MasterChef Junior Chinese Five-Spice Salmon with Roasted Cauliflower & Mashed Sweet Potatoes

MasterChef Junior Chinese Five-Spice Salmon

with Roasted Cauliflower & Mashed Sweet Potatoes

45 MIN
4 Servings
Wellness at Blue Apron
Find recipes that suit your lifestyle with our new nutritionist-approved dietary tags.
Vegetarian
These recipes don’t contain meat, poultry, fish, or seafood.* They’re made with fruits and vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. *Select artisanal cheeses may contain animal-derived rennet.
Carb Conscious
These meals have 48g or less of net carbs (total carbs minus dietary fiber) per serving. They replace refined carbohydrates from sources like white flour, rice, and cane sugar with high-fiber foods like fresh vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
600 Calories Or Less
Coming in at 600 calories or less per serving, these recipes are ideal for those choosing to monitor their caloric intake without sacrificing flavor. The US Food & Drug Administration uses 2000 calorie daily intake for general advice. The 600 calorie cap equates to 30% of the total 2000 calories per day based on 3 meals per day with 200 calories remaining for snack or beverage.
Wellness Grain
These recipes feature grains such as barley, quinoa, farro, orzo, couscous and more, handpicked by our Culinary team in collaboration with our Registered Dietitian.
Pescatarian
These recipes feature a wide array of nutritious seafood options like salmon, cod, tilapia, crab, and shrimp. While these dishes never contain meat, pork or poultry, they may contain animal derived ingredients such as milk, butter, cheese and/or honey.
To view a recipe's full nutrition information, head to your Upcoming page at blueapron.com, click on a specific recipe, then head to the Nutrition tab and select 'View Full Nutrition.' Nutrition Facts Panels are available up to 1.5 weeks in advance

From the Test Kitchen

Justise

Tonight, we’re thrilled to feature a recipe inspired by Justise’s winning Blue Apron Family Plan Challenge dish on season 5 of MasterChef Junior on FOX. Five-spice—a blend of star anise, fennel seeds, and more—lends its sweet, savory aroma to salmon, complemented by a simple pan sauce made with rice vinegar and a bit of butter. To accompany the salmon, we’re serving three delicious sides: crisp, garlicky bok choy, mashed sweet potatoes with a hint of ginger, and roasted cauliflower.

Get Plans
  • Nutrition
    PER SERVING
  • Calories
    580 Cals (est.)
View Full Nutrition
Nutrition Label
Download
fresh
ingredients
time-saving
tips & techniques
Prepare the ingredients:
1 Prepare the ingredients:

Preheat the oven to 475°F. Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Cut out and discard the cauliflower core; cut the head into small florets. Peel and large dice the sweet potatoes. Peel and roughly chop the ginger. Peel and roughly chop the garlic. Cut off and discard the root ends of the scallions; thinly slice, separating the white bottoms and green tops. Cut off and discard the root ends of the bok choy; separate the leaves.

Roast the cauliflower:
2 Roast the cauliflower:

Place the cauliflower on a sheet pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Arrange in a single, even layer. Roast 18 to 20 minutes, or until browned and tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven and top with half the vinegar. Carefully stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cook & mash the sweet potatoes:
3 Cook & mash the sweet potatoes:

While the cauliflower roasts, add the sweet potatoes and ginger to the pot of boiling water. Cook 14 to 16 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Drain thoroughly and return to the pot. Off the heat, add the crème fraîche, half the butter, and a drizzle of olive oil. Using a fork, mash to your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside in a warm place.

Cook the bok choy:
4 Cook the bok choy:

While the sweet potatoes cook, in a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the garlic and white bottoms of the scallions; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until softened and fragrant. Add the bok choy and 3 tablespoons of water; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 4 to 5 minutes, or until the bok choy has softened and the water has cooked off. Transfer to a bowl; season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside in a warm place. Wipe out the pan.

Cook the salmon:
5 Cook the salmon:

While the sweet potatoes continue to cook, pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels; season on both sides with salt, pepper, and the five-spice powder. In the same pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned fillets, skin side down, and cook 3 to 5 minutes on the first side, or until the skin is crispy. Flip and cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly browned and cooked to your desired degree of doneness. Leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan, transfer to a plate and set aside in a warm place.

Make the sauce & serve your dish:
6 Make the sauce & serve your dish:

Add the remaining vinegar and 2 tablespoons of water (be careful, as the liquid may splatter) to the pan of reserved fond. Season with salt and pepper. Cook on medium-high, stirring frequently and scraping up any fond from the bottom of the pan, 45 seconds to 1 minute, or until thoroughly combined. Turn off the heat and stir in the remaining butter until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the roasted cauliflower, mashed sweet potatoes, and cooked bok choy among 4 dishes. Top the sweet potatoes with the cooked salmon fillets and sauce. Garnish with the green tops of the scallions. Enjoy!

Tips from Home Chefs

1 Prepare the ingredients:

Preheat the oven to 475°F. Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Cut out and discard the cauliflower core; cut the head into small florets. Peel and large dice the sweet potatoes. Peel and roughly chop the ginger. Peel and roughly chop the garlic. Cut off and discard the root ends of the scallions; thinly slice, separating the white bottoms and green tops. Cut off and discard the root ends of the bok choy; separate the leaves.

2 Roast the cauliflower:

Place the cauliflower on a sheet pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Arrange in a single, even layer. Roast 18 to 20 minutes, or until browned and tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven and top with half the vinegar. Carefully stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Roast the cauliflower:
Cook & mash the sweet potatoes:
3 Cook & mash the sweet potatoes:

While the cauliflower roasts, add the sweet potatoes and ginger to the pot of boiling water. Cook 14 to 16 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Drain thoroughly and return to the pot. Off the heat, add the crème fraîche, half the butter, and a drizzle of olive oil. Using a fork, mash to your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside in a warm place.

4 Cook the bok choy:

While the sweet potatoes cook, in a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the garlic and white bottoms of the scallions; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until softened and fragrant. Add the bok choy and 3 tablespoons of water; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 4 to 5 minutes, or until the bok choy has softened and the water has cooked off. Transfer to a bowl; season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside in a warm place. Wipe out the pan.

Cook the bok choy:
Cook the salmon:
5 Cook the salmon:

While the sweet potatoes continue to cook, pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels; season on both sides with salt, pepper, and the five-spice powder. In the same pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned fillets, skin side down, and cook 3 to 5 minutes on the first side, or until the skin is crispy. Flip and cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly browned and cooked to your desired degree of doneness. Leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan, transfer to a plate and set aside in a warm place.

6 Make the sauce & serve your dish:

Add the remaining vinegar and 2 tablespoons of water (be careful, as the liquid may splatter) to the pan of reserved fond. Season with salt and pepper. Cook on medium-high, stirring frequently and scraping up any fond from the bottom of the pan, 45 seconds to 1 minute, or until thoroughly combined. Turn off the heat and stir in the remaining butter until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the roasted cauliflower, mashed sweet potatoes, and cooked bok choy among 4 dishes. Top the sweet potatoes with the cooked salmon fillets and sauce. Garnish with the green tops of the scallions. Enjoy!

Make the sauce & serve your dish:
Browse Steps
1 of 6