I find inspiration for recipes from all sorts of places: cookbooks, the internet, childhood memories, food filled vacations, and also beloved restaurant dishes. This delicious sheet pan salmon/brussels mash up is loosely inspired by the ever so addictive brussels sprouts at Uchi in austin, one of my favorite restaurants of all time. I wanted to recreate their crispy, sweet 'n spicy sprouts in my home kitchen, and then thought, "why not make this a meal and roast some salmon with them at the same time?". Bingo! Dinner is served! This simple recipe takes minimal time to prep and under 30 minutes to cook. It all starts with a marinade: classic Asian flavors mingle with unexpected visitors maple syrup and balsamic vinegar to create a sauce that is a little sweet, a tad spicy, a smidge sour, and oh so tasty. The marinade also serves as a dressing for the bowls at the end, so make sure to reserve a few tablespoons for drizzling! Nothing beats a sheet pan supper on a busy weeknight- dinner cooks quickly and clean up is a breeze. The trick with sheet pan dinners is to stagger ingredients as cooking times will vary- for instance, the Brussels Sprouts take longer to roast than the salmon, so I put them in the oven to get a head start and then add the fish halfway through. This recipe is half sheet pan situation/half microwave some rice and chop some veg... if you want to put in a teeny bit more effort some stirfried shiitakes make for a tasty, earthy compliment. If you’re looking for a great meal prep recipe, here it is! Double it on two sheet pans to have some for lunches the next day. Enjoy!
prep time: ~15 min. cook time: ~30 min. serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
1 lb bag of brussels sprouts, woody ends trimmed and halved (quartered if very large)
1 tbsp avocado or extra virgin olive oil
4 center cut skinless salmon filets
kosher salt
black pepper
1/2 juicy lime or lemon, plus 4 lime wedges
2 large carrots, julienned or shaved with a veggie peeler
4 large scallions, thinly sliced
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
2 cups cooked white or brown rice
*optional: 1/2 lb sautéed shiitake mushrooms, seasoned with a pinch of salt
TAMARI MAPLE MARINADE 3 tbsp tamari (or soy sauce)
1 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp sesame oil
2-1/2 tbsp maple syrup
1 to 2 tsp sriracha (per taste)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 peeled garlic cloves, grated
1-1” piece of ginger, grated
1 tbsp good quality balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp avocado or extra virgin olive oil
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400° with a rack set in the upper middle. Make the marinade by combining all the ingredients in a measuring cup or small bowl. Set aside or chill until ready to use.
Line a large sheet pan with parchment or heavy duty foil. Add the brussels sprouts to the sheet pan and toss with 1/3 of the marinade plus 1 tbsp more oil. Season with a few cranks of salt and pepper and spread out to lay in an even layer. Meanwhile, add the salmon filets to a baking dish and pour another 1/3 of the marinade over the fish. Turn to coat evenly and leave on the counter to marinate while you roast the sprouts,
Place the brussels sprouts in the oven to roast 12 minutes. Remove from the oven, give them a toss, and make a clearing in the center of the pan. Add the salmon filets to the sheet pan (flesh side up) and season the tops with salt and pepper. Return everything to the oven to roast together 12-15 minutes more, until the sprouts are brown and crisp and the salmon is cooked through. Squeeze the 1/2 a lime or lemon over everything once out of the oven.
To assemble, spoon some rice into the bottom of a shallow bowl. Top with a serving of the brussels sprouts, a filet of salmon, some julienned carrots, and sautéed shiitakes (if using). Sprinkle the bowls with the sesame seeds and sliced scallions and drizzle some of the remaining tamari maple marinade over the top. Serve a lime or lemon wedge on the side and repeat to create 4 bowls total. Enjoy hot or at room temperature!