Grilled Salmon with Orange-Miso Glaze and Black Sticky Rice

The colors in this meal of Grilled Salmon with Orange-Miso Glaze and Black Sticky Rice are brilliant together: I added bright green asparagus, which looks beautiful next to the pink salmon and black rice. But it’s not just the presentation of this dish that I think is lovely. The flavor of the Asian-inspired glaze – sweet and tangy with a slight bite – is amazing. So amazing that after I tasted it, my wheels started to spin trying to think of anything and everything that could be coated with it!

Black rice made easy

This dish packs a triple whammy: great presentation, wonderful flavors and quick to pull together (it’s healthy, too, so go ahead and toss that into the mix). It would take a bit longer to put together with slow-cooking black rice, but I used Annie Chun’s Rice Express Black Pearl Sticky Rice. The company that represents Annie Chun’s sent me several food items to sample and review.

The first thing I chose to try was the Black Pearl Sticky Rice. The rice is a great product that’s microwavable and ready in about 90 seconds. The rice is steamed with no added oil or salt, and it’s low-fat, all natural and gluten-free. Good stuff when you’re low on time but you still want something tasty and healthy. I used two packages of Annie Chun’s rice, which is about enough for four servings (consider using three for larger portions). I love both rice options, but it takes about 30 minutes to cook regular black rice, or about an hour if you want to make it sticky.

There’s room for two on my grill

This meal is easy to put together – the orange-miso glaze only takes a few minutes to make, and you can grill the salmon and asparagus at the same time. If you’re not yet ready to grill where you live, you could easily make both in your oven instead. I drizzled olive oil over the asparagus, seasoned it with salt and pepper then grilled it for about 5 minutes on medium-high heat. (For the record, my husband did the grilling!)

The colors and flavors of this dish make a great combination. I look forward to making it again soon!

Recipe for Grilled Salmon with Orange-Miso Glaze:

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 4, 6-ounce salmon fillets
• 1/8 cup yellow miso
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 1 teaspoon mirin (Japanese rice wine) or dry sherry
• 1 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
• Zest of half an orange
• 1/8 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the miso, orange juice, mirin or sherry, soy sauce, brown sugar, orange zest and fresh ginger.
2. Brush the glaze over the skinless side of the salmon.
3. Place the salmon on the grill, skin side down, and cook for about 6 minutes (since our fillets were fairly thick, this amount of time worked well. If you have thinner pieces, cook for less time). Just before you flip the fillets, brush on a bit more glaze. Flip and cook for about 2 more minutes.
4. Serve with grilled asparagus, or your favorite vegetable, over black rice.

 Serves 4