A Meal for Two: Bourbon Salmon, Asparagus, and Couscous

I recently started dating someone, he is kind of awesome. I mean he is willing to cook with me… how much more awesome can it get than that? A lot more actually!

Well, I guess you all would like to know a little bit about him: His name is T.J, he has luscious blonde hair, a large loving family (he is one of 8), and is in school to become physical therapist. Fun fact: The first dinner he made me was pasta with chicken and asparagus. It was pretty simple, but man of man there is something about a man cooking for you (no matter how simple) that makes your heart melt. This past Fourth of July weekend I actually met some of his family at a cookout at his sister and brother in law’s house. It went well and they were all very welcoming. I think the best part of the cookout was when his niece, Lizzy, spit her chewed up marsh mellow into my hand. Now, thats a welcome to the family for sure ;). I am excited to get to know the rest of his family and see where God leads our relationship.

Anyways, back to the cooking part. He bought salmon that he wanted to cook together Tuesday night (last night) after our gym workout. All Tuesday at work I was thinking of ingredients to combine and the idea popped into my head, “Oh Kimmy, you should totally blog this and start a new segment on your blog.” I have the baking, cooking, cakes, and science stuff. But, what if I add a segment where I post recipes for two, that TJ and I make together? It is a thought I am very excited about. I am still thinking of a title, here are some of my ideas:

Couples in the Kitchen
A Meal for Two
Dining with your Sweetie

I obvious cannot decide on a title yet, but that is okay. These recipes will be great for those who are dating or newly married without children. If you have a big family, you might want to double or triple this recipe or checkout my Meat Stuffed Jumbo Pasta Shells. If you’re looking to make a meal for you and your significant other, then this recipe will be great! I mean you can make it a team effort to get the perfect aerial shot for your Instagram:

Now to the recipe:

Bbq Bourbon Salmon with Asparagus and Couscous

Servings: 2
Time: Prep: 2 hours Cook: 15-20 mins
Difficulty: medium
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Ingredients:

For the Salmon:

2 Tbsp bourbon
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 filets of salmon, skinless

For the Asparagus:

½ bunch of asparagus
1 Tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
¼ tsp garlic power
¼ tsp Oregano
a pinch of thyme

For the Couscous:

1 cup dried couscous
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground pepper
¼ tsp thyme
a pinch of rosemary

Directions:

Combine the salmon ingredients in a large ziplock bag. Let refrigerate for 1.5-2 hours.
Preheat Oven to 425º F. Place the Salmon and marinade on foil and wrap in the foil.
Add asparagus to a foil sheet. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle all other ingredients. Wrap in foil, leaving a small vent at the top.
Add asparagus and salmon onto a baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until your the salmon is the consistency you desire.
While the asparagus and salmon are cooking. Add the couscous spices, leaving out the couscous, to a pot with a 1 ½ – 2 cups water. Bring to boil, turn-off, add in couscous, stir and cover for 5 minutes.
Layer the couscous on a plate and top with salmon and asparagus.