Salmon and Vegetable Stir-Fry

A quick summer meal full of flavor and color — salmon and vegetable stir-fry.

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When the temperatures hover around 100 degrees for more than a week in a row, my dinner menus get simpler. Usually, I make a protein and two sides, but that means three burners or two burners and the oven heating up the house.

Lately, I’ve cut dinners back to one pot or one bowl: big dinner salads, casseroles, or stir-fries, like this salmon and vegetable stir-fry.

I always have a side of frozen wild salmon in the freezer. Buying a big frozen fillet is cheaper than buying smaller fillets from the seafood counter. Plus, they’re bound to be fresher tasting than fillets that have sat around for a few days, although the texture isn’t as good as when it’s fresh.

When I bring the salmon home from the store, I let it thaw just a tiny bit, enough so I can cut it into serving-sized fillets. Then I freeze the fillets in a sealable freezer bag. The fillets don’t take that long to thaw, especially if you dunk the freezer bag into hot water, so you can always count on having wild salmon ready for a meal.

I wasn’t specific about the amount of vegetables to use in the recipe. It really just depends on what you have on hand, and the ratios you want between the ingredients. If you like a spicy stir-fry, add more Sriracha or fresh (or dried) chili to the recipe.

Salmon and Vegetable Stir-Fry

You’ll need a large skillet and a small bowl.

• Canola oil
• 3 or 4 fillets wild salmon, cut into bite-sized pieces
• Vegetables, cut into bite-sized pieces – broccoli, onion, bell pepper, shiitake (or cremini or wild) mushrooms, sugar snap or snow peas, asparagus, carrots, and/or other vegetables
• Salt
• 2 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1” piece of ginger, minced or grated
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Sriracha or sweet chili sauce
• Optional: green onions
• Cooked brown or white rice

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add salmon and cook, stirring frequently, until browned and cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add more oil, if necessary. Add vegetables and a sprinkle of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until browned and cooked through.

Turn heat down to medium-low. Make a well in the center of the pan and place garlic and ginger in it. Add a bit of oil to the top of them and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 to 2 minutes or until golden. Stir them into the rest of the vegetables.

Stir salmon into the vegetables. Mix soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar and chili sauce in a small bowl. Increase heat to medium, and stir sauce into the pan ingredients. Taste for seasoning. Add more soy or chili sauce, if needed. Optional: garnish with green onions. Serve over brown or white rice.