Miso Glazed Salmon

This is one of my favorite recipes. It was my first attempt to recreate a dish I had in a restaurant. I later realized that the restaurant, along with most miso salmon recipes, uses sugar (or brown sugar or honey). I've tried several variations with different sweeteners and think it's best (and healthiest) with none at all.

• 2-5 salmon fillets (individual portions) or steaks
  

Marinade:

• 2 T. Hacho Miso paste
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1 T. mirin
• 2 t. brown rice vinegar
• 1/2 c. water

Mix marinade ingredients together in bowl or pan using a fork to mash the miso paste. (You can also puree in blender or food processor.) Marinade salmon for 4-8 hours.

Cook using your preferred method. I prefer pan frying on the stove top (medium heat, cook for 7-10 min, flip and cook until done, covering with a lid if meat is especially thick) and broiling (line tray with aluminum foil, broil for 3-5 min, flip and cook until done, usually another 2-4 min).

Whole Wheat Banana Waffles

Our dear friend Heather makes these waffles (from the Tassajara Bread Book) nearly every Sunday. When she lived downstairs from us, we made it a top priority to stop by every Sun morning and have one. After she moved away, my husband bought me the Rolls-Royce of waffle makers so I would continue the tradition. They are simply delicious!

Ingredients:

• 2 c. whole wheat (pastry) flour
• 1 T. baking powder
• 1 t. salt
• 1 T. brown sugar
• 3 eggs, separated
• 2 c. milk
• 1/2 c. vegetable oil
• 1 banana, sliced
  

Stir or sift dry ingredients together. Beat in yolks, milk, oil and banana. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites till soft peaks form and fold into batter. Cook according to waffle maker instructions.

Variations: There's a lot of room for creativity in this recipe! Here are some of my favorites (use in place of the banana):

• 1/2 c. canned pumpkin
• 2-3 spoonfuls of apricot preserves and wheat germ