First Grilling of the Season

It is beautiful out today!! We are going to have our first barbecue of the season to celebrate the warm temperatures. One of my favorite things about the nice weather is outdoor grilling. Now I would love to do this on Saturday but unfortunately the weather will not cooperate – Saturday’s going to be rainy and chillier *grumble.* So we will be taking full advantage of today! Unfortunately, it is a busy Friday and I have lots of running around to do. One of my favorite go-to meals for fast grill entertaining is Ina Garten’s Asian Grilled Salmon. It is so delicious and takes minutes to prepare. To accompany it, I love to serve her Sugar Snap Peas – again so good and couldn’t be easier. One of my favorite sides to serve.

RECIPE: Asian Grilled Salmon
Adapted from Ina Garten

• 6 tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3 tbs Soy Sauce
• 2 tbs Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp Garlic, minced
• 4 Salmon Fillets, skin on (about 3 lbs.)

1. Heat the grill. Whisk together the first four ingredients in a small bowl. Brush half of the marinade on the salmon and let it sit for 10 minutes.
2. Place the salmon skin side down on the heated grill. Discard any remaining marinade that the fish was sitting in. Grill 5-6 minutes, depending on the thickness. Flip over and grill another 5-6 minutes.
3. Transfer the salmon to a plate and pour the reserved marinade on top. Let the fish rest for 10 minutes.

RECIPE: Sesame Sugar Snap Peas

• Fresh Sugar Snap Peas
• Dark Sesame Oil
• Black Sesame Seeds
• Kosher Salt

In a large bowl toss together peas with a little sesame oil, sesame seeds and salt to taste.

For more recipes and entertaining tips from Zareen visit her blog Cooking With Z.