Happy Fourth of July! Fun bonus fact about July 4th, Caesar salad was also invented today by an Italian immigrant in Mexico. He was scrambling to feed an influx of Californians fleeing the prohibition. Have a drink on their behalf today, people. We’re having hotdogs, hamburgers, and bratwursts for dinner. I’m in charge of deviled eggs and peach streusel muffins! I am quite excited.

Here’s my favorite salmon recipe with some great sides that are perfect for summer. The prep work for the salmon is about 10 minutes. Blogs who lie would say 2 minutes. Those of you that love recipe blogs probably know that you have to add at least 10 to 15 minutes beyond what they say. It does not take merely 10 seconds to chop an entire onion, Sharon. Here’s what you’ll need:

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of wild caught salmon
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
• 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce, I like Kikkomans brand
• 3 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard
• 3 tbsp salted butter

Instructions: Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Pat the salmon dry all over with a paper towel. Get it as dry as possible. Next, brush the olive oil all over the salmon. Spread the black pepper and chili powder all over the salmon evenly.

For the sauce, combine the soy sauce, dijon mustard, and honey in a mixing bowl or measuring cup. Whisk until there’s no lumps and it’s a well combined smooth consistency. Pour the sauce all over the salmon until it’s covered. Brush it around till evenly coated. Divide the butter into four even pats and spread them evenly across the salmon. Stick the salmon in the oven for 10 minutes. The sauce will bubble up a bit and get syrupy. I like to scrape it up off the pan and stick it on the salmon. It adds extra flavor. This is a super easy thing to make when you’re trying to get a nice dinner together pretty easily with minimal effort.

Here are some tasty sides I like to pair it with:

• Sautéed summer squash and zucchini. Cut them up into even coins and half or quarter them. Toss in oil with your favorite seasonings and sauté them in a pan for about 10 minutes on medium heat.
• Steamed broccoli
• Parmesan couscous. I like to doctor it up with some fresh chopped flat leaf parsley, lemon juice, fresh grated parmesan cheese, some crushed garlic, and cook it in chicken broth.
• Rice Pilaf, from the box is perfect
• Summer salad with peaches and burrata
• Fresh summer tomatoes from the garden with mozzarella slices and balsamic with some chiffonade basil to top.
• The classic corn on the cob

Let me know if you try this out! It’s one of my favorites for Friday night dinners when I don’t feel like doing much. I love the sides I can pair it with when the summer garden is ready to go and the farms have fresh fruits and vegetables. What’s your favorite summer meal or summer fruit/vegetable? Let me know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and please try to keep all 10 fingers and toes intact while lighting off fireworks tonight!