Spiced Salmon with Shiitake Mushroom Relish

• For The Salmon
• tablespoons fresh lemon juice↗2 tablespoons
• salmon fillets↗4
• tablespoon brown sugar↗1 tablespoon
• teaspoon cocoa powder↗1 teaspoon
• teaspoons chili powder↗3 teaspoons
• teaspoons grated fresh lemon rind↗2 teaspoons
• teaspoon ground cumin↗3⁄4 teaspoon
• teaspoon salt↗1⁄2 teaspoon
• teaspoon ground cinnamon↗1⁄4 teaspoon
• For the Shiitake Relish
• lb fresh shiitake mushrooms or 1/2 lb oyster mushroom, sliced↗1⁄2 lb
• tablespoons olive oil↗3 tablespoons
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• chili peppers or 2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped (and de-seeded if you want a milder dish)↗2
• small tomatoes, preferrably vine-ripened,chopped and seeded↗4
• medium red onion, finely chopped↗1
• cloves minced garlic3
• cup fresh herb, finely chopped (I use a parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme mixture but you can adjust to your tastes and what you hav)1⁄4
• tablespoons balsamic vinegar↗2
• teaspoons fresh lemon juice↗2

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. 2

   Combine brown sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, chili powder, lemon rind, cumin and salt in a bowl.

3. 3

   Splash a bit of lemon juice over each piece of fish and then rub the spice mixture all over the fish.

4. 4

   Place in a dish and bake for 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

5. 5

   While that's cooking you can make the relish.

6. 6

   In a bowl, toss the mushrooms, tomatoes, chili peppers, garlic, onion, salt and pepper with 2 tablespoons of the oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

7. 7

   Heat the remaining oil in a small pan and fry the mushroom mixture for about five minutes or until cooked through and the tomatoes have softened.

8. 8

   Put in a bowl, draining off any excess juices, and add the herbs, vinegar and lemon juice to the mushroom mixture.

9. 9

   Season to taste with salt and pepper, before serving alongside the salmon with some basmati rice.