Aren't we all a little stressed right about now?  From headlines to work, personal commitments to not meeting goals, cooking for me has always been a joy the provides a sense of calm, particularly when the flavors (like you'll find in this recipe) take over my kitchen and elevate my senses.  

In this recipe, I'm adjusting one of my favorites from my time at my restaurant to align with key Chinese Dietary and Chinese Medicine principles.

Stress Reduction and the Foods You Eat

The relationship between food and health is a pillar of Chinese Medicine - to say thing of why I love this practice so much.  As I've written about extensively, the healing properties of food have been well-respected in Chinese theory for thousands of years, and more recently, have been making progress in the West in the form of the “superfoods” we see lining the shelves today.  

Among the most popular of these superfoods is salmon, and it’s not hard to see why.  Few single foods bring as many valuable contributions to the table as this fine fish: it’s an excellent source of high-quality protein, contains all nine of the essential amino acids, and is packed with predominantly unsaturated fats.

It's a Fish to Strengthen Your Qi

From a Chinese Medicine perspective, salmon supports the spleen and strengthens Qi (energy), which is key to maintaining inner balance and warding off illness.  But how does eating salmon equate to “emotional balance”?

In today’s hustling and bustling world, illness is often brought on by mental and emotional stress. When we’re stressed, we tend to over or under eat, choose foods that aren’t always best for us, and perhaps skip important activities like exercise and meditation altogether.

Neglecting your diet or wellness routine (especially in times of stress) is what throws your body out of balance. It can cause your blood sugar levels to drastically rise or fall, which can increase feelings of stress and lethargy.

This is where superfoods like salmon come in. By eating the right combinations of nutritious food on a regular basis, you can help regulate your blood sugar, which can greatly affect your mood and revitalize your body.  But like any balanced meal, eating salmon alone isn’t going to cut it.

Cue the Veggies for Balance

You need vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds to properly protect your system across all fronts. In this recipe, you’ll find delicate arugula greens for energy, blackened grilled fennel to support the liver and spleen ("Middle Burner Friendly"), tart orange peel for circulation, as well as crispy almonds and flax seeds for further spleen support (and texture, of course).

While enjoyable to eat, the ingredients in this meal (which I cooked for years in my restaurant) are quietly working together to support your liver and spleen, while helping your Qi flow freely throughout the body (which is essential for maintaining emotional balance).

What I love most about this meal is not only the layers of delicious flavors, but the sense of balance I feel after eating it, which is what Chinese Medicine is all about - finding balance from within.

I invite you to try this recipe yourself following the directions below—I hope it brings you a feeling of inner and outer calm to carry you through your week.

Salmon with Grilled Fennel & Orange-Arugula Garnish

Instructions

Portion salmon into 2-3 pieces and season with sea salt and black pepper. Coat the presentation side of the salmon with the flaxseed and sear presentation side down in a hot sauté pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil until nicely browned. Flip the salmon over and finish in 400° oven to desired doneness (I recommend just a couple of minutes for medium to medium-rare; if your salmon piece is thin, just the heat from the sauté pan will be enough and can likely avoid the added step of baking).

Lightly toast the sliced almonds in a dry sauté pan. Set aside.

To prepare the fennel, slice the bulb into quarter to half inch slices, brush with a bit of olive oil, season with salt and pepper and cook on a grill or grill pan until slightly charred. Dice and set aside.

Zest a bit of the oranges and set aside for the vinaigrette. Then, cut three oranges in half and caramelize/char the “cut” side (inside of the orange) using a grill, grill pan or sauté pan. It should be just starting to burn and caramelize. Once the charred orange has cooled, juice into a small mixing bowl.

Once the orange has been juiced, mix in as much of the zest as you like, and add the dijon mustard, rice wine vinegar, salt and black pepper to taste and whisk in the virgin olive oil.

Supreme (or section) two oranges. Toss the arugula, diced fennel and orange segments with the orange vinaigrette and portion onto plates. Sprinkle with toasted almonds and top off with the salmon.

Enjoy!

Dining with Culinary Artist Travis Metzger is an unforgettable experience. You can taste the passion, creativity and culinary expertise in each of Travis’s one-of-kind recipes. Most would agree that Traditional Chinese Medicine herbs in their original form taste less than delectable, but Travis has proven that TCM for today can taste great with DAO Labs. Travis develops unique flavors for each DAO formula to complement the proprietary blend of herbs and their health benefits. After extensive training at the New England Culinary Institute, Travis ran some of the finest restaurants across the country before starting his own in Minneapolis. To survive the stresses and physical challenges of the kitchen heat, Travis focused on combining natural ingredients for healthy AND delicious eating and juicing.