Soy- Glazed Grilled Salmon with Asian Slaw

I love the savory flavors of this delicious meal. It's healthy and fresh yet very satisfying. The salad is raw and the fish is cooked outdoors so it's great for a warm summer day where the last thing you want is to be standing over a hot stove or turning on the oven for any reason. Pair it with a crisp glass of Rose or Gewurztraminer.

This may well become a staple of your summer menu. It's easy enough for a weeknight dinner and 'fancy' enough for guests too. I hope you'll give this one a try tonight.

Enjoy!

For the Soy-Glazed Grilled Salmon:

Yields 4 servings

4 salmon fillets (about 6 oz each)

2 TB low sodium tamari (soy sauce)

4 tsp honey

juice of 1 orange (about 3 TB)

1 tsp rice vinegar

1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger

1/2 tsp red chile flakes

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

1) Season salmon fillets with salt & pepper, set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients. Pour half of the glaze over the salmon & allow to marinate at room temperature 10-15 minutes.

2) Heat the grill to 450 degrees. Place the salmon, skin side down on the hot grill. Baste with the remaining glaze several times while the fish is cooking to create a shiny glaze. Grill until just cooked through, without flipping, about 10 minutes.

For the Asian Slaw:

Yields about 6 cups

1 small head red cabbage, shredded

1/2 small head napa cabbage, shredded

3 large carrots, grated

2 scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced

1/2 cup whole almonds, toasted & roughly chopped

1/2 cup dried apricots, roughly chopped

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1 TB toasted sesame oil

2 TB extra virgin olive oil

2 TB honey

1 tsp white or brown sesame seeds

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

1) In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar, honey, oils, sesame seeds, salt & pepper. Add cabbages, carrots, and scallions. Toss cabbage in dressing. Set aside in refrigerator at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours.

2) When ready to serve toss cabbage again to re-incorporate dressing throughout. Season with salt & pepper. Sprinkle the apricots, almonds, and a few more sesame seeds over the top. Serve chilled.

For garnish:

1/2 ripe Haas avocado

1 ripe Nectarine

1) I garnish this with a few slices each of avocado and nectarine. Why you ask? Well, because nectarines are delicious right now and they bring out the flavor in the Rose. Avocados, because I LOVE them and I think they make everything better (sort of like butter).