Citrusy Shrimp with Couscous and Asparagus

The lemon tree in our backyard has just a few lemons remaining. It is a small one but always yields a ton of fruit. Having such a tree at our disposal means having a supply of fresh organic lemons when in season. I recently discovered that the lemon leaves have a place in the food scene as well with teas or when grilling meats. The leaves themselves are not edible but can impart a lemon like flavor, much like kaffir lime leaves.

I decided to combine a few of my favorite ingredients together with two of the lemons for a flavorful bright meal. I love the wonderful zing and brightness that citrus brings to food. Here shrimp and asparagus are drizzled with fresh lemon juice, honey, olive oil and parsley and served on a bed of whole wheat couscous.

Ingredients:

2 cups water
1 cup dried whole wheat couscous
8 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 2 to 3 lemons)(divided)
1 pound raw shrimp (peeled and deveined)
3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
1 tablespoon shallot (minced)
1 pound asparagus spears, cleaned and trimmed
1 tablespoon honey
¼ cup parsley (chopped)

To prepare:

Couscous:

Bring 2 cups water to a boil in medium-sized saucepan. Remove from heat, add couscous, 1/8 teaspoon salt and pepper, stir quickly, cover with lid and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with fork and 1 tablespoon lemon juice, set aside.

Quick Marinade for Shrimp:

Combine 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, olive oil, shallots, 1/8 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add shrimp. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Shrimp and Asparagus:

Preheat a grill pan or grill. (I used a grill pan that covered two gas burners).

Toss asparagus lightly in 1 teaspoon olive oil. Add to grill and grill until your desired tenderness. (I like mine crisp-tender) Remove from pan, set aside.

Grill shrimp, turning in 2 to 3 minutes, depending on the size of the shrimp.

Citrus sauce:

Whisk together honey, parsley, remaining lemon juice and olive oil.

To plate:

Place a scoop or two of couscous on each plate, add asparagus and shrimp, drizzle with citrus sauce. Enjoy!