Sweet and Spicy Grilled Salmon

In the constant battle against the bulge, which is further complicated by the amazing ability for time to fly by, it seems we are all on an endless quest for time efficient meals that don’t pile on the pounds. This is coming from a woman who will flat out refuse to eat something good for her if in fact it does not actually taste good too. And so it was that this recipe was born. It has that killer combination of slight sweetness from the maple syrup, a salty layer from soy, and a kick of spice from chili oil. On the grill the marinade caramelizes a bit and gives the final punch of flavor.

Salmon is actually quite good for you. I won’t extol on its nutritional quals here as I am sure some other poor sap has written at length about the topic, but suffice to say fish is a good way to stay on that endlessly evolving odyssey of healthy eating. Fish is also a snap to cook and this recipe really is a winner because you can pull the marinade together in less than a minute, pop the whole thing in the frig the night before, and VOILA! Dinner is less than 10 minutes from done when you get home from work. It’s like kitchen magic folks. Delicious and healthy kitchen magic.

Sweet and Spicy Grilled Asian Salmon
(Adapted from Confessions of a Bake-a-holic)

¾ c real maple syrup
¼ c soy sauce (I use low sodium)
4 (6 oz) salmon filets
Ground black pepper
½ tsp fire oil (optional)

Place salmon in an ziplock bag. Whisk together remaining ingredients. Pour over salmon, seal and refrigerate for 4 - 48hrs. Grill 3-4 minutes per side depending on thickness and doneness preference. Serve with side salad.

Note: Consequently you could bake the salmon if you don’t want to fire up the outdoor grill and/or don’t have griddler. Place filets on foil lined baking sheet and cook for about 15 minutes at 400º.