Last week I spoke about waste in your kitchen and we all need to consider what we waste and whether or not we can, in fact, eat it or make something to freeze …

Today I went shopping and saw some fresh dates…A first for me and they were expensive…but I purchased them…On arriving home and unpacking my shopping I decided to try them…Very sweet and quite firm…My next step was to google them…Apparently, they were an expensive buy as they need to be allowed to dry…Tomorrow I will put them out in the sun and am guessing for a few more days…Before they will be ready to eat…

This week I haven’t been doing very much cooking as I have been on a cleaning spree …room by room…everything has been cleaned…today it was a continuation of the kitchen a couple of cupboards and drawers the glass above the hob plus the oven…Tomorrow it is the marble staircase…

I did however make some more tomato soup which I love…it is easy to make just put tomatoes, peppers onions, and garlic with a little olive oil in the oven before adding them to the pan and cooking and blitzing. Simple and tasty…

Now for some fish with spicy, spicy skin but the fish underneath is, sweet and lovely. An easy dish to cook…Next week I plan to make a Passionfruit self-saucing Pudding, orange and almond cake and I am having a go at Pretzel Bread…wish me luck…

Jerk Fish:

Ingredients:

• 3 medium-size Perch.
• I tbsp Allspice berries or ground allspice.
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves.
• 1 large pinch ground cloves.
• 1/2 tbsp muscovite sugar.
• Few sprigs Thyme picked and chopped.
• Few sprigs fresh coriander chopped.
• 3-6 birds eye chillies finely chopped.
• 2 clove garlic finely chopped.
• 3cm fresh ginger.
• 2 spring onions.
• zest of 1 lime.
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 11/2 tbsp honey.
• 2 tbsp golden rum ( optional)

Slash fish 3 times across diagonally and put in an ovenproof dish and put on one side.

Pound allspice, peppercorns, and bay leaves together. Mix in cloves, sugar, and honey. Add herbs, chillies, garlic, ginger, and bash them together.

Tip into a jug and add chopped tops of spring onions, lime zest, a drizzle of oil, a pinch of salt, and the rum if using. Mix well.

Pour marinade over the fish and massage well on both sides( it’s a good idea to wear gloves when doing this…

Leave in the fridge to Marinade for at least one hour.

Pre-heat oven to 220 degrees or gas 7. Cook for 20-30 minutes until slightly charred and cooked.

Serve with Lime slices, Salsa, and rice or new potatoes. This marinade can be used with Chicken or Pork.

That’s all for today…I will be back tomorrow with Saturday Snippets which has replaced Whimsical Wednesdays…

About Carol Taylor:

Enjoying life in The Land Of Smiles I am having so much fun researching, finding new, authentic recipes both Thai and International to share with you. New recipes gleaned from those who I have met on my travels or are just passing through and stopped for a while. I hope you enjoy them.

I love shopping at the local markets, finding fresh, natural ingredients, new strange fruits and vegetable ones I have never seen or cooked with. I am generally the only European person and attract much attention and I love to try what I am offered and when I smile and say Aroy or Saab as it is here in the north I am met with much smiling.

Some of my recipes may not be in line with traditional ingredients and methods of cooking but are recipes I know and have become to love and maybe if you dare to try you will too. You will always get more than just a recipe from me as I love to research and find out what other properties the ingredients I use contain to improve our health and well being.

The environment is also something I am passionate about and there will be more on this on my blog this year

Exciting for me hence the title of my blog, Retired No One Told Me! I am having a wonderful ride and don’t want to get off, so if you wish to follow me on my adventures, then welcome! I hope you enjoy the ride also and if it encourages you to take a step into the unknown or untried, you know you want to…….Then, I will be happy!

Please stay safe and well and follow your governments safety guidelines remember we are all in this together xxx