Ginger-Glazed Salmon Rice Bowl

Method

1. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C, or 180°C fan). Line a small baking tray with baking paper so there's nothing to scrub afterwards.

2. Rinse the rice in a sieve until the water runs mostly clear. Tip it into a small pan with 1 cup (240 ml) of cold water, bring to the boil, then cover, turn the heat right down and cook for 15 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and leave the lid on for another 5 minutes.

3. While the rice cooks, stir the soy sauce, honey, ginger, garlic and sesame oil together in a cup. This is your glaze.

4. Pat the salmon dry with kitchen paper and set the fillets on the tray. Spoon about half the glaze over the top. Bake for 12–15 minutes, until the fish is opaque, flakes easily with a fork and reads 145°F (63°C) in the thickest part.

5. If you're adding eggs, lower them into simmering water for 7 minutes, then cool them in cold water and peel. A 7-minute egg has a soft, jammy yolk that's easy to eat.

6. Get the vegetables ready: warm the sweetcorn for a minute in the microwave or in a sieve under the hot tap, finely shred the cabbage, and cut the cucumber into thin half-moons.

7. Stir the lime juice into the glaze left in the cup to make a quick dressing.

8. Divide the rice and greens between two wide bowls. Break the salmon into large, tender pieces and lay them on top, then group the corn, cabbage, cucumber and egg around the edge. Drizzle with the dressing and scatter over the sesame seeds.

Why it suits later years

Baked salmon is soft enough to break with the side of a fork, which makes it a comfortable choice if chewing has become harder or dentures make tougher meats a chore. One bowl provides roughly 30 grams of protein — a useful share of the day, since many of us need a little more protein as the years go by to help keep our muscles strong.

Oily fish such as salmon is also a natural source of omega-3 fats and vitamin D, two nutrients many dietary guidelines suggest we eat more of. Public health advice in both the US and UK recommends eating fish twice a week, with one portion being oily.

• Lower in salt: reduced-sodium soy sauce carries about 40% less sodium than the regular kind, and the lime and ginger bring plenty of flavour so you won't miss it.
• Easy on the hands: a tube of ready-grated ginger and a bag of pre-shredded cabbage save on peeling and fine knife work. Fresh ginger root also keeps in the freezer and grates easily straight from frozen.
• Good for small appetites: each element can be served in a smaller scoop, and the colourful bowl is often more tempting than one big heap on a plate.
• Fibre and colour: red cabbage, corn and greens add crunch, fibre and a range of vitamins. Using brown rice adds a little more fibre still.

Swaps & variations

• Different fish: trout fillets or a thick piece of cod work with the same glaze; cod may need a couple of minutes less.
• No fish: use firm tofu cut into cubes, or leftover roast chicken warmed through in the oven with the glaze.
• Even less salt: coconut aminos can stand in for soy sauce, or use just 2 teaspoons of reduced-sodium soy and extra lime.
• Softer vegetables: if raw cabbage is hard work, use grated carrot, ripe avocado or a handful of steamed spinach instead.
• Grain choice: quick-cook brown rice adds fibre; microwave pouches of plain rice are a perfectly good shortcut on a tired evening.
• Extra beans: a handful of frozen edamame, cooked with the corn, adds more protein and fibre.

Keeping & reheating

This bowl is best eaten freshly made, but the parts store well separately. Cool any leftover rice quickly — spread it out on a plate and refrigerate within an hour — then keep it covered for no more than a day. Cooked salmon keeps for up to two days in a sealed container in the fridge.

Leftover salmon is lovely cold, flaked over salad leaves. To reheat, cover and warm it gently in a low oven, around 275°F (140°C), for about 10 minutes so it doesn't dry out. Reheat rice only once, until it's steaming hot all the way through.