Mid-week pan-salmon with veggie rice and peas & corn

Ok that just won the award for the most awkward blog post title. I was really stoked making this for some reason. It turned out good, even approaching great, but didn't quite live up to my expectations. I think it is because the flavours were too similar. I think if I added some crunch to the veggies it would've made it much better. Like corn flakes or something (they seem to be doing that a lot lately on "the cooking shows"; I saw it twice on the Bobby Flay show, and once on Iron Chef).

In any case, this Thursday meal was a crossroads of sorts.  If I were to characterize it further I would say it is the meeting of necessity, opportunity, and inspiration, although not necessarily in equal proportions. The necessity was "we need to eat", and "we only have celery and mushrooms in the fridge for veggies" (probably the biggest portion). The opportunity, well that is "I got home early and I have time to make this without having to rush out of the house delivering SSO to some activity" (second biggest portion). Finally, the inspiration was what ended up being the preparation and combination of ingredients and flavours. Smallest portion.

First, let's marinate the salmon for 30 minutes while I clean the kitchen and do some prep.

Fresh salmon steaks, marinating in maple syrup,
teriyaki sauce, and dijon mustard

Next, I'll start the rice. I'll fry up the celery a bit, add the mushrooms, then the rice. Mix for a bit, then add water with chicken bouillon (I like the Epicure stuff, it isn't overloaded with sodium like other pre-made stuff).

Rice with celery, mushrooms, and chicken stock

Now start the veggies. Brown up the mushrooms in butter - slowly, but get a good brown on them. Then, add frozen corn and peas, mix it all up. Simmer it on the back burner, and heat up a pan for the salmon. It should be pretty hot, if not smoking hot. Two or three minutes per side with the lid on (to prevent the house from smelling like fish for the rest of the week).  Plate it all, wow looks delish, especially for a Thursday.

The pan salmon with veggie rice, and peas & corn

Next Time: I would spice things differently, maybe try different veggies

Me: 7/10
SO: n/a
SSO: 9/10

Mid-week pan-salmon with veggie rice and peas & corn
Ingredients

• Salmon steaks, I cooked 3 for the 3 of us
• Rice, however much you want to make
• Veggies from your fridge; I had celery, mushrooms, and frozen peas & carrots
• chicken stock (enough to cook the rice)
• maple syrup, teriyaki sauce (or soy sauce), and mustard for the marinade
• spice (whatever you feel like, I used dill and ginger for the veggies; "Old Bay" spice for a rub for the salmon along with the marinade; and garam masala for the rice (along with the chicken stock)

Method

1. Marinate the salmon in a dish, I used around 1/4 cup maple syrup, maybe 3 Tb of teriyaki sauce, and a good squirt of dijon. It should probably marinate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Chop up your veggies, I had celery and mushrooms but maybe you might have peppers, bok choy, leeks, spinach, whatever. 
3. Start the rice. I pre-cooked the celery in some butter, added the mushrooms after the celery was softened a bit, then stirred in the rice, then added the chicken-stock water. Finish cooking the "old fashioned" way.
4. Start cooking the peas & corn (or whatever). Spice as you feel like. 
5. Pan-fry the salmon, a few minutes on each side with the lid on.