Microwave Salmon Teriyaki
An Effortless Meal That Delivers on Taste
Microwave Salmon Teriyaki | Dara O’Brien
By Dara O’Brien
Creative Director, Lake Isle Press
Some days you’re feeling too tired to eat, let alone cook. Cue your microwave and salmon fillet, fresh or frozen.
I had just finished working a rather bruising stretch of 16-hour days to find myself headed home for the first time in what seemed like forever at the shockingly reasonable hour of 5:00 pm. That did not mean, however, that I had the energy to cook. I thought about getting takeout but stopped by the store for some salmon instead. When I got home, I microwaved it in my Cook-Zen microwave pot using the recipe below. Three minutes later, it was ready. Next I microwaved some leftover jasmine rice to accompany it. I got dinner on the table in about five minutes.
Microwaving is more than just a fast way to cook a piece of salmon. It keeps the fish moist and cooks it to perfection without using any fat or heating up the kitchen.
This recipe was especially quick because I used fresh salmon. But what about when you’re cooking a frozen fillet? And what if you want a side dish but you have no leftovers?
I tried this recipe last night with a piece of frozen salmon. I put the fillet in my Cook-Zen pot skin side up, added the teriyaki sauce, and microwaved it for five minutes at 50% power. Then I flipped the fish over and nuked it at 80% power for 3 more minutes. Done.
I wiped out the pot to make the green bean recipe seen here, I placed about a third of a bag of ready-to-use green beans to my Cook-Zen along with half of the next three ingredients and a ¼ teaspoon of sugar and nuked them for five minutes. Dinner was ready.
Japanese cuisine frequently adds sugar to savory dishes to for a touch of sweetness. Though I considered eliminating the sugar altogether, and you definitely could, I decided to try it out but in a smaller quantity than the recipes suggest. The first time I made the fish I tried one teaspoon of sugar; the second time just a half-teaspoon. The full teaspoon added a layer of sweetness that I enjoyed, kind of like a little hint of salmon candy.
Even when I used frozen salmon and made a side dish, this meal took just 13 minutes to prepare. There’s a lot to be said for more complicated meals that can be involving and fun to make and offer layers of interweaving textures, tastes, and temperatures. But a fast, easy technique that cooks food effortlessly and well will do just fine in a pinch.
Microwave Salmon Teriyaki Recipe
Click here for printable recipe.
1 servings | Cook Time: 3 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 (½-pound) salmon fillet, with skin
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons mirin
PREPARATION
Place the salmon in the Cook-Zen, and add the soy sauce, sugar, and mirin. Heat on medium-high for 2½ to 3 minutes with the steam holes set to “close.” Serve over rice or with a vegetable such as broccoli or bok choy-pound) salmon fillet, with skin
Microwave Green Beans Recipe
Click here for printable recipe
4 servings | Cook Time: 6 minutes
INGREDIENTS
½ pound string beans, halved
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons dashi soup stock or water
1½ tablespoons sugar
PREPARATION
Wash the string beans and place inside the Cook-Zen. Add all of the remaining ingredients and mix well. Cover and heat on medium-high for 5 to 6 minutes with the steam holes set to “close.”
THE COOK-ZEN POT IS AVAILABLE THROUGH AMAZON.COM
Salmon recipe from “The Cook-Zen Way to Eat: Microwaving Healthy and Delicious Meals in Minutes” by Machiko Chiba, Lake Isle Press, 2010
Green Bean Recipe from “The Cook-Zen Cookbook: Microwave Cooking the Japanese Way—Simple, Healthy, and Delicious” by Machiko Chiba, Lake Isle Press, 2007
The Cook-Zen Microwave Pot
Microwave Teriyaki Salmon Recipe
from “The Cook-Zen Way to Eat: Microwaving Healthy and Delicious Meals in Minutes”
by Machiko Chiba, Lake Isle Press, 2010
In THE COOK-ZEN WAY TO EAT: Microwaving Healthy and Delicious Meals in Minutes, the follow-up to THE COOK-ZEN COOKBOOK (also Lake Isle Press), Machiko Chiba has returned with more incredible Cook-Zen recipes made in minutes. From international favorites such as Asian-Style Spareribs, Thai Green Curry Chicken, and Steak Teriyaki, to all-American classics such as Chili Con Carne, Classic Mashed Potatoes, and Barbecued Beans—entire meals can be made in just one pot. Whether you wish to entertain with Scallop Pilaf and Mussels Steamed with Wine and Garlic or have an easy night in with a bowl of Corn Chowder, you’ll find the perfectly simple and healthy solution in THE COOK-ZEN WAY TO EAT.
Featuring many inspiring and elegant photographs plus simple step-by-step instructions for how to use the Cook-Zen, Machiko Chiba’s microwave cook pot. Its patented design locks in moisture and distributes heat evenly, producing dishes you’d never dream of making in a microwave. Like a pressure cooker, the Cook-Zen pot reduces cooking times to mere minutes for healthy, delicious meals made simply and quickly.
ALSO FROM THE COOK-ZEN WAY TO EAT:
Japanese Beef Rice Bowl (Gyudon)
Microwave Sweet Cauliflower Soup
Microwave Thai Green Curry Chicken
Pork and Vegetable Stew
Potatoes in Spicy Green Chili Sauce
Steak Teriyaki
Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Potatoes and Onions
FIND OUT MORE
BUY THE BOOK
Microwave Green Beans Recipe
from “The Cook-Zen Cookbook; Microwave Cooking the Japanese Way—Simple, Healthy and Delicious”
By Machiko Chiba, Lake Isle Press, 2007
Machiko Chiba, author of the Cook-Zen Cookbook, returns with more incredible Cook-Zen recipes made in minutes. From international favorites such as Asian-Style Spareribs and Thai Green Curry Chicken to all-American classics such as Chili Con Carne, Classic Mashed Potatoes, and Barbecued Beans—entire meals can be made in just one pot.
Featuring many inspiring and elegant photographs plus simple step-by-step instructions for how to use the Cook-Zen, Machiko Chiba’s microwave cook pot. Its patented design locks in moisture and distributes heat evenly, producing dishes you’d never dream of making in a microwave. Like a pressure cooker, the Cook-Zen pot reduces cooking times to mere minutes for healthy, delicious meals made simply and quickly.