Firecracker Salmon and Soy-Glazed Baby Bok Choy

Yesterday was my 11 mile run that turned into an 11.5 mile run because no loop in Central Park is actually as long as it claims to be. It was actually pretty enjoyable since I ran with three awesome people - Cindy, Elkin, and Mike - and we kept each other motivated the entire time. My favorite part was when Elkin (I hope I'm spelling his name right!) tried the chocolate Gu gel for the first time and was ecstatic about how delicious it was. One of the few chocolate treats that you can't feel guilty about eating, he rubbed it in our faces that he was eating it the entire way! I tried the Clif Gel instead of the Gu Gel since it has more natural ingredients and I figured that it would be nicer to my stomach. It didn't taste as good but I didn't feel intensely bloated for the rest of the day like I normally do with the Gu, so I think it's going to be my energy gel of choice.

Anyway, after the run I felt great, no soreness or achiness. And then I woke up this morning and every muscle in my body hurt. I think some serious stretching is in order. I have a date with my yoga mat. That reminds me, so the coach of TNT - Ramon - just finished a 100 mile run last weekend in Vermont. He is possibly the most awe-inspiring/INSANE person I know. Basically you do this run and you have a pit crew that you pre-select who stop at specific sites along the trail and cook for you/change your clothes. It took him 17 hours to do this, with only 4 stops. So I'm thinking he basically broke it up into marathons, stopping after each one along the way. I can only imagine how sore HE was the next day. How do you even recover from that??

After running so much, some seriously good food was in order. Thankfully, wild Alaskan sockeye salmon was on SALE at Whole Foods this week. I figured this was pretty much a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I totally jumped on the deal. Salmon is my absolute favorite fish. It has a flavor all its own that I think people tend to either love or hate. I grilled it on my George Foreman, first marinating it in a balsamic/soy/brown sugar glaze, the recipe for which I got from the Whole Foods website. It definitely infused a nice spicy, gingery flavor into the salmon. To go with it, I made some bok choy and some Harvest Couscous Medley from Trader Joe's, using the leftover marinade as a glaze. Bok choy is a really delicious member of the cabbage family that is chock full of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and calcium. It has a sweet-ish flavor to it and goes really well with most Asian flavors. I am submitting this dish to Weekend Herb Blogging, which is being hosted by Haalo of Cook (Almost) Anything.


Firecracker Salmon and Soy-Glazed Baby Bok Choy
Serves 4, adapted from Whole Foods Website and Veggie Venture

1 lb salmon
1/4 cup peanut oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 scallions, chopped
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 1/2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic, chopped
pinch of salt
1 lb baby bok choy, halved lengthwise
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 cup harvest couscous (or some other grain)

1. Mix together the ingredients from the peanut oil through the pinch of salt. Marinate the salmon in this for 4-6 hours.

2. Start to cook the grain of your choice (i.e. start the water boiling and simmering).

3. In a large non-stick pan heat the sesame oil. Place the bok choy cut side down on the hot oil. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until brown on one side. Flip over and cook for about 1 more minute. Remove to a platter.

4. Heat up the George Foreman and grill the salmon for about 4 minutes. Pour the marinade into the skillet you were just using and simmer over low heat until slightly thickened. Return the bok choy to the skillet so that it gets infused with a little bit of the glaze flavor. Pour the glaze over the couscous, top with the bok choy, and serve with the salmon.