Spicy Lemongrass Salmon

In a small saucepan, combine the rice, a big pinch of salt, and 1 cup of water. Heat to boiling on high. Once boiling, cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook 12 to 14 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Turn off the heat. Fluff the cooked rice with a fork. Set aside in a warm place.

While the rice cooks, wash and dry the fresh produce. Cut off and discard the stem ends of the green beans. Cut off and discard the bell pepper stem; halve the bell pepper lengthwise. Remove and discard the ribs and seeds, then thinly slice the bell pepper lengthwise. Peel and finely chop the ginger. Cut off and discard the ends of the lemongrass; peel away and discard the fibrous outer layers until you reach the pliable white core. Finely chop the lemongrass core. Cut off and discard the root ends of the scallions; thinly slice, separating the white bottoms and green tops. Peel and roughly chop the garlic. Pick the cilantro and mint leaves off the stems; discard the stems and roughly chop the leaves. Cut off and discard the chile pepper stem. Thinly slice the chile pepper. (For a milder dish, remove and discard the ribs and seeds first.) Thoroughly wash your hands immediately after handling the chile pepper.

In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the green beans, islander pepper, ginger, lemongrass, white bottoms of the scallions, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 2 to 3 minutes, or until slightly softened.

To the pan, add the Golden Mountain sauce, vinegar, ⅓ cup of water, and as much of the chile pepper as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until thoroughly combined and the mixture is slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a bowl. Set aside in a warm place. Rinse and wipe out the pan.

Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper on both sides. In the same pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned fillets, skinless side down. Cook 3 to 4 minutes on the first side, or until lightly browned. Flip and cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly browned and cooked to your desired degree of doneness. Divide between 2 dishes.

To the saucepan of cooked rice, stir in half the cilantro and mint. Divide the finished rice and finished vegetables (reserving the sauce) between the dishes of cooked salmon fillets. Top the salmon with some of the sauce. Garnish with the green tops of the scallions and remaining cilantro and mint. Serve with any remaining sauce. Enjoy!