superfitbabe

It must be apparent to you that I have this burning desire to travel to Asia, as you might have read in my chicken satay recipe. As a matter of fact, I absolutely would love love love to travel back to Asia! It’s been over six years since I’ve last been to Vietnam with my relatives and to see them again would mean more than everything the universe can offer. A few months before I graduated, my aunt brought our family together to FaceTime my maternal grandmother back in Vietnam, and her tears of joy from the sight of my sisters and I just brought in so much light in regards to what time can do to a family.

No way am I saying that our love has separated or has weakened, but since our last visit to our home in Vietnam, my family and I have changed so drastically. To be quite honest, I’m not even sure if my grandmother was able to recognize me since she never saw what I looked like, aside from photos that I can only assume my mother sends her. But with my plans for college, work and moving out of our home, I unfortunately cannot pursue any energy towards saving for travels, and neither can the rest of my family. We are such busy bees that we’re never in the house at the same times until 9 PM-7 AM. Yes, I’ve actually kept track of the time that we’re all at home together. Call me crazy, but it’s been that way since who knows when!

On another note, remember my post that teaches you how to cook the perfect salmon, and promises more seafood recipes in the future? Well, I’ve done the first, kept the latter and now present something absolutely amazing to all of you: sesame teriyaki salmon! Asian food is something I can have every single day, even if that means having every meal in a single day be Asian. No kidding! However, anything teriyaki always remains a favorite.

The flavor of teriyaki sauce itself is sweet, a little salty, rich, and the thick texture just hugs the tongue in a way that soy sauce doesn’t exactly nail on the head. Pair it with a fillet of buttery, tender salmon and a bit of crunch from the sesame seeds and everything in your mouth will be swimming in decadence. The good kind, at least.

And yes, it’s Paleo. Enjoy.

RECIPE (salmon; serves 4)

• 2 pounds of wild caught salmon; if frozen, defrost your fillets for at least 1-2 hours or until the fillets are soft and tender
• 2 TBSP sesame oil
• 2 1/2 TBSP Paleo teriyaki sauce (recipe below)
• Sesame seeds to garnish
• Opt: salt and pepper to taste

RECIPE (Paleo teriyaki sauce; serves 4)

• 1/2 cup coconut aminos
• Juice of one small orange
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger or ground ginger
• 3 TBSP maple syrup or honey
• 1 TBSP water
• 1 crushed garlic clove
• Opt: 1 tsp fish sauce, 1 tsp Sriracha sauce or 1/2 tsp red chili flakes

PROCEDURE (Paleo teriyaki sauce)

1. Set a small pot on medium heat.
2. Add all of the ingredients into the pot and stir thoroughly until the mixture is smooth and well-combined.
3. Reduce the heat to the lowest temperature and bring to a simmer.
4. Continue to stir the sauce as it simmers and thickens.
5. When the sauce has reached the thickness to your liking, remove the pot from the heat and pour the sauce into a bowl to let it cool.

PROCEDURE (salmon)

1. Place your salmon in a large Ziploc bag and pour in the teriyaki sauce.
2. Allow the salmon to marinade for at least five-six hours for optimal taste. You can cook the salmon right away if you would like to, however.
3. After the salmon is marinaded, preheat the oven to 450F or set on broil.
4. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil and spread with sesame oil.
5. Place the salmon fillets evenly on the tray.
6. Garnish each fillet with sesame seeds and a little seasoning.
7. Broil the salmon for 13-15 minutes and serve.

Do you have any relatives outside of the country? What is your favorite Asian dish of all time?