The bowl bonanza continues this time around with another excellent recipe - this time featuring sweet and spicy salmon and eggplant combined with a fresh avocado and cucumber salad, all atop a bed of brown rice. Not only is it downright delicious, it's also a perfect meal to wake your tastebuds without leaving you feeling bogged down or bloated. Eating healthy never felt so good … plus it takes about a half hour to get to the table!
If you aren't feeling the eggplant in this dish, consider using zucchini or another summer squash in its place. I adore the eggplant and it ends up a spicy kind of candied when prepared this way. Likewise, if you are wanting to change up the salad, you can, but the combination of a bunch of hues of green with all kinds of textures and flavors simply makes my heart sing. I added the pickled onions and the marinated hot peppers mostly for a pop of tart and hot brightness, but you can skip either or both if you need.
This is another bowl meal, so simply pour yourself a beverage you enjoy and dig in. Save sides and supporting actors for the dishes that need them. Bowl meals stand on their own. Enjoy!
Spicy Salmon & Eggplant Bowls
- 3 (4-6 ounce) salmon filets, cut into bite-size chunks
- 1 Japanese eggplant, sliced into bite-size chunks
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- ½ cup honey
- 2-3 tablespoons hot sauce
- 1-3 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- ¾ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 avocado, diced
- 2 small cucumbers, chopped
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped plus more for topping
- ¼ cup chopped green onions
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 3 cups cooked brown rice
- ¼ cup pickled red onions
- ¼ cup marinated hot peppers
- 2-3 tablespoons Bang Bang Sauce or preferred drizzling sauce
Preheat the oven to 450° F. On a baking sheet, toss the salmon and eggplant pieces with 4 tablespoons olive oil, paprika, salt, and pepper. Arrange in a single layer. Roast 10-15 minutes or until the salmon is just undercooked to your liking. Meanwhile, make the hot honey. In a sauce pot, warm together the honey, hot sauce, cayenne, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder, plus a pinch of salt. Spoon some of the hot honey over the salmon and eggplant. Switch the oven to broil and broil until lightly charred and crispy. Spoon over additional hot honey, to your taste. Combine the next six ingredients (avocado through sesame seeds) in a small bowl and toss well to combine. To assemble the bowls, add a cup of brown rice to each of 3 bowls. Arrange the salmon and eggplant, avocado-cucumber salad, pickled onions, and marinated hot peppers over the rice. Drizzle generously with the Bang Bang Sauce and serve immediately.
- Yields: 3 servings
- Preparation Time: 30 minutes