the which salmon recipe you are making, and what style cuisine you're shooting for. Additionally, a lot depends on the way you choose to prepare your salmon. For example, if we choose to bake salmon, we might also include quick cooking vegetables right on the baking sheet too. Check out some of suggestions below…

1. Japanese Cuisine: A good side dish to pair along our Baked Miso Salmon is our Sesame Burdock Root Salad or our Soba Noodle Salad with Yuzu Dressing.
2. Italian Cuisine: Our all in one sheet pan dinner Balsamic Glazed Salmon and Roasted Root Vegetables might be nice with a starter of Caprese Salad on a Stick or Bruschetta Bread.
3. Hawaiian Cuisine: Have you tried our Pineapple Glazed Salmon? A great side dish that pairs well with this seafood recipe is our Hawaiian Luau Rice.
4. Thai Cuisine: A delicious Thai Hot and Sour Prawn Soup is a spicy and warming starter for our Thai Red Curry Salmon. A side of rice to lop all those delicious juices is always welcome. Don't forget about dessert with our crispy Thai Banana Spring Rolls for the perfect sweet ending to any Thai meal.
5. Middle Eastern Cuisine: Our Crispy Roasted Cauliflower Bites and our Middle Eastern Rice and Lentils (Mujadara) are a delicious accompaniment to our Baked Pomegranate Glazed Salmon.
6. Korean Cuisine: If you already have your kimchi out to make our Kimchi Salmon and Rainbow Pickles, you might as well throw together a quick and easy Kimchi Pantry Fried Brown Rice.
7. California Style Cuisine: Our light and healthy Salmon with Avocado Sauce deserves a light and bright Heirloom Tomato Cucumber Salad.

Frequent Asked Questions?

The post 10 Different Ways to Cook Salmon (Ultimate Guide) appeared first on Healthy World Cuisine

Flaky tender salmon seasoned simply with Herbs de Provence is topped with an eggless avocado garlic aioli for a fresh taste of spring. We decided to make a full salmon fillet as we are all about cooking once and eating twice. However, you can easily adjust the recipe in half for a smaller portion.

Fast Healthy Salmon Recipe

Our Salmon with Avocado sauce is going to solve a lot of your cooking dilemmas. We know life is super busy. You want to spend less time in the kitchen BUT you want to eat healthy. Our baked salmon with dill sauce can solve both of those issues and emerge as a new family favorite.

• Super easy
• Only 20 minutes
• Tender savory salmon
• One pan meal and easy cleanup
• Low carb
• Spring produce and fresh flavors
• Easy enough for weekdays but fancy enough for guests
• Paleo friendly
• Whole30 approved
• Delicious idea for meatless Fridays or Mondays
• Heart healthy fats to keep you feeling fuller longer
• Gluten-free, egg-free and dairy-free
• Creamy avocado sauce with dill and lemon that you are going to want to slather on everything.

Quick and Easy Sheet Pan Dinners

Sheet pan dinners rock, don't you think? Easy cleanup and everything cooks on one baking sheet just like our Baked Chorizo Crusted Fish and Potatoes, Balsamic Glazed Salmon and Roasted Vegetables or our Garlic Roasted Shrimp and Potatoes.

Our salmon sheet pan dinner is a much healthier than eating out. You can adjust the seasonings and sodium levels, keep it gluten free, add vegetables of choice and feed the family in about the same time it would take you to order and pick up dinner at a restaurant. PLUS, if you line your baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper, clean-up is a snap!

Just a 5-minute prep of placing your salmon and asparagus on your sheet pan, drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with a little natural Herbs de Provence and/or salt and pepper to taste. Whack your salmon in the oven while make your creamy lemon sauce for salmon and you are ready to go. Only 20 minutes from sheet pan to table. So, what are you waiting for? Let's get cooking!

Ingredients

There are just 8 fresh ingredients in our recipe for baked salmon with avocado sauce.

Salmon - We used full 2.25 pounds (1020 grams) wild salmon fillet. She was a very "big girl" fillet! However, feel free to cut this recipe in half. We wanted to cook a full fillet as the next day it was delicious over a bed of Soba Noodle Salad with Yuzu Dressing. You can leave the skin on the fillet while it cooks as it removes really easy after cooking or watch our video in the recipe card for our quick hack on how to skin a salmon fillet.  

Asparagus - as it is spring, this vegetable is readily available.  However, this recipe is also delicious with broccolini, broccoli or other veggies of choice. The only thing to note is that each vegetable depending on their hardness may take longer to cook. Asparagus is a good choice as it cooks in the same amount of time as the Salmon.

Herbs de Provence - our homemade dried herb mixture has fennel, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, savory, basil, mint and lavender. However, this recipe is also delicious with Italian herb blends, Mrs. Dash or just salt and pepper. To keep this recipe Whole30 and paleo, you need to make sure that it is just the fresh organic herbs and without the additives.

Avocado - freshly peeled, pit removed and ripe.

Lemon Juice - freshly squeezed gives a bright taste to the sauce, keeps it from oxidizing and also give a delicious flavor to the baked salmon. In a pinch, you can use lemon concentrate.

Dill and garlic - fresh is best. They add a delightful spring taste to the avocado sauce.

Olive oil - extra virgin is fabulous and keeps this recipe Whole30 and paleo approved.

Creamy Avocado Sauce

Do you know what makes this baked salmon recipe special? It's the creamy avocado sauce! Seriously, if we had enough avocados, we would slather this avocado garlic aioli sauce on everything from our morning eggs and toast to our Wholly Guacamole Pizza Pizzaz. The brightness of the lemon, the spring fresh taste of dill, extra virgin olive oil and garlic pair delightfully with avocados. Mixing these ingredients for one minute in the food processor or high-powered blender while your salmon in baking in the oven is all you need.

Avocado is the secret ingredient that makes this dilly lemon aioli so thick rich and creamy. According to Draher and Davenport, who research was published in the National Institute of Health, avocados contain healthy monounsaturated fatty acids and over 20 vitamins and minerals.  This makes this delicious stone fruit a health packed nutritional choice. Avocados are high in fat but the good kind of fats that help lower your cholesterol all while making a rich and delicious killer good dilly lemon sauce for your salmon and a delicious avocado ice candy.

We put in a whole 3 cloves of garlic in our Dilly lemon avocado sauce to keep away the vampires. Just checking to see if you guys are following along.

How to Remove Skin from a Salmon Fillet?

Or do you even need to? Actually, for this Baked Salmon with Avocado Sauce recipe, you can leave the skin right on the fillet if you wish. After the salmon is baked the salmon skin will slide right off. However, if you are serving to guests, you may want to remove the skin first for the aesthetic appeal.

Don't fret! Removing the skin from a salmon fillet is not as hard as it looks.

Trying to remove the skin like the chefs on TV is going to cause you stress. In addition, the standard way of skin side down and flesh side up has all kinds of issues. If your knife is not super sharp you are going to cut into the salmon or even worse cut off a finger. Our full proof hack is easy. This step does not require a culinary degree and is much safer. Take a look at our video below in the recipe card to watch how.

Step 1: Make sure you remove any pin bones. Next, you are going to want to trim your salmon of any thin edges that may cook unevenly. We save these bits and pieces for soups and stocks.

Step 2: Place your salmon fillet, skin side up and flesh side down. Next take your knife or just your fingers on the edge of the larger side of the fillet and peel the skin away from the salmon flesh along one side.

Step 3: Then, with your dominant hand holding the knife flat on top salmon to hold downward pressure, carefully peel the skin back from the salmon. Move the knife down as you peel the skin down on the salmon. Move from the largest section down towards the tail. Hold downward pressure with your butcher's knife as you peel the skin from the salmon. If your skin sticks on to the edges of the salmon, use the edge of the knife to get a clean start.

Easy Cleanup!

Did you know if you line your baking sheet with aluminum foil, clean-up is a snap? Highly recommended! We also recommend that you use a little light oil spray on the lined baking sheet.

Prepare Salmon and Asparagus

Now the rest of this Salmon and Avocado Sauce recipe could not be easier. Put your skinless salmon flesh side up in the middle of the baking sheet and surround with asparagus. Then, just drizzle with a little olive oil, Herbs de Provence and salt and pepper to taste.

Bake in the oven at 350 degrees F (176 degrees C) for about 5-8 minutes per ½ inch thickness of fillets or until it flakes easily with a fork or the internal temperature is 140 degrees F (60 degrees C). The FDA states the safe cooked salmon temp is 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). However, your salmon will continue to cook even after you take it out of the oven.  Our salmon fillet was 2.25 pounds (1020 grams), and it took 17 minutes to flake easily with a fork.

In the meantime, put your garlic, olive oil, avocado, lemon juice, dill and salt and pepper in the food processor and do a quick pulse for about one minute until you have a thick and rich avocado crema.

After the salmon is done baking, spread the avocado cream on top and enjoy!

More Delicious Seafood Recipes

If you are in the mood for fish, have you tried our Baked Cod Parcels with Black Bean Sauce, Baked Skinny Tex Mex Fish,  Halibut Coconut curry in a Hurry, Spicy Citrus Baked Salmon Packets, Asian Steamed Fish or our Crab Stuffed Whitefish? All of these fish recipes clock in at less than ½ hour. They are simple enough for a weeknight meal but fancy enough for entertaining.

Healthy Eating Made Easy and Delicious

When you eat healthy fats in your meal, it is so much easier to just skip the carbs. Healthy fats make you feel full longer and not deprived. How many of you are trying to cut sugar and carbs?

It is insane how many places that sugar, corn syrup, dextrose, etc. etc. ends up in food items. Just looking on the back of a jar of sunflower seeds as we are typing this post up and there is corn syrup in the sunflower seeds. WHY? Really?

Shopping the external isles of the grocery store and enjoying lean meats, fish, veggies and loving it. We have many lower carb and sugar free recipes coming your way. In addition, learning how to Jump Start MindFUL Eating, is needed to help your keep your goals. Staying healthy is both and physical and mental journey, let's do this together.

Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ's)

Delicious Sheet Pan Clean Eating Recipes

Lemon Herb Baked Rainbow Trout

Baked Pomegranate Glazed Salmon

Spicy Citrus Baked Salmon Packets

Mediterranean Red Snapper Packets

Pineapple Glazed Salmon

Baked Spicy Salmon and Sweet Potato Kale Hash

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Salmon with Avocado Sauce

Savory Salmon with Avocado Sauce is a super easy 20-minute low-carb baked sheet pan meal, complete with asparagus and topped with a creamy avocado lemon dill sauce.

Course Mains

Cuisine American

Diet Diabetic, Gluten Free

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 416kcal

Author HWC Magazine

Equipment

• baking sheet
• food processor or high powered blender

Ingredients

Salmon and Asparagus Sheet pan

• 2.25 pounds Salmon fillets one whole fillet can range anywhere from 1.5 to 2.5 pounds, pin bones removed, skin removed if desired. (watch video below)
• 2 tablespoons Olive oil
• 14 ounces Asparagus ends trimmed of where they break off easily or you can trim and use a vegetable peeler for the ends if your asparagus are thicker.
• 1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence optional
• salt and pepper to taste

Creamy Avocado Sauce

• 3 cloves Garlic
  peeled
• 3 tablespoons Olive oil
  
• 3 tablespoons Lemon juice
  or juice from 1 lemon
• 1 Avocado
  medium to large, peeled and pit removed
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons Dill fresh chopped

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C)
• Line your baking sheet with aluminum foil. Grease the bottom of your sheet pan with olive oil.
• LEAVE THE SKIN ON SALMON: If you wish, you can leave the skin on your salmon fillet as it will slide right off after baking. (When we are serving this to our family we do this as it super easy)

  HOW TO REMOVE THE SKIN OFF A SALMON FILLET (OPTIONAL) If you are hosting a gathering, you may wish to remove the skin off your salmon fillet. Take a look at our video below in the recipe card to watch how.

  The first step is to make sure you remove any pin bones. Next, you are going to want to trim your salmon of any thin edges that may cook unevenly. We save these bits and pieces for soups and stocks.

   Place your salmon fillet, skin side up and flesh side down. Next take your knife or just your fingers on the edge of the larger side of the fillet and peel the skin away from the salmon flesh along one side.

  Then, with your dominant hand holding the knife flat on top salmon to hold downward pressure, carefully peel the skin back from the salmon.Move the knife down as you peel the skin down on the salmon. Move from the largest section down towards the tail. Hold downward pressure with your butcher's knife as you peel the skin from the salmon. If your skin sticks on to the edges of the salmon, use the edge of the knife to get a clean start.
• Place your salmon with or without skin (your choice) on the sheet pan and add your asparagus around the salmon so they are in a single layer.
• Drizzle olive oil over asparagus and salmon and season with Herbs de Provence seasoning and/or salt and pepper to taste.
• Bake salmon and asparagus in the oven at 350 degrees F (176 degrees C) uncovered for about 5-8 minutes per ½ inch thickness of salmon fillet or until it flakes easily with a fork or the internal temperature is 140 degrees F (60 degrees C). The FDA states the safe cooked salmon temp is 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). However, your salmon will continue to cook even after you take it out of the oven.  Our salmon fillet was 2.25 pounds (1020grams), and it took 17 minutes to flake easily with a fork. (While your salmon is in the oven, use these next few minutes to make your creamy avocado sauce)
• The time required to cook your salmon depends on the size/thickness of the salmon and diameter of asparagus and your preference. Start checking your fish early in the cooking process say at 8 minutes and add more cooking time as needed.

  The quickest and easiest way to see if your salmon is cooked is to use a fork. If the flesh of the salmon flakes easily in the thickest portion of the fish, it is cooked. You can also check to make sure your fish is no longer translucent but instead opaque in the middle. Another way to check for doneness is to use an oven thermometer on the thickest portion of the salmon. If you trust your fish monger and source, a medium salmon will register around 140 degrees F (60 degrees C). If you prefer your salmon more well done, shoot for 145 degrees F (63 degrees C) as per FDA recommendations. However, please note that your fish will continue to cook even after you remove it from the oven. Do not cook salmon above 145 degrees F (63 degrees C) as no one likes dried out fish!

Creamy Avocado Sauce

• While your salmon and asparagus are in the oven, make your creamy avocado sauce. Place your garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, avocado, salt and pepper and fresh dill in your food processor or high speed blender and blend until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
• Once the salmon flakes easily with a fork and your asparagus are fork tender, remove from the oven.
• Remove your salmon and asparagus sheet pan from the oven. Drizzle the creamy avocado sauce over the salmon.
• Enjoy!

Video

Notes

How long to cook salmon at 350 degrees F in the oven?

The cook time depends on the thickness of your salmon and also if it is a whole fillet or cut fillets. The thinner portion of the salmon like the tail end and the thin sides will cook faster than the thicker body portion of the fillet. Therefore, we like to trim the edges, so it cooks more evenly. Bake in the oven uncovered at 350 degrees F (176 degrees C) for about 5-8 minutes per ½ inch thickness or until it flakes easily with a fork or the internal temperature is 140 degrees F (60 degrees C). The FDA states the safe cooked salmon temp is 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). However, your salmon will continue to cook even after you take it out of the oven.  Our salmon fillet was 2.25 pounds (1020 grams), and it took 17 minutes to flake easily with a fork.  Keep an eye on your salmon as it cooks fast.

How to tell if salmon is cooked?

The quickest and easiest way to see if your salmon is cooked is to use a fork. If the flesh of the salmon flakes easily in the thickest portion of the fish, it is cooked. You can also check to make sure your fish is no longer translucent but instead opaque in the middle. Another way to check for doneness is to use an oven thermometer on the thickest portion of the salmon. If you trust your fish monger and source, a medium salmon will register around 140 degrees F (60 degrees C). If you prefer your salmon more well done, shoot for 145 degrees F (63 degrees C) as per FDA recommendations. However, please note that your fish will continue to cook even after you remove it from the oven. Do not cook salmon above 145 degrees F (63 degrees C) as no one likes dried out fish!

How to cook salmon healthy?

To cook salmon healthy, choose baking or grilling over frying. Use healthy fats like extra virgin olive oil, fresh herbs and reduce the salt. Complement your meal with fresh seasonal vegetables.

You can exchange the asparagus with zucchini, summer squash, broccoli, broccolini or other vegetables of choice. 

If you choose a hard vegetable, example cauliflower or broccoli you will need to roast these vegetables first for about 10 minutes alone with a little olive oil and seasoning before adding the salmon to the sheet pan. Harder vegetables take longer to cook than the salmon will. 

Herbs de Provence - our homemade dried herb mixture has fennel, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, savory, basil, mint and lavender. However, this recipe is also delicious with Italian herb blends, Mrs. Dash or just salt and pepper. To keep this recipe Whole30 and paleo, you need to make sure that it is just the fresh organic herbs and without the additives

Can be Made on the Grill

 This delicious salmon with avocado sauce is fantastic on the grill or in the oven. You will need to wrap the salmon and asparagus in aluminum foil and seal. Then grill on low medium heat until the salmon flakes easily with your fork. Who knows what "Mother Nature" will be up to, so you need a backup plan. This salmon with avocado sauce can be made in the oven or on the grill. 

Nutrition

Serving: 14 to 6 ounce salmon | Calories: 416kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 79mg | Potassium: 1146mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 634IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 3mg

The post Salmon with Avocado Sauce [Low Carb + VIDEO] appeared first on Healthy World Cuisine