Beans Archives • Mushroompride

Honey Sriracha Salmon with Baby Beans – Delishar

When we were in Wisconsin last month, we met up with a wonderful family at this rain-forest themed restaurant. It’s a pretty cool place with moving ‘animals’, the sounds they make, and thunderstorms too. It does feel like we were dining in the rain-forest. Because there were so many things going on in the restaurant, it pretty much kept the kids occupied while the adults visited.

It wasn’t our first visit to the restaurant. I usually order myself the spiciest entree I can find on the menu, which is a jambalaya pasta. But maybe because it was the festive season, the restaurant had a special menu. So when I saw Honey Sriracha Salmon on Rice, I had to restrain myself from jumping for joy. I mean, that combination can never go wrong! And I wonder why I’ve never though of making it for the blog before!

Better late than never right? So here is my version of Honey Sriracha Salmon, inspired by what I had at the Rainforest Cafe. I made the girls’ portion separately without the Sriracha. All of us at home could not get enough of that delicious piece of fish! The whole dish took me about 10 minutes to prep, and another 10 minutes to cook. Super quick and delicious weeknight meal that you will want to put on your rotation list.

Honey Sriracha Salmon with Baby Beans

Delishar

Salmon marinade

600 g salmon cut into 4 pieces (I used Wild salmon from The Alaska Guys)
3 tbsp honey
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp sriracha sauce or to taste
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 tbsp minced garlic
Black pepper to taste

Baby beans

200 g baby beans ends removed
1/2 red pepper sliced
3 fresh shiitake mushrooms sliced
2 cloves garlic minced
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 tbsp olive oil

Garnish

Chopped spring onions
Toasted sesame seeds

Salmon

In a large ziplock bag, place all the ingredients listed under salmon marinade. Toss to coat evenly, and chill for an hour or overnight.
Heat pan on medium-high heat with olive oil.
Remove fish from bag, and allow all the excess marinade to drip off. Reserve marinade.
Pan fry salmon flesh side down for 2 minutes, flip and cook for another 2 minutes.
Then pour reserved marinate into pan, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for another 4 minutes.
Transfer salmon to serving plates over steamed white rice. Spoon sauce over salmon.

Baby beans

In a clean pan, heat oil over medium high heat.
Stir-fry garlic until fragrant.
Add all the other ingredients, and season with salt and pepper.
Stir-fry until desired done-ness of vegetables.
Serve on the sides of Honey sriracha salmon.
Garnish dish with chopped spring onions and toasted sesame seeds.

Sriracha is a type of Thai/Vietnamese hot sauce / chili sauce made from a chilli, vinegar, garlic, sugar, and salt. If you live in SG, you can find Lingham Sriracha from major supermarket. You can also substitute it with your favourite garlic chilli sauce.

…

Curried Pinto Beans Shakshuka – Delishar

The 3rd item that caught my attention while I was searching for alternative protein was USA dried pinto beans. A sustainable source of plant-based protein that is very nutritious, versatile, and affordable. I’ve seen it used quite a bit when we travelled to the U.S. However, it’s not a common ingredient used in Chinese cuisine. Therefore, I was really excited to work with it and challenge myself to create something that my family will enjoy.

Pinto beans are used in many different cuisines. One that might be more familiar to us is the Mexican cuisine, often consumed whole, mashed, pureed, and refried. This nutrient-dense legume contains many essential nutrients. It is a great source of protein, high in dietary fiber, phosphorus, manganese, and folate.

Pinto beans are like little painted canvases with a beige background strewn with reddish brown splashes of colour. Which gives its name “Pinto” meaning “painted” in Spanish. After cooking, their coloured splotches disappear, and they become a beautiful light brown colour.

Shakshuka is a Middle Eastern dish generally eaten for breakfast. The traditional Shakshuka uses tomatoes, onions and spices with eggs poached on top. This recipe is heavily inspired by that. It is kind of a cross between a Shakshuka and Bean Curry as I added Pinto beans to the base for a more wholesome meal. We had some leftovers which I pureed to serve as a dip with pita chips for snacking.

I chose Pinto beans because they are not only chock full of vitamins and minerals, they also offer a host of health benefits. It is rich in antioxidants which protects our cells against damage from free radicals. It is low in glycemic index (GI), which keeps you fuller, digest slower and helps to moderate blood sugar. Beans encourage propionate production, which has been shown to lower blood pressure and improve blood cholesterol. Something that I need. (-_-“)

Fun Fact: The United States is the global leader in dry bean production. Each year, U.S. farmers plant 1.5 to 1.7 million acres of edible dry beans. ~ USDBC

The USDBC website provides a ton of information from production facts, nutritional facts, bean facts, types and cooking time of different bean varieties and more.

I shall use the rest of the beans to make the family a mean bowl of chilli next week! The 3 Beans Sloppy Joes on this site look good too! Here are some other recipes should you need some other bean-spiration. Haha! Oh, don’t forget to check out my last 2 recipes: Thai Basil Lentils & Split Green Pea Samosa

Pinto Bean ‘Shakshuka’

1 cup Dried USA Pinto Beans
3 shallots minced
1 tbsp garlic grated
1 tbsp ginger grated
1-2 green chilli minced
3 heaping tbsp curry powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 tbsp ghee
4 eggs
Chopped coriander to garnish

Soak pinto beans in water overnight or at least 6 hours.
Pressure cook beans on high with enough water to cover beans for 25-30 minutes until soft.
In a pan over medium heat, melt ghee.
Add cumin seeds and mustard seeds. When it starts popping, add shallots to cook until soft.
Then add garlic, ginger, green chilli, and tomatoes to cook until paste-like.
Add curry, sugar and sauté until combined.
Then pour in softened pinto beans and liquid. Stir to combine.
Season with salt to taste.
Crack in eggs and cover to cook until whites are starting to set.
Garnish with chopped coriander and serve with naan bread.

This post was made possible by USA Dry Bean Council

…

Spam Baked Beans with Potatoes – Delishar

3 ingredients, that’s all you need for this well-loved recipe! You probably already have the ingredients in your pantry to whip this up today. This dish needs very little introduction. It’s a dish we all grow up to love. We loved it when we were kids, and now our children love it too. Sure, it’s not the healthiest dish but we all deserve a little indulgence once in a while. Moderation is key.

What simplifies the recipe was the use of Yeo’s Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce. I specifically chose to use Yeo’s because it is made with 1st grade quality beans from USA. I feel better knowing where my food source comes from and that they are produced ethically and sustainably. It is also preservative-free and MSG-free. The tomato sauce from the baked beans isn’t overly sweet, has a nice tang that marries nicely with the saltiness from the spam, which balances out the whole dish.

Adding beans to the dish makes it a little healthier because of its nutritional benefits. Beans contain protein, complex carbohydrates, fiber, antioxidants, and important vitamins and minerals, such as folate, manganese, potassium, iron, phosphorous, copper and magnesium.

If you are interested in finding out more, the USDBC website offers a wealth of information from production, nutrition, cook time and bean varieties. You may also check out my previous post, Split Green Pea Samosa for more information on USA dry beans.

I have fond memories of my grandma cooking this dish for me. At times, she will mix it up by cooking a creamy scramble egg with the baked beans. When she is feeling a little fancy, she might caramelise some onions before adding the baked beans and scrambled eggs. Served with chopped scallions over a bowl of steaming hot white rice. My mouth is watering just thinking it. As much as my older daughter is a self-proclaimed ‘vegetarian’, this is one dish she can’t refuse.