Sweet Chilli Salmon and Noodles

I saw this dish on a special’s board at a local pub last summer and thought it sounded amazing. It’s so quick and simple to make and so tasty, that it’s now one of our staple dinners at home.

Stir fries aren’t always as healthy as they seem, despite all the veg, due to the oils used and the sugars in the sauces. However, this recipe only uses a few tablespoons of olive oil and builds up the flavours with fresh lemon juice and soy sauce. Adding the sweet chilli sauce at the end means you get a big flavour hit from it as soon as you take a bite without needing loads of it.

I’ve used sweet chilli sauce here as that’s my favourite, but teriyaki and hoisin sauces work well too.

Ready in 30 mins (10 mins prep, 20 mins cooking) – serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 boneless salmon fillets
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed and finely chopped
• A good pinch of salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 nests of dry noodles, or enough fresh noodles for two people
• 2 chestnut mushrooms, diced
• 1 pepper (any colour) thinly sliced
• A handful of frozen peas
• A handful of frozen sweetcorn
• 50g of uncooked broccoli cut into florets, then each floret sliced in half or quarters depending on the size
• 3 spring onions, chopped
• 7 or 8 tablespoons of sweet chilli sauce

Method

• Preheat oven to 200c / 180c fan / gas mark 6.
• Place the salmon fillets on a large sheet of baking foil, on a baking tray and put the garlic, salt, pepper, half the lemon juice, half the soy sauce and a tablespoon of olive oil on top. – Pic 1
• Pinch the two longest sides of the foil together over the salmon and then fold the the shorter ends in on themselves to create a good seal around the fish, leaving plenty of room inside the parcel for the steam to circulate. – Pic 2
• Bake in the oven for 20-25 mins or until cooked through.
• Meanwhile, if using dried noodles, cook them according to the packet instructions and drain.
• Heat the rest of the olive oil in a wok or large frying pan to a medium heat and add the veg (but not the spring onions) – Pic 3
• Cook the veg for 5 mins, tossing or stirring regularly. If you find it’s sticking to the pan, add more oil and turn the heat down slightly, you don’t want it to burn.
• Add the cooked or fresh noodles and the rest of the lemon juice and soy sauce to the veg and mix well – Pic 4
• Cook for 2 mins then add 4 tablespoons of sweet chilli sauce and the spring onions.
• Mix well on the heat for a minute, then plate up. If the fish isn’t ready, put into an oven proof dish and place in the bottom of the oven to keep warm.
• When the salmon is cooked all the way through (check it’s not pink in the middle) Place a salmon fillet on top of a generous pile of noodles and veg and spoon the rest of the sweet chilli sauce over the fish. The heat from the fillet will warm the sauce through, and serve.