Broiled Teriyaki Salmon (with Buttery Drop Biscuits & Garlic Green Beans)

I am a self-proclaimed cookbook fanatic. If I had more money in the bank, I would probably spend a good chunk of it on cookbooks of all kinds. Old ones, new ones, some overly specific ones (1,001 Cupcake Recipes!), and eventually a few that are written by celebrities. It takes a lot of coaxing for me to get into the mood to read and then buy a cookbook presented by a famous actor or musician, mostly because I feel like there is an ever-present expectation for celebrities to keep doing more. I don't doubt that many celebrities are fantastic cooks, but it feels odd to expect to find decent recipes in their books when they are presented next to an accomplished chef's culinary memoir. 

However, I am willing to put aside one celebrity in particular, whose cooking chops really do seem to exist, and fully embrace the fact that her cookbook is fantastic. I'm talking about Gwyneth Paltrow, a lovely actress and apparently a pretty hardcore foodie. She runs a foodie website called Goop and has gone on various food tours with Mario Batali and other famous chefs. I bought her cookbook My Father's Daughter last year because the recipes are simple enough, and the stories behind each dish really seem honest and meaningful to her. Basically, I feel like I could translate the dishes to my life and make them meaningful in my own way, which is what cooking is all about, really. 

So tonight I chose to make her recipe for teriyaki salmon and paired it with some hot, buttery drop biscuits and garlicky green beans. The biscuits are dead simple and worth baking a little beforehand, especially if you want something to snack on while the fish broils. I made sure to marinate the salmon for several hours while I was in class, and it definitely made a difference flavor-wise. Lastly, all I did for the green beans was thaw a few handfuls of the frozen kind, then sauté them in olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt. Easy. 

I am already a huge fan of Gwyneth's other recipes in My Father's Daughter, and the salmon is definitely one of them. Hers is certainly a celebrity cookbook I can get behind. Ted Nugent's Kill It & Grill It or Coolio's aptly named Cookin' with Coolio, not so much. Happy eating! 

Gwyneth Paltrow's Teriyaki Salmon
This is a halved recipe, so feel free to double it!

2 tbs. soy sauce
1 tbs. rice wine vinegar or mirin
2 tbs. honey
1 tsp. peeled & grated fresh ginger
2 tbs. water 
2 sprigs fresh cilantro

2 (4 oz.) salmon filets 

Combine all of the ingredients except for the salmon in a small saucepan. Bring the marinade to a boil, then boil for 2 minutes. Let the marinade cool down completely before pouring over the salmon in a plastic container. Let the salmon marinate in the fridge for at least an hour or up to overnight. When ready to cook the fish, preheat the broiler. Place the salmon and marinade in a baking dish and broil until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Serve hot. 

Buttery Drop Biscuits

2 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbs. sugar
4 tbs. cold butter, diced
1 1/4 cups milk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Work the cold butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Add half the milk and mix until combined. Add the remaining milk and stir until smooth. Drop dollops of dough onto a baking sheet, then bake for 12-15 minutes or until light brown. Brush with melted butter!