ah-ma-zing weeknight fish.

And now we make .... Baked White Fish with Lemon Caper Champagne Vinaigrette

So guys. Three things.
(1) I can’t for the life of me learn how to spell vinaigrette
(2) I love easy meals. This is an easy meal.
(3) Using the phrase “casserole dish” makes me feel like I’m 67 years old. There is nothing wrong with being 67 but it makes me feel like my kitchen is 70s orange and I’m pumped about AquaNet.

You know how when people tell you “oh, yeah. This is a great weeknight meal. You can totally do it in 15 minutes.” But then, you end up eating at 9pm because you f-ed up the rice twice or cutting up the ingredients took twice as long as Giada / Rachel Ray / Ina says it should.  Well folks. I’m not going to lie to you. Because I don’t want you to lie to me. This literally took me 5 minutes of prep time and 20 minutes in the oven.

Let me paint you a picture. I start thinking about dinner at 7 in the morning. This is a slight exaggeration but I love food and I think about it all the time. Food makes me happy. I eat my feelings … regularly. One time someone cancelled a date with me and I ate an aggressive amount of bread and a way too old Easter chocolate bunny. Even though it wasn’t really worth it. I can often diagnose my moods by what I’m eating before I can really understand my own emotions. Weird? Maybe.

So, if you ever see me hugging a loaf of bread in front of a dish of olive oil and grated parm … it’s probably best to throw me a pound of cooked bacon and walk away.

But back to dinner.
I ended up picking up the fish from Mercato del Mare during my lunch break so as to streamline the cooking process post yoga. Baby sister and I were working on making curtains for her apartment, so it was going to bea full evening. There was no time for extensive prep, excessive dishes, or post eating coma. This meal really fit the bill and I’ll have it in my back pocket for the next time I want to cook for someone on a week night. The best part about it is the minimal prep and zero babysitting.

(Step 1) Preheat oven to 400 F.

(Step 2) Salt and pepper both sides of the fish filets andlay them in the bottom of a glass casserole dish. If there is a “skin side” to your fish, put it facing down.

(Step 3) Toss into the dish some cherry tomatoes cut in half and cut up asparagus. There is no specific amount, just do as much as each person wants to eat. I know that’s not helpful but if you’ve found this recipe, then theoretically you can think for yourself. I tended to put the veggies around the edges of the fish as opposed to smack on top. You should probably dothis as well.
(Step 4) Drizzle the dish with olive oil and a gentle dash of salt. Toss in the oven and set the timer to 20 minutes.

(Step 5) Now, let’s make our vinaigrette. It’s really easy. Don’t get stressed out. I don’t know how “juicey” you like your meal… but I like juice. So, I’d rather make extra than run out and have my plate dry as a bone at the end of the meal. Combine the following: lemon juice, champagne vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, honey, and capers. Taste it. Want more ofsomething? Add it. I added a bit more olive oil and honey after my first taste. Note, if you don’t use salt packed capers, add a smidge of salt. If you do use salt packed capers, then we can be friends for forever.

(Step 6) Pull the fish from the oven when its flaky and done. Use a big ole flat spatula to transfer the fish from the casserole dishto the plates. Distribute the veggies and pour the vinaigrette over….. and eat. And love.

Seriously that’s it. So easy and so light, which is greatbecause as we discussed I’ve going to FLA this weekend and nobody wants to havea bread baby by the pool. Unless it comes with bacon, lettuce, tomato, and extra crispy sweet potato fries.

Shopping List (for two)
For the fishies
2 6 oz white fish filets (anything you want… I went with cod because it was on sale. But seriously. Pick what you want.)
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Halved cherry tomatoes
Chopped asparagus

For the juicy tasty vinaigrette
2 T Lemon Juice
2 T Champagne Vinegar
3 T Olive Oil (most flexible here… add more of this before adding more vinegar or lemon juice)
1 T Dijon Mustard
Smidge of Honey (1 teaspoon?)
Capers  (… as much as you want. I’m not the caper police, but I wish I was. That sounds like a great gig)


Bonus picture:
Check it. I legit wrote this recipe out. Kinda exciting no? I've never actually done that before. Weird.


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