Baked Trout with Shiitake Mushrooms and Tomatoes

Every now and then we come across an unbelievable simple dish that blows our minds. Add to that the fact that it is quick, and healthy, and I can’t think of a better thing to cook for dinner any night of the week. Our Tomato & Olive Penne is a permanent staple in our weekly meal plans, and this recipe will soon be joining it.

We roasted everything at once, just put it in the oven and go relax (see? easy!). While we started out with the asparagus and potatoes underneath the fish in the baking dish, we ended up quarantining the two in separate receptacles. Fish is good, but potatoes that taste like fish didn’t sound quite as appealing.

We love to cook fish, but here in Tennessee the pickin’s are not so great. Too far from an ocean in every direction I guess. Our choices are either frozen or expensive, and it is for that reason that we fall back on better-when-frozen items such as shrimp more often than we do fish.

Every once in a while, though, when we make the trek across town around the vicinity of Whole Foods, well, we decide to treat ourselves. Delicacies such as halibut or tuna are always way out of our price range (even when treating), but trout, well, even at Whole Foods (dubbed Whole Paycheck by some), was a very tidy $4.50 for two fillets. Small fillets, I give you that much, but paired with some garlic roasted potatoes and asparagus, made for a fine meal indeed.

Baked Trout with Shiitake Mushrooms and Tomatoes

Recipe from Epicurious.
Makes 2 servings.

Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray
2 whole rainbow trout (about 12 ounces each), cleaned, boned, butterflied
OR
2 good sized trout fillets

2 green onions, chopped
2 large fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped seeded tomatoes
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
Fresh cilantro sprigs

Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line large rimmed baking sheet with foil; coat with nonstick spray. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Open fish like a book and arrange, skin side down, on prepared baking sheet.

Mix next 5 ingredients in bowl. Sprinkle mixture over fish, drizzle with soy sauce and sesame oil, then top with cilantro sprigs. Bake uncovered until fish is opaque in center, about 20 minutes.