Soy Good Salmon with Edamame Succotash

I received a great package in the mail a couple of months ago.  This was the best kind - packed with books and sent with love from one of my favorite friends.  Nestled amidst the great new reads for Jude was Laurie David's, The Family Dinner.  David is a huge environmentalist and was a producer behind An Inconvenient Truth.  Her work is impressive to say the least.  I respect her passion for the environment and was curious how it would translate to a cookbook.  The recipes, I discovered, are written by Kirstin Uhrenholdt who at one point worked for the Davids.

After setting up Jude with his new reading material, I began to leaf through my new treat.   Wow!  This is a great book.  I guess it is technically considered a cookbook, but it is so much more than that.  David weaves together recipes, conversation starters, gorgeous photos, post-dinner games and interviews of interesting people (Alice Waters, Michael Pollan, Jamie Oliver, etc) about their experiences with family dinners.  It is the kind of book you want to keep picking up for inspiration.  I have especially enjoyed the section on table talk.  She encourages bringing books, poetry and newspapers to the table to stimulate conversation and offers loads of suggestions for questions to get everyone talking and sharing and having a good time.  Patrick, Jude and I sit down together for most breakfasts and dinners and I have this lofty notion that this is where we will share the most important details of our days/hearts with one another.  I can't wait for the day when our conversations evolve beyond big trucks dumping dirt and blowing bubbles.  Don't get me wrong, I am thoroughly enjoying this stage with Jude, but I can't wait to really, really see what he has to say and offer to this world.

I decided to try out The Family Dinner's Soy Good Maple Salmon with Edamame Succotash for this week's swap.

Photo taken from  The Family Dinner website 

I made the succotash ahead of time and dropped off the marinated salmon with baking instructions for Jenny.  I think both things could be served warm or cold.

Soy Good Maple Salmon with Edamame Succotash ~ from The Family Dinner
For the salmon - makes 6 servings
1 cup maple syrup
½ cup low-sodium soy sauce

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 Tbsp. peeled and grated fresh ginger

2 Tbsp. Asian fish sauce (optional)

¼ tsp. chili flakes
6 salmon fillets, 4-6 oz. each

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Combine the first six ingredients in a medium-sized pot and bring to a simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and has the same consistency the maple syrup had.  I tasted the marinade at this point and didn't like it - thought it was too sweet, but it cooks beautifully.
Cool the marinade to room temperature (you can make this in advance). Put the salmon in a small container and pour half the marinade over it, making sure the salmon is submerged. Save the rest of the marinade for a glaze.
Marinate the salmon in the fridge for at least 20 minutes, preferably 1 – 2 hours.
Preheat the broiler. Take the salmon out of the marinade and blot it dry with paper towels. Discard the marinade. Put the salmon on an oiled broiler pan if you have one; an oiled baking sheet will also work just fine.
Put the salmon under the broiler 5 to 6 inches from the heat source. Broil for about 4 minutes on each side, until the salmon is just cooked through and golden brown on top. Be careful—it does like to burn.
In the meantime, gently heat up the remaining glaze.
To check if the salmon is done, stick a pointy knife into the center of the thickest fillet, then touch the tip of the knife. If it’s warm, the salmon is ready.

For the Edamame Succotash - makes 6 servings
1 small red onion, chopped
1 clove garlic
2 cups corn (defrosted if using frozen)
2 cups defrosted and shelled soybeans
1 red pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
~ 15 leaves of basil, chopped (recipe says you can use mint or cilantro too)

Directions
Saute the onion in about a tbsp of olive oil and a tbsp of butter.  When soft, throw in the next five ingredients. Saute for about 8 minutes.  Keep veggies kinda crunchy.  Season with basil and salt and pepper.

Sit the salmon on top of a big helping of succotash and drizzle a bit of the leftover marinade on top.

This is a really simple and easy dinner to make and it was really delicious.  Just remember to make the marinade and let salmon sit in it ahead of time.

Pick up a copy of The Family Dinner.  If you would rather, they have a great website that follows in the same vein as the book.  They have a blog that is updated frequently that has been fun to check out.

I stole a few minutes on the phone with my favorite friend and great package sender.  She is a super fabulous mom of four who is really such an incredible friend.  She is always present and always passionate about life. She is also an environmentalist I respect.  When talking, she relayed that her current favorite section of The Family Dinner is the chapter on Blessings/Gratitudes.  I am grateful for all of my friendships and every meal I eat so I will leave you with one of my favorite blessings highlighted in this great book -

Thanksgiving - Ralph Waldo Emerson
For each new morning with it's light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.