Recipes: Easy Summer Miso Salmon

EASY SUMMER MISO SALMON

Servings: 6

Start to finish: 20 minutes

Ingredients

Salmon:

1 1/2 pounds wild Alaskan salmon fillet, such as King or Coho

1 teaspoon neutral oil, like olive or grapeseed

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1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Sauce:

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 shallots, minced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger

3 tablespoons white miso paste

1 teaspoon raw honey

1/4 cup lime juice (or lemon juice)

3-4 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Heat the grill to medium and lightly oil the grates. Rub the salmon all over with the olive oil, and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Cook the salmon flesh side down first, (skin side up), until almost cooked through, about 7-10 minutes total, flipping halfway through. (Internal temperature will be about 140 F, and it will rise to 145 F as it rests.)

Meanwhile, make the sauce (or can be made in advance): heat the olive oil over medium heat in a small saute pan and cook the shallots until tender, about three minutes. (Sprinkle with a little splash of water if needed to keep shallots from browning.) Add the ginger and garlic and cook another minute. Add the miso paste and mix with a wooden spoon for another minute or two, or until very fragrant and the miso paste begins to deepen a little in color. Remove from heat, cool a minute, and then place in the blender with the honey, lime juice, water, mustard and black pepper and blend until smooth. Add extra water if needed. Spoon the miso sauce onto the hot salmon and serve with brown rice or veggies.

Chef’s Note: The sauce can be made into a salad dressing by thinning with more water and lime juice.

Nutrition information per serving: 220 calories; 94 calories from fat; 10 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 62 mg cholesterol; 443 mg sodium; 7 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 3 g sugar; 23 g protein.

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This is what to eat every day for radiant, glowing skin on repeat

I’m here for anything that says it’ll give me a better complexion. Sip on some liquid collagen? Check. Slather on some hyaluronic acid? On it. So, ever since I discovered that what you eat shows up on your skin, I’ve been incorporating as many glow-boosting foods into my diet as possible (as well as nixing inflammatory foods like dairy).

The importance of the skin-gut connection is exactly why Barbara Close, the founder and CEO of holistic beauty brand Naturopathica, created an entire book dedicated to holistic health. “Nutrition plays a pivotal role in supporting skin health from the inside out,” says Close. But despite knowing that a skin-happy diet consists of anti-inflammatory, bloat-reducing foods that fend off dryness and fight cellular damage, TBH I couldn’t rattle off what should be on the menu for truly glowing skin.

Bless up for the fact that Close has done the research for me. Her new book coming this fall called The Naturopathica Effect: A Holistic Approach to Skin Health goes deep on the topic, and so when I called her up to talk about the connection between food and skin, she already had a handful of glow-inducing recipes from her soon-to-be-published title at the ready.

According to Close, we should reach for salmon, which is packed with healthy fats and protein as well as anti-inflammatory properties to help fight signs of aging in the skin. Besides that she advises alkalizing components (lemon water!), collagen boosters (bone broth!), and leafy greens (drop ’em in your smoothie!) to keep your skin happy 365 days a year.

Keep scrolling for the complexion-boosting menu to should eat now. Photo by Kelsey Chance on Unsplash Morning: Lemon water and a green smoothie

According to Close, sipping on an old-fashioned lemon water will alkalize your system and help to keep your gut regulated throughout the day. Couple that with a seriously divine green juice that’s packed with antioxidants and you’ll help to curb internal inflammation.

Tropical Green Smoothie

Ingredients1/2 avocado1 cup fresh or frozen chopped mango2 handfuls of dark leafy greens such as swiss chard, kale or spinach, stems removed1/2 cucumber, slicedJuice of 1 limeOne 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and sliced1 or 2 Medjool dates, pitted1 cup almond milk or unsweetened coconut water1 Tbsp chia seeds (optional)1/4 cup ice cubes, if needed

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the ice cubes if more liquid is needed.2. Pour into a tall glass and serve immediately.

Lunch: Broiled salmon with orange-miso glaze

Salmon doesn’t only provide protein and healthy fats, but it also contains an amino acid that promotes sleep-inducing chemicals in the brain. Close recommends eating your largest meal in the middle of the day to allow it to digest and give you the energy you need to finish out strong. So this afternoon, we feast.

IngredientsOne 3-inch piece ginger2 Tbsp fresh orange juice2 Tbsp mirin3 Tbsp misoTwo 8-oz wild salmon fillets, skinned1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oilSalt

1. Preheat the broiler.2. Peel and grate the ginger over a small bowl, squeezing the pulp with your hands to extract all the juice. Discard the pulp.3. Add the orange juice, mirin and miso to the bowl. Mix well. Set aside.4. Brush the top of salmon with the olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and place in a baking pan lined with aluminum foil. Place under the broiler for 2 minutes.5. Remove from the oven, carefully turn the fish, and continue to broil until the fish just begins to brown, about 2 minutes longer.6. Remove from the oven, brush the glaze on the fish and return to the broiler for 1 minute more.7. Serve immediately.

Snack: Vitality bites

These almond-butter, honey, coconut, cayenne bites are packed with antioxidants as well as adaptogens and healing herbs. Whether you’re looking for a delish snack or an herbal supplement, they’re a nice way to satisfy mid-afternoon hunger and give your skin a boost at the same time.

Ingredients1 cup almond butter1/2 cup wildflower honey3 Tbsp reishi powder1 tsp ground turmeric1/4 tsp cayenne pepper1/4 tsp matcha powderAbout 4 Tbsp carob powder1/2 cup finely shredded coconut

1. Combine the almond butter and honey in a large bowl.2. Add the reishi, turmeric, cayenne, and matcha 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring constantly until evenly mixed. Sprinkle in the carob powder 1 tablespoon at a time, just until the mixture reaches a firm consistency.3. Mold the mixture into balls about 1 inch in diameter by rolling pieces between your palms.4. Once formed, roll in the shredded coconut shreds to cover and place in a storage container lined with parchment paper.5. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Dinner: Antioxidant-rich meal + beauty bone broth

In addition to finishing out your day with an antioxidant-rich meal to help temper internal free-radical damage, consider adding a beauty bone broth to your menu. It’s been around forever and for good reason: It’s a collagen-rich bev that supports healthy skin, nails, and hair—giving glowing skin straight from your cup.

Beauty Bone Broth

IngredientsOne 2-3 pound whole organic chicken1 large onion, unpeeled, coarsely chopped2 large carrots, scrubbed but unpeeled, cut into thirds3 celery sticks, coarsely chopped6 cloves of garlic, coarsely choppedSeveral sprigs of fresh thyme, tied together1 bay leafOne 8-inch strip of kombu6 black peppercorns4 quarts cold filtered water, plus more if needed2 strips of astragulus root (optional)1 bunch fresh parsley and/or 1 bunch fresh dillSea salt

1. Cut the chicken into serving pieces: breasts, thighs, legs, and wings. Also keep the back bones and neck. If you can purchase chicken feet, use these as well, since they are naturally rich in collagen.2. In a large stockpot, combine all of the chicken pieces, the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, kombu, and peppercorns. Add the water, cover, and bring to a boil, using a large spoon to remove any scum or fat that rises to the top. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 2 hours.3. Remove the chicken from the pot, and separate the meat from the bones. Set aside the meat for another dish. Place the bones back in the pot, add the astragulus root, and continue to simmer. Continue to simmer until the stock is nicely flavorful, about 6 hours longer, or up to 24 hours at a very gentle simmer. Add more water if too much liquid seems to be cooking away. The longer you cook the stock, the richer and more flavorful it will be.4. A few hours before finishing the stock, add the parsley and/or dill for added flavors. Season with salt to taste. When done, remove the bones and vegetables with a slotted spoon, and strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve. Let cool to room temperature and make sure to refrigerate within 4 hours. The next day, spoon off and discard any fat that has risen to the surface.5. Refrigerate for up to 3 days, or freeze in single-batch containers (ice-cube trays make nice portions for sauces, etc.) for up to 3 months.

For other skin-happy meal ideas, try incorporating these foods to promote skin health. Plus, check out the best supplements for glowing, radiant skin. 

9 tips for cooking salmon like a pro

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You probably have your favorite way to cook salmon. Maybe you roast it. Or, maybe, you place it on a cedar plank, close the grill, and let those two sizzle and smoke.

But if we've learned anything from one of our latest contests, "Your best recipe with salmon," it's that little techniques — like not tossing your corn husks and instead using them to imbue sweet, corny, smoky flavor to whatever you're grilling — make all the difference between average fillets and something you'll make over and over again.

The contest winner: corn husk-smoked salmon with grilled corn salsa | (Bobbi Lin/Courtesy Food52)

So, we looked to the contest's winners (congrats, aargersi!) and community picks to find nine of our favorite tips for cooking salmon. Check them out:

1. Corn husk-smoked salmon with grilled corn salsa: Corn husks, when soaked and placed on the grill with corn, add a sweet, subtle smokiness. Plus, it's a no-waste way to cook dinner — and a good reason to make grilled corn salsa.

2. Shallot topped salmon & jade rice: Placing your aromatics, like shallots and red onion, on top of the fish is an easy way to infuse flavor into the fish while it cooks (and an easy way to cook the vegetables, too!).

3. Miso and ginger poached salmon with warm soba noodles: When poaching, using all water or broth can be a little "eh." Instead, add aromatics and/or spices to the poaching liquid for more flavor. As you might guess, this recipe uses miso and ginger.

Perfect roast salmon is, well, perfect | (Bobbi Lin/Courtesy Food52)

4. Perfect roast salmon: Coat fish with mayonnaise instead of oil to add flavor and moisture. Then, don't oil or grease foil when roasting skin-on fillets so that you can easily remove the fillets, leaving the skin on the baking sheet.

5. One-pan salmon with spicy creamed greens and tomatoes: Creamed greens aren't just a side for barbecue — they're a great bed for seafood, too, and an easy way to cook salmon without worrying about overcooking the bottoms or flipping the fillets. This recipe uses collard greens, but any sturdy green, like kale, would also be lovely.

Tea and smoked salmon are meant to be | (Bobbi Lin/Courtesy Food52)

6. Lapsang Souchong cured king salmon with ginger lime cream cheese: Curing salmon in tea makes for one complex hors d'oeuvre. And such a fish deserves an equally inventive spread, so treat cream cheese like compound butter and add zing with grated ginger, lime zest, and a bit of sour cream.

7. Ginger scallion salmon: Pour a gingery, scallion-y sauce over fish right out of the oven to not only hear the sizzle, but also to bring out the flavor of the sauce.

Everything is better with a little butter, including salmon | (Bobbi Lin/Courtesy Food52)

8. Butter-basted salmon with buttermilk garlic mashed sweet potatoes: Start salmon in oil, then baste in butter. That way, you get crispy skin (without worrying about the butter burning) and all the flavor butter has to offer.

9. Quick-smoked grilled salmon: Yes, you can smoke AND grill salmon at the same time. By using both coals and wood chips, you get perfectly cooked fish with a hint of smokiness in just 10 minutes.

This story was originally published on Food52.com: 9 of our favorite salmon cooking tips