Asian Salmon parcel with honey-and-cumin-roasted beetroot

Steaming your food is an awesome way to cook. It's super-healthy, easy and takes very little time. I got given a bamboo steamer by The Dragon a few years ago and I use it all the time. They aren't expensive and are well worth buying. If, for some reason (like you're cheap), you insist on not getting one just use a colander.

The recipe here involves cooking in a parcel which is made from baking paper. I love cooking this way as it allows you to pour liquid onto whatever is cooking and this then becomes your sauce when its done. Lovely. You can use tinfoil but it will prevent you from serving it straight from the steamer which I think looks amazing. 

Okay, stuff you'll need to feed 2:

• 400g fresh salmon, filleted with skin on 
• A punnet of tenderstem brocolli
• A punnet of courgettes, cut diagonally
• A handful of baby beetroots, washed
• About three tablespoons of light soy sauce
• Three teaspoons of honey
• A teaspoon of chilli, chopped
• A teaspoon of fish sauce
• A few drops of sesame oil
• A teaspoon of ginger, grated
• A teaspoon of garlic, chopped
• A pinch of cumin
• Juice of one lime (if you can't find limes use lemon)

Okay, what to do:

1. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees celsius. In a large roasting tray place the beetroot and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle on sea salt, cumin and two teaspoons of honey. Shake to make sure everything is covered. Cook for about 40 minutes, checking them every now and again.  

2. In a shallow dish mix soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, chilli, lime juice and one teaspoon of honey. Make three cuts in the skin of the fish and place in mixture. Marinade for 20 minutes. (No longer. You don't want the lime juice to start cooking the fish)

3. Tear off some sheets of baking paper and lay two down. Arrange vegetables in the middle, place fish on top and bring edges up to create a parcel. Pour in marinade mixture and reinforce parcel with more baking paper if needed.

4. Place parcel in steamer and cook for 15 - 20 minutes depending on the thickness of fish. (Salmon is best when it is still a bit pink in the middle so don't overcook it)

5. To serve, tear open paper and place steamer in the middle of the table alongside a bowl of the beetroots. 

You probably know that green vegetables are healthy (you did know that didn't you?) but what really packs the nutrition in here is the beets. They are PACKED with antioxidants and vitamins, they are used to cure bad skin, they aid with detox (I'm not pointing any fingers) and in some studies they have even been shown to help prevent cancer. What's not to like? 

Hope you enjoyed that. I did. I enjoy you. 

Cheers,

Jamie Who