Roasted Salmon And Eggplant With Soba Noodles

Serves 4

1 ½ pounds salmon, skinned and cut into 4 portions

6 oz. soba noodles

2 small Chinese eggplants, cut in 1-inch dice

2 scallions, sliced on the bias

2 radish, thinly sliced

1 lime, quartered for serving

Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)

Marinade/Dressing

½ Asian pear, grated

½ cup soy sauce

¼ cup sesame oil

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup rice vinegar

¼ cup white miso

2 T fresh ginger, grated

2 tsp granulated sugar

1 tsp gochujang (or substitute ½ tsp cayenne)

Whisk together all marinade/dressing ingredients in a bowl. Reserve half of the marinade/ dressing.

Season salmon with salt. Marinate salmon and eggplant (separately) in one of the halves of marinade/dressing. Allow to marinade 30 minutes to an hour.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place salmon and eggplant on separate, nonstick sheet pans. Roast eggplant for 15 to 20 minutes. After 5 minutes into the cooking process, place salmon in the oven to roast for 10-12 minutes.

While eggplant and salmon roast: Cook soba noodles according to directions. Toss noodles with the reserved dressing.

Plating: Place a bed of dressed soba noodles in a bowl. Top with roasted eggplant and salmon. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds, radish and scallions. Sprinkle lime wedge garnish.*

*This chef prefers to pour a chilled glass of Rose' to complement this dish!

• The Cook of the Week Challenge contestants' recipes are published exactly as submitted to the judges for evaluation.

• The Cook of the Week Challenge contestants' recipes are published exactly as submitted to the judges for evaluation.