Miso glazed salmon

3 tablespoons white miso

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon of water

2 tablespoons sugar (less or more to taste)

2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 6-ounce skinless salmon fillets

Dill rice

1 cup basmati rice

1 cup dill leaves

Sauteed spinach

2 cups spinach

3 tablespoons olive oil

As my friend and I settled into our home for the first half of the spring semester in January, we instantly bonded over our love of cooking. After the first week of classes and mostly cooking for ourselves on the weekdays, we decided to make a meal together on our first Friday night in the new place. After finding this salmon recipe scrolling through Instagram, my roommate Ariel suggested pairing it with dill rice—a staple in her family. Paired with a green, the miso and dill complemented each other very well. Especially now that we have an entire container of miso paste to use, I look forward to making this recipe again in the near future!

For the salmon

In a bowl big enough to fit both fillets, mix the miso, sugar, soy sauce, water, and rice vinegar. Place the fillets in the bowl and let them sit in the marinade for at least 30 minutes, but up to overnight. 

Line a baking tray with aluminum foil and place the fillets at least an inch apart. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the salmon is a pastel pink all the way to the center.

For the rice

Chop the dill leaves, including the stems, as finely as possible and set aside. Rinse the basmati rice by placing it in a fine-mesh sieve and rinsing it under cold water until the water mostly runs clear. Shake off the excess water

Transfer the rice to a small saucepan. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 cups room-temperature water. Using a wooden spoon to sture, bring the water to a boil. Then, reduce the heat and stir in the dill. Continue to cook the rice, stirring occasionally, for 5–8 minutes.

While the rice is cooking, place a kitchen or paper towel in between the pot and the lid. Reduce heat to low and cook the rice until it appears fluffy, about 10 minutes. Remove it from the heat, fluff using a fork, and let the pot sit with the lid still on for at least five minute.

For the spinach

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Once it is hot, add the spinach and push it around in the pan until it wilts. Continue to saute the spinach until it has shrunk in the pan and all the leaves appear wilted.

Recipes courtesy of Simply Recipes and Bon Appetit