For asparagus lovers, this is the most exciting time of the year. The stalks are as thin as toothpicks and as flavorful as all get-out, and they’re SO incredibly susceptible to any spices you add before cooking. So even though asparagus wasn’t on my menu plan when I plundered through the farmer’s market on Saturday, I just had to put a healthy bunch of the good stuff into my shopping bag. When it comes to fresh springtime asparagus, my general rule is: Buy first, figure it out later.
Shortly afterward, the idea hit me. I knew I had a bag of Gardein vegan fish filets in the freezer just waiting to be used. And what goes better with fish – or “fish” – but asparagus? A pot of couscous rounded out the trio and provided a bit of a base for the rest of the dish.
The other positive thing about this particular pairing is that it takes very little work to pull off – a benefit indeed after a long day of work and then an hourlong volunteer shift at the animal shelter! I confess I was in No Mood for anything complicated by the time I got home, and this menu fit the bill on that as well. The hardest part was snapping the tips off the asparagus stalks!
The fish filets baked for about half an hour, and I added a pan of asparagus (lightly coated with cooking spray and topped with a generous helping of chipotle seasoning) to the oven in the last 15-or-so minutes. Shortly after that, I brought my couscous to a boil and let it sit, firming up, until the rest of the meal was ready!
When there were just a few minutes left in the baking time, I put together another batch of my new favorite Old Bay-oli, which you might remember from a week or so ago. This time I went even heavier on the Old Bay, and I must say the aioli was none the worse for wear!
Then it was time to eat. And I must confess to you that we were both hungry after our day’s adventures! There is not a shred of fish, nor asparagus, nor couscous left for leftovers. But we didn’t care. The food was so good, we couldn’t stop ourselves. And I must say that after years and years with no decent vegetarian fish options, we’re still gorging a bit on the good stuff!
I know that soon the asparagus will thicken up and become woody, and then the season will come to an end. So we’re enjoying it while we’ve got it, any way we can!
:)