Warm Couscous and Dill Salad

We eat salmon every Monday, and it has become a comforting ritual for the entire family but mostly for me. Meal planning takes the guesswork out of dinner after a long work day and salmon cooks in 15 minutes with my oven method. This adds up to an easy dinner to kick off our crazy work week.

I have so many wonderful things to say about this dinner. If you like mustard and dill, this is the meal for you too! It pulls together in an absolute flash and is almost a one-pot-wonder meal. I utilize one saucepan and a sheet pan covered with foil, making cleanup a breeze.

Ingredients

2 pieces of salmon (8 ounces each)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil (I like California Ranch EVOO)

1 medium shallot, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons Marsala wine (buy from a liquor store, not the grocery store)

1 cup couscous, pearled (I used a pearled couscous with turmeric)

1.5 cups chicken stock (I like Better than Bouillon)

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons fresh juice from 1 lemon

1/2 cup fresh dill, picked off the stem

1 1/2 cups baby spinach leaves, equal to one big handful

Bake & flake salmon

Place salmon on a foil-lined sheet pan and season with salt and pepper, drizzle lightly with olive oil. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Flake into large chunks with a fork.

Cook couscous

Meanwhile, heat two tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add shallot and a pinch of salt and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the Marsala wine and stir until evaporated. Add couscous and cook, stirring, until lightly toasted and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add broth, stirring to combine, and adjust the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed, and the couscous is tender about 8 minutes. Strain any excess liquid.

Combine and Serve

In a large serving bowl, mix mustard and lemon juice. Stir in couscous, along with dill and spinach, stirring to fluff the couscous and wilt the spinach. Gently fold in flaked salmon and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with dill and serve right away.