Oven-Baked Teriyaki Salmon

Guys. I did it. 

I made fish. 

I HATE HATE HATE HATE fish. With a passion. 

But decided to make it for a good reason; the best reason, in fact: my husband's favorite food on the planet is fish. Whenever we go out to eat, he'll order something with fish in it. He LOVES fish. And I never ever cook it because, well, it's fish. It smells like fish. It looks like fish. It tastes like fish. And this preggo Momma can't handle it. 

But I decided to brave the unknown. Ryan helped me make the sauce, and I braved the fish. Something awesome happened...

It actually tasted alright, man. For salmon, that is. My husband LOVED it. He claims it was the best salmon he's ever had, and begged me to make it again. What I fell in love with most was the homemade teriyaki sauce. So for his love of the fish, and my love of the sauce, I decided to share this recipe with you fine people. The salmon was really soft and didn't taste fishy at all. And throwing it all in the oven with some of that heavenly teriyaki sauce was just amazing. We ate it with some sticky rice and steamed veggies. Dinner was really quick, and making it together was always a plus. :) 

So I guess what I've learned here is definitely try something new in the kitchen outside of your comfort zone - WAY out. Doesn't mean I'm going to go grab a lobster and go nuts, but taking the baby step of making salmon really helped me. I think we may throw it into our chowders, or next to our fettuccine alfredo. The usual beef, pork, chicken chain has been shaken up with some serious salmon goodness! So if you're a non-fish-lover like me, try this one. It's a great place to start, and convinced me that making/eating it isn't as bad as I can remember. Enjoy, friends! 

Oven-Baked Teriyaki Salmon

makes 3 servings

ingredients:

3 (6oz) salmon fillets

2 green onions, chopped

sesame seeds, for servings

teriyaki sauce: 

1/2 C low sodium soy sauce

1/2 C water, divided

3 T packed light-brown sugar

3 T honey

3 medium cloves garlic minced

2 1/2 t finely grated fresh ginger

1 1/2 T fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 T cornstarch

method:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

2. To make sauce: in a small saucepan, whisk together soy sauce, 1/4 C and 2 T of water, brown sugar, honey, garlic, ginger, and lemon juice. Bring to a a boil. Make a slurry from the 2 T water and cornstarch, then slowly whisk mixture into saucepan. Cook mixture, stirring constantly, until it has slightly thickened. Reduce heat, then allow to cook slightly. 

3. Spray a non-stick pan with cooking spray. Set aside 1/4 C of teriyaki sauce. Place salmon in the prepped baking dish (not frozen), and brush with lots of teriyaki sauce (both sides). Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes until salmon is cooked through. Brush reserved teriyaki sauce over the salmon, and serve with chopped green and sesame seeds. Serve with steamed rice and veggies. 

Recipe source: Cooking Classy