Wakame miso salmon with puy lentils

I decided to come up with a dish using wakame and miso, because the combination of these two ingredients has many benefits. It reduces risk of heart disease, and has cancer protective properties. Studies in Japan have found that regular consumption could be cancer protective.

The combination of wakame and miso has been found to be radio protective. It is believed that the radio protective effect comes from the bacteria produced during the fermentation stage of the miso.

I have made a few wakame and miso soup lunches, but I decided to incorporate it into a dinner.

Wakame is a seaweed, and it is a great source of iodine, calcium, magnesium and fibre. It has quite a rubbery taste though, so it is important to soak it in cold water for at least ten minutes before using, and then cook it for a while too.

I use the Clearspring sweet white miso, as it is the only one I have found that is guaranteed gluten free. The other miso's are made in a factory with gluten and contain the 'may contain traces of gluten' label. So frustrating for a product that should be gluten free! (Some miso's are made from barley, and are definitely not gluten free!)

You can buy wakame from most health stores. I get mine from Planet Organic. If you don't have any wakame, or don't like seaweed the recipe also works well using grated courgette instead.

Ingredients for the salmon parcels

• 2 fillets of salmon

• 2 celery stalks

• 1 carrot

• 2 tablespoons sweet white miso

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• One large or two small cloves of garlic

• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

• Baking paper

• A pinch of black pepper

Ingredients for the lentils

• 1 cup puy lentils

• 8g of dried wakame

• 1 onion

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

• 6 chestnut mushrooms

• 1 clove garlic

• 3 tablespoons sweet white miso

• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 2 tablespoons tamari

• 1/4 teaspoon chilli powder

• Parsley, Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 180ºC

2. Soak the wakame in a cup of cold water (for a minimum of 10 mins)

3. Put the puy lentils in a pan with boiling water and simmer for 20 mins

4. To make the salmon parcels mix together the miso, olive oil, apple cider vinegar and garlic.

5. Cut the baking paper into two squares (about 15 inches each).

6. Fold the square baking paper into a triangle.

7. Chop the carrots and celery into julienne strips

8. Place the carrots and celery in the middle of the triangle, and top with some of the marinade.

9. Add the salmon on top and cover with the rest of the marinade.

10. Sprinkle with black pepper and the sesame seeds

11. Fold the baking paper in on itself to make a sealed parcel. This method is called en-papillote. To make a neat parcel your paper should be heart shaped rather than triangular, however a triangle works just as well (and is easier to describe!)

12. Cook the salmon parcels in the oven for 20 mins

13. In a pan heat the coconut oil, and sauté the onions for a few minutes.

14. Add the chestnut mushrooms, garlic, and wakame and cook until the mushrooms start to shrink.

15. Stir through the miso, apple cider vinegar, and tamari

16. Add the chilli powder

17. Cook for a couple more minutes

18. Adjust seasoning to taste

19. Remove from heat and stir through the chopped parsley.

20. Serve with the salmon en-papillote