Honey Garlic Salmon with Roasted Asparagus

When I ran out of sake and couldn't make my beloved Miso Salmon, I came up with this as a substitute. When grilled on the BBQ, the honey creates a barbecue-like glaze that is just delightful. It's especially wonderful served with a strawberry, goat cheese, roast asparagus and cucumber salad, and a glass of rose for extra poshness. Happiest accident ever!

Honey Garlic Salmon

Ingredients

2-4 WILD salmon filets. Remember, farmed salmon is full of sea lice and failure.
1-2 Tbsp light tamari or soy sauce
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp garlic powder (add more if you want a more potent flavour)
juice of 1/2 lemon
splash of olive or grapeseed oil

Directions

Mix all ingredients together and marinate salmon for a minimum of 1 hr. I find it tastes worlds better when the salmon marinates for 24 hours.

Grill or pan sear for 4 minutes on each side.

Enjoy with side of your choice. As a mentioned above, I love this with a light summer salad. If asparagus is in season, try roasting it. It's amazing. My husband says they are almost as good as French fries. This is my no-fail method:

Roasted Asparagus

Ingredients

1 bunch thin asparagus (not the fat spears), washed and trimmed. If using in salad, cut them in half horizontally so you have little half-spears.
drizzle of olive oil
pinch of sea salt

Directions

Preheat your oven to 400F.

Arrange the asparagus on a cookie sheet (you need a low-sided sheet pan to keep them from steaming), drizzle with olive oil and sea salt, and mix thoroughly with your hands. Pop them in the oven for 10 minutes on convection, or 12-14 mins on regular. They will be crispy and salty when removed, and can be served as-is, or mixed with a salad.

If you're looking for a wine to pair with this meal, I recommend a robust, off-dry rose. I used a La Frenz (BC) 2009 Rose (Rattlesnake Vineyard).