Making sugar-free desserts are totally still the rage and as we approach the full swing of the holidays, this quick and easy Ninja Foodi apple cranberry crisp is a great way to treat anyone with a diabetic-friendly sweet. This does use a touch of maple syrup but there are plenty of sugar-free maple syrups out there if you’re in need of a truly sugar-free dessert.
Asparagus is the obvious spring vegetable to include in a June recipe but it’s so versatile and I always miss it when it’s gone. Pairing it with a delicious sweet and savory soy glaze from the salmon is to die for. This meal can stand alone without the Konjac noodles if you can’t find them or don’t want to use them but try them out as a really delicious low carb substitution for rice noodles.
These ingredients are key to getting the classic teriyaki sauce! If you have soy, gluten or grain intolerance, I’ve included some substitutions for a healthier version of the store bought teriyaki sauce. It’s really easy to throw together! I’ve suggested using tamari for a lower sodium and more Japanese inspired flavour palate in this recipe. You can purchase it at most big box grocery stores or health food stores.
salmon
sesame oil
tamari (gluten free soy sauce) or coconut aminos if soy free
honey or xylitol if strict keto
lime juice
garlic
ground ginger
asparagus
carrots
konjac noodles
green onions
Whisk together sesame oil, tamari, garlic, xylitol, lime juice and ground ginger. Place the salmon in the marinade while you get the remaining ingredients together.
Lay a large sheet of aluminum foil over the entire surface of a large sheet pan. Place the salmon and veggies on and drizzle a little marinate on top of the veggies. Bake covered in another sheet of aluminum foil that has the edges brought up to make a packet.
Konjac noodles come in a packet. Remove the noodles from the packet, drain, rinse and cook in a skillet until all of the water evaporates. Meanwhile, put the remaining marinade in a saucepan. Make a slurry with the corn starch and water and pour in the simmering marinade until thick.
Remove the salmon from the oven, broil and serve with noodles and extra sauce! Don’t forget to garnish with some crisp green onions.
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 13 mins
optional marinading time 30 mins
Sheet Pan
Aluminum Foil
750 g salmon cut into 4 portions
2 tbsp sesame oil or other neutral tasting oil
3 tbsp xylitol or honey if not strict keto
3 tbsp lime juice
6 cloves garlic peeled and chopped
2 tsp ground ginger
250 g asparagus hard ends removed
3 carrots peeled and sliced on an angle
1 pack konjac noodles of your choice I like vermicelli
2 tbsp arrowroot starch or corn starch if not grain free
½ cup water
1 stalks green onion sliced on an angle
Portion salmon into 4 pieces if they haven’t already been.Marinate salmon in sesame oil, tamari, garlic, xylitol, lime juice, and ground ginger.Optionally marinade for 30 min.
Preheat oven to 400F
Lay a large sheet of aluminum foil over a large baking tray. Remove marinated salmon from marinade and place in the center of the avocado oil lined aluminum foil. Scatter carrots and asparagus along side the salmon. Place another sheet of aluminum foil on top and seal the edges of both sheets of aluminum foil to create a packet.
Bake in the oven for 10 min.
Meanwhile, drain excess marinade into a small saucepan.Bring up to a simmer over medium heat. Whisk arrowroot starch in 1/2 cup water. Pour arrowroot flour mixture slowly into the gently simmering sauce, stirring constantly. Cook until thickened while stirring, about 2 minutes.
In a dry skillet, add drained and rinsed noodles to the pan. Set pan to medium heat and move the noodles around the pan. They are done when the excess water stops sizzling and the sound of the noodles in the pan sounds squishy.
Set oven to broil. Remove salmon tray from oven after it is done baking.
Carefully open up foil package and brush over some of the thickened teriyaki sauce, reserving the remainder for serving.
Broil for 3 minutes. Remove from oven.
Toss asparagus and carrots with noodles.
To serve, plate noodles and vegetables. Top with salmon and glaze with teriyaki sauce, green onions, sesame seeds and lime wedges.
On this trip to Japan, I don’t have access to farmers I know who sell meat from pasture raised animals or a kitchen so I had to rely on some affordable easy accessible packaged goods. I wasn’t going to make a bunch of food and bring it with me only to have TSA take it away from me.
I know this seems like a silly topic because Japanese cuisine includes rice with almost every meal. After doing some perusing on the internet pre-trip, I didn’t find many reliable blog posts. Here’s what I’ve gathered from my first trip to Japan and needing to eat carnivore.