This is a very easy and non time-consuming recipe! Don’t let the ingredients list fool you, it will only take about 15 minute to prepare and the oven does most of the work! The total time for this recipe is about 50 minutes from prep to table. It is also a very protein packed, healthy dinner void of carbs. Also perfect for meatless mondays.

Ingredients you will need

• Haddock fish
• 2 cups of Cherry Tomatoes
• 4 tablespoons of Parmesan Cheese
• 2 tablespoons of Olive oil
• Asparagus
• 1 Lemon
• 1 tablespoon of Balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup of Vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup of White Wine
• 4 cloves of Garlic
• 3 large Shallots
• 1 tablespoon of Flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of Cream Cheese
• Lemon-Thyme (dried thyme will work)

Parmesan Crusted Haddock

I used 3 large Haddock filets for this recipe. You can adjust the amount of the ingredients based on how much Haddock you’re cooking. Make as much as you are going to eat and don’t let food go to waste! If you prefer, you may substitute the Haddock for any other flaky white fish. Cod would go great, sea bass is nice as well. Or, if you eat chicken, this would be delicious on that as well. I would serve this on a lean piece of protein and personally would not serve this next to a fatty steak. If you are using frozen Haddock, make sure that you thaw it out and bring it to almost room temperature before cooking.

First, you need to preheat your oven to 375 degrees celsius. Start off by patting the fish dry so that the topping will stick on it. In a bowl, mix together 4 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese and 1 tablespoon of flour. Zest 1 full lemon into this mixture (Save the lemon, you will need the juice later). Add salt and pepper to taste and a good helping of granulated garlic. I would not use fresh garlic in this topping because we are putting it in the oven and fresh garlic could burn under the broiler.

Next, Brush each filet with a little bit of olive oil or spray them down in some cooking spray so that the topping sticks. Generously coat the fish in the topping. Place each filet in a parchment lined baking tray and cover the tray with some foil.

Wait before putting the fish into the oven because all the elements of this dish will go in at the same time. Prepare the tomatoes and the asparagus and the directions on how to cook and the timing will come later on in the post.

Tomato, White Wine Sauce

To start off the sauce, you will be roasting your cherry tomatoes. Cut all of your cherry tomatoes in half and place them in a bowl. Toss the tomatoes in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and balsamic vinegar to taste. I like the sweetness and the tanginess that the vinegar brings. If you don’t like too much acidity, feel free to add half of a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar instead. Add salt, pepper and Lemon-Thyme (or dried thyme) to taste. Place the tomatoes on a parchment lined baking sheet and set aside with your fish.

For the sauce, finely mince 4 cloves of fresh garlic and 3 shallots. Sweat those in a pan until softened and fragrant. I chose to sweat my vegetables out in the vegetable stock to cut down on the oil intake in this recipe. If you choose to do it this way, add 1 cup of vegetable stock to the pan with the vegetables. You can also sweat them out in some olive oil and add your stock once the vegetables are softened. Up to you! Let the vegetable stock reduce for about 3-4 minutes on medium high heat, until the stock reduces about half. Then, add your white wine and reduce again for about 3-4 minutes until it thickens and the alcohol has evaporated. To add some creaminess without the fat of half and half, I chose to add a tablespoon and a half of cream cheese to the sauce and it worked perfectly. If it needs some thinning out, feel free to add a bit more vegetable stock or some plain water if you feel the need. The sauce should be light and creamy but not super thick. Season with salt, pepper and some lemon-thyme to taste.

When the tomatoes finish roasting, add the tomatoes and collected juices to the white wine sauce you made and give it a good stir.

Lemon Roasted Asparagus

The easiest step there is in the recipe, but a great way to add vegetables in the mix. Toss your asparagus in a tablespoon of olive oil and the juice of one lemon. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place the asparagus in a parchment lined baking sheet.

You can use any vegetable you’d like or you can substitute this for any starch such as rice or potatoes. Vegetables are great, but if you like something hardier, go for a starch!

Finishing touches

Place all 3 of your baking trays (the fish, tomatoes and asparagus) into your preheated oven. The tomatoes should take approximately 20-25 minutes until the are nicely roasted and have some good colour on them. They should still have some shape but should look dry on the outside and juicy on the inside. The asparagus depends on the amount that you have and how thick they are so keep them in until you take your tomatoes out and poke the thickest part with a fork. If the stems are tender and the tips are a bit crispy, they are done! It should take about 25 minutes as well. The Haddock should cook for approximately 35 minutes. When the fish only has 10 minutes left in the oven, remove the foil so that the topping can become golden and crispy. At the end of the 35 minutes, your Haddock should be flaky and crispy on top. Again, these times depend on how much you are cooking so if you are using less or more ingredients, simply check up on them until you notice the signs of doneness that I have described above!

Don’t forget to taste everything for seasoning!