Easy Miso Salmon for Humans or Cats

It’s 9:17 pm, and like clockwork, a siren is going off in my house.

Technically, it’s not a real alarm or mechanical reminder: it’s the persistent, plaintive, demanding meow of a small stripey cat reminding me that he wants to be fed “nooooooooow!”

Lenny wasn’t always like this. Unlike his brother Harry, who’s always been very clear about his hopes and dreams for ALL TEH HUMAN FOOD ALL TEH TIME, Lenny used to hang back from the table.

He arrived as a four-month-old kitten, all satellite dish ears, saucer eyes, and flexy paws.

Then he grew into a snuggle machine with tiny rumbly purrs, whiskers longer than Sam Elliott’s mustache, fur softer than a chinchilla, and a fiercely willful streak.

Somewhere along the line, Lenny also became a sneak.

No longer satisfied by his stupidly expensive prescription food, he’d start stalking the kitchen counters, waiting until we were out of sight to ascend noiselessly on ninja pawpads.

It wasn’t until we’d hear the soft “thud!” of paws hitting the linoleum that we’d realize Lenny had struck again.

What’s he looking for up there on the counter? Well, much like Harry became his mother’s son with his omnivorous appetite, Lenny takes after me in a different way.

Namely, he lusts for cheese, cream, butter, and bread more than anything else.

Once or twice, we’ve caught him fully crouched in the sink, his tiny body bent to lick whipped cream out of bowls and butter off (thankfully dull) knives.

He’s stolen cheesy baked croutons out of salad bowls, dragging them onto the floor in triumph.

He perches on my shoulder or commandeers my lap and stretches his neck out like an eel to sniff the milk foam on my morning coffee.

Where this desire for dairy came from, I have no idea, but I can’t give in, no matter how much or how loudly complains.

What I can do is give Lenny his formerly favorite food, salmon.

After all, today is his birthday, and even I allow myself a little something special one day a year. Why shouldn’t I do the same for my purrfect boys?

For humans, there’s no need to wait around for a birthday to make miso salmon.

The recipe below makes for a virtuous weeknight dinner for one, but is elegant enough to double or quadruple for company.

With a simple miso and mirin marinade (say that five times fast), all you need is a zip top bag and a toaster oven to make this flavorful baked salmon.

Don’t forget to flake off a little piece for your favorite feline.

Miso Salmon for Humans and Cats

Yield: 1 human serving

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Additional Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes

Baked miso salmon is a quick dinner that you'll love - but your cat might like it even more. Make this simple single serving meal tonight.

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Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons brown or white miso, divided
• 1 tablespoon mirin
• 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1 (4-ounce) wild salmon fillet
• 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 handful chopped flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

1. Add 1 tablespoon miso, along with the mirin and rice vinegar, to a quart-size zip-top bag.
2. Seal tightly, then mush the miso around until combined with the liquid.
3. Add the salmon, re-seal, and marinate in the refrigerator for 4 hours.
4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
5. Remove the salmon from the marinade, discarding the bag and excess marinade.
6. Place the salmon on the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 8-10 minutes, until the salmon is just cooked through and flakes easily when prodded with a fork.
7. While the salmon bakes, whisk the remaining 2 teaspoons miso with the yogurt, olive oil, and parsley.
8. Dollop on top of the baked salmon (you'll have extra if you want it).
9. Take two bites of the salmon and realize yet again that despite your best efforts, you still can't convince yourself to like this fish.
10. Rue the fact that you didn't buy cod, or a whole branzino, or any other fish that you really do like, since you'll eat pretty much any of them except salmon.
11. Scrape the yogurt off the fillet, flake it into tiny bits, and feed it to grateful (well, not so much grateful as expectant/excited beyond their wildest tiny cat imaginations) felines.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 674Total Fat: 42gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 32gCholesterol: 144mgSodium: 394mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 2gSugar: 8gProtein: 56g

The nutritional information above is computer-generated and only an estimate.

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