If you're like me, the grill is your quick-meal best friend. Take a piece of meat or fish and some veggies, sprinkle with seasoning, and voila, a meal that is on the table in no time. But, sometimes you need a recipe that steps it up a little and is still super-quick and easy. Here is the answer: a salmon recipe that contains only five ingredients and is ready in the length of time that it takes to heat up your grill and cook the salmon. The cleanup is a breeze, too.

The fact that I've held onto this recipe since 1996 should tell you something. The combination of flavors in this glaze is divine. The brown sugar creates a beautiful caramelized crust on the fish, and its sweetness contrasts nicely to the salty soy sauce and the slight hint of heat from the mustard. And, surprisingly, that one little teaspoon of vinegar that is added to the glaze to create a drizzle makes a difference, contributing a little tang to this flavor par-tay.

Glazed Grilled Salmon

From Bon Appetit, July 1996

3 tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed 4 teaspoons prepared Chinese-style hot mustard or Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 teaspoon rice vinegar 2 seven-to-eight ounce salmon steaks, about ¾" thick Preheat grill to medium-high.

To make glaze, whisk together brown sugar, mustard, and soy sauce. To make drizzle, transfer 1 tablespoon of the glaze to a small bowl and add in rice vinegar. Set aside.

Brush salmon generously with half of the glaze. Place salmon, glazed side down, on grill. Grill until glaze is slightly charred, about 4 minutes. Brush other side with glaze and flip. Cook until center is just opaque, about 5 minutes more. Transfer salmon to plates and top with drizzle.

This recipe calls for salmon steaks. However, as you can see, I often use salmon filets. I keep the skin intact and glaze the flesh side twice - once prior to cooking and once while cooking the skin side down. Filets may require less cooking time, so just keep an eye on them. Mine required about 7 minutes of total cooking time. Also, don't forget to oil your grill grates for easy, nonstick fish cooking.

This is a quick flavorful weeknight dinner that would also work well for entertaining. It tastes much more complex than it is and has a beautiful presentation.

Have a great recipe I should try out? I'd love to hear about it.