Ingredients You’ll Need

Here are some notes on the key ingredients for this easy weeknight dinner idea:

• Salmon: You can make this recipe with a full fillet, or cut the salmon into pieces. I personally like a high quality fillet from the fresh counter. You can use frozen, but make sure it’s high quality and not the kind sold in discount freezer bags.
• Soy sauce (or tamari or coconut aminos): I often use tamari in recipes that call for soy sauce; it’s gluten-free. For a soy free and gluten-free alternative, use coconut aminos and add an additional pinch of salt.
• Rice vinegar: This brings tangy notes to the dressing.
• Honey: Balances the salt and thickens the sauce.
• Fresh ginger: Fresh ginger root is the star ingredient: don’t leave it out
• Quinoa and lacinato kale: If you’d like to make the kale and quinoa salad alongside, it makes it a complete meal! But it’s not required here.

Soy Ginger Salmon

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This soy ginger salmon broils in minutes and gets tossed in a honey ginger glaze. Serve it over a quinoa kale salad for an easy weeknight bowl!

• Author: Sonja Overhiser
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Broiled
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Mediterranean Diet, Pescatarian

Ingredients

For the salmon

• 1 1/2 pounds salmon, skin removed and cut into 1-inch pieces (see Notes for a full fillet)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt, for seasoning
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari or liquid aminos; see Notes)
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tsp ginger, grated

For the bowl (optional)

• 1 cup dry quinoa
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus 1 pinch
• 1 bunch lacinato kale, chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1-inch nub ginger, grated
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• Chopped bell pepper or tomatoes
• Sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Cook the quinoa: In a saucepan, combine the quinoa, 1 ¾ cups water, and kosher salt and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
2. Prep the kale: Remove the tough stems from the kale and chop the leaves into bite-sized pieces. Place them in a large bowl with a drizzle of the olive oil and a pinch of salt, then massage with your hands for about 1 minute, until the leaves darken and soften.
3. Make the sauce: Place the soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, and grated ginger in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat so it is continuously bubbling and cook 4 to 5 minutes until it reduces by about 1 half (it will not be thick but this is intentional).
4. Broil the salmon: Preheat the broiler to high and line a baking sheet with foil. Add the salmon and drizzle with olive oil, arrange the salmon pieces in a single layer on the baking sheet and sprinkle with kosher salt. Broil for 5 to 6 minutes, until browned on top and the salmon reaches an internal temperature of 125°F for medium (or 7 to 10 minutes for fillets; see Notes). Once it’s cooked, pour the sauce over salmon on the sheet and toss until combined.
5. Assemble the salad: To the bowl with the kale, add the cooked quinoa, 1 tablespoon olive oil, the grated ginger, and the chives. Toss to combine, then season to taste with flaky sea salt.
6. Serve: Divide the quinoa salad among bowls and top with the broiled salmon. Garnish with chopped pepper or tomatoes and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Leftovers last up to 2 days refrigerated.

Notes

Broiling fillets: Broil 4 to 5 minutes for very thin salmon or 7 to 10 minutes for 1-inch thick salmon, until it’s just tender and pink at the center (the internal temperature should be between 125°F in the center).

Make ahead: The quinoa can be cooked up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated. The salmon can marinate up to 2 hours before broiling.

Soy sauce substitutes: I typically use tamari in recipes that call for soy sauce; it’s gluten-free. For a soy free and gluten-free alternative, use coconut aminos and add an additional pinch of salt.

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What Is Ratatouille?

Ratatouille is a classic dish from Southern France of stewed vegetables. There’s no formalized recipe or method, but it typically includes eggplant, tomato, zucchini, onion, and bell pepper. It’s a humble stew and surprise: not anything like the ratatouille you see in the Pixar movie.

• Where did the Disney ratatouille recipe come from? In the 1970’s French chefs started making a version of the dish with thin sliced vegetables. French chef Thomas Keller riffed on this concept in his 1999 cookbook, calling the recipe Confit byaldi. Confit byaldi adds a tomato and pepper sauce on the bottom (piperade), then garnishes the thin-sliced vegetables with balsamic vinaigrette.
• Chef Thomas Keller actually served as food consultant for the movie Ratatouille! He suggested this way to serve the humble dish to a food critic, which is how it made its way into the movie. It does seem like a pretty genius spin for a mouse to think up, so we’re glad to know it was actually a great real-life chef. (Source)

What To Serve Alongside

Ratatouille is a late summer recipe that works as main dish or a side dish for roast chicken or fish. But keep in mind: it’s all vegetables with no major source of protein to keep you full. To serve it as a main dish, pair it with a protein like white beans, chickpeas or bread and cheese. Here are some ideas:

• Serve with bread and assorted cheeses
• Add sautéed white beans or cannellini beans
• Add French lentils
• Serve over rice with sauteed chickpeas
• Use as a side dish for chicken, seared salmon or grilled salmon, grilled tilapia, or pan fried cod

Boiled Versus Roasted Butternut Squash

Which method is better, boiled versus roasted butternut squash? It really depends on how you’re using it. Here are some pros and cons:

• Roasted squash: I love roasted butternut squash for its beautiful caramelized flavor and browned edges. It brings out a sweetness and texture that boiling can’t replicate! However, it does take about 45 minutes once you chop and roast the squash. It’s best for when you’re eating the squash as a side or as a featured ingredient, like in Butternut Squash Risotto.
• Boiled squash: Boiled squash results in very tender cubes. It takes about 20 minutes total. If you’re making Butternut Squash Soup (boiled as part of the process), a puree, mash or even Butternut Squash Lasagna, boiling butternut squash works great.

How To Make Boiled Butternut Squash

Butternut squash boils in just 5 to 6 minutes. That’s loads faster than the cook time for roasting, which is 30 to 35 minutes. The squash comes out sweet and tender, though you don’t get the lovely caramelized exterior that roasting provides. But it’s worth it if you’re using the squash in another dish; we love boiling squash for when we make lasagna. Here’s what to do:

• Peel and chop the squash. Tips on that are below!
• Boil 5 to 6 minutes. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the squash and boil for 5 to 6 minutes, until fork tender. Taste test a piece to see if it’s done.
• Drain and season. Drain the squash, then season it with olive oil, salt, pepper, and the additional seasonings of your choice.

How to Peel and Cut Butternut Squash

Butternut squash is notoriously difficult to peel and chop. Here’s the method we use, which makes it much easier to tackle it’s irregular shape. Watch the video first, then follow these steps:

• Chop off the neck first. Using a large chef’s knife, cut off the top of the butternut squash. Cut off the neck right where the neck meets the base.
• Peel: Use a vegetable peeler to peel off the skin of the neck and the base. A serrated vegetable peeler works better than a normal peeler, which tends to slip.
• Remove the seeds: Slice the base in half, and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds.
• Chop the neck: Cut a flat edge on the side of the neck, to use as a base. Cut the neck into roughly 1/4″ slices. Cut the slices into strips, then turn the strips and chop them crosswise to create cubes.
• Chop the base: Slice off the end of the base and slice it into roughly 1/4″ slices. Then chop the slices crosswise to create cubes.

Recipes That Start With Boiled Butternut Squash

You can also use boiled butternut squash as a component in recipes. Because it’s such a fast way to cook squash, it’s ideal when used in these butternut squash recipes:

• Boil it up for Butternut Squash Lasagna
• Add it to Butternut Squash Salad or Creamy Squash Soup
• Use it for Mashed Butternut Squash or Butternut Squash Puree
• Do it as a shortcut for Butternut Squash Risotto
• Substitute it for sweet potato to make Butternut Squash Black Bean Enchiladas

Ingredient Notes And Substitutions

Here’s what you’ll need for this healthy chicken salad, besides the chicken:

• Fresh dill: This is what brings in the herbaceous flavor; use it if at all possible.
• Dill pickles: You’ll use chopped dill pickles, and you can add a splash of pickle brine if you like to add more dill flavor.
• Celery: This is important for the best crunch in your chicken salad.
• Red onion: Red onion adds a nice savory note and additional crunch.
• Oregano: This adds another bit of herby intrigue.
• Optional adder: 15-ounce can chickpeas, dried, rinsed, and smashed with a fork in the bowl before adding the other ingredients. This helps to stretch the chicken salad to more servings add fiber. It’s my favorite way to customize a healthy chicken salad! You’ll likely need to add at least ¼ teaspoon kosher salt to make the flavors pop.

Ways To Serve Healthy Chicken Salad

Outside of my favorite fiber and protein adder (chickpeas!), here are some ways to serve this chicken salad:

• As a bowl over greens: Add a scoop over romaine or butter lettuce, then add some crunchy veggies on the side like tomatoes, cucumbers, or shredded carrots
• In lettuce cups: You can make this into easy lettuce wraps.
• On good bread: Use it in a focaccia sandwich on quick focaccia, or toasted sourdough bread.
• With crackers: For lunch, add some homemade crackers or whole wheat crackers.
• In a wrap: Similar to my chicken Caesar wrap.
• Stuffed into an avocado half, for a gluten-free version.

More Healthy Chicken Recipes

• 15 Healthy Chicken Recipes
• Greek Chicken Salad
• The Best, Easiest Chicken Burger
• Baked Chicken and Farro
• Grilled Chicken Thighs

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• Spiked Hot Apple Cider
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• Spiked Hot Chocolate
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