As Valentine’s day 2021 is fast approaching, are you looking for a simple lunchtime recipe to make for your loved ones? Then this blog post with my Lunchtime recipe for Valentine’s day 2021 is just for you.
When I was a teenager, I associated Valentine’s day as a day you take out to pamper and especially dedicate to the people you love. It’s a day you use to remind your parents that even though you don’t say it often, that you do value, cherish and love them. That was the day my sister and I made cards for our parents to remind them that we loved them. So for me, Valentine’s day has never been a day reserved for romantic love alone.
As a mother, a sister, a daughter, a partner, I have so many people in my life that mean a lot to me and I know that I don’t always tell them how much they mean to me. If you are like me, making lunch on Valentine’s day, especially during a global pandemic, is a good opportunity to make lunch for your household. So without much ado, here’s my Roast Fish With Baba’s All-purpose FujiFuji Sauce.
About Baba’s All-purpose FujiFuji Sauce
The FujiFuji name is coined from a genre of music in Nigeria called ‘Fuji’. This music is synonymous with celebration. The sauce is a combination of various spices and herbs but the uniqueness of this sauce is how it has been combined. This sets it apart from what you can get off the shelves anywhere. The combination of the sweetness and the spiciness of the sauce is unmissable.
Things I considered for my Lunchtime recipe for Valentine’s day 2021
For my lunchtime recipe, I used the ALL-PURPOSE FUJIFUJI SAUCE ORIGINAL 250ML I was gifted. My daughter and I are meat eaters, my partner is vegetarian. Thus, I especially like that this sauce is both vegan-friendly and works well as a marinade and as a dipping sauce. So I could use the sauce to marinade the fish for my daughter and I and my partner could use it as a dipping sauce. This reduces the amount of cooking I have to do to meet everyone’s needs.
When I opened the bottle of Original FujiFuji sauce, which is meant to have medium heat, I was hit with a strong whiff of pepper. This made me hesitate for a bit. I read the ingredients list and saw that it had some of my go-to spices including cinnamon and nutmeg. So I wasn’t sure if I should add extra or use the sauce as is. My daughter also doesn’t like a lot of pepper in her food, whereas I prefer my food to be spicy. Phewww my household sure has lots of different needs right?
Ingredients
I decided to use fish for this recipe because I find that fish absorbs the heat from pepper and you can barely taste the pepper used. I decided that I couldn’t go wrong by adding a dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, turmeric, ground ginger, curry powder and some salt before adding about the sauce to the fish.
As a Nigerian, my mother didn’t teach me to use fixed measurements when cooking. You simply add and stop when your ancestors whisper to you that you have added enough. OK that’s a joke.
I originally wanted to use Grey Mullet for this recipe but for whatever reason, I’m going to blame Brexit and COVID-19, none of the fish mongers I went to had any in stock. So I opted for both red bream and tilapia.
Preparation time
At least 1 hour 5 mins
You will need at least 5 minutes to ‘wash’ the fish and add your spices and the marinade. I find it best to let the fish marinade in the sauce for several hours in a fridge. However, one hour is a sufficient minimum time to let the fish marinade.
Cooking time
About 45 minutes. The exact time is dependent on the type of cooker you are using.
I have a fan assisted gas oven, so I roasted the fish at oven mark 6 for 30 minutes on one side then 15 minutes on the other side. I don’t like my fish to get too dry, so this works out perfect for me. If you prefer, you can roast the fish a little bit longer.
The taste
My daughter is always eager to eat whatever I cook immediately it is ready and this was no exception.
The roast fish was accompanied by a plate of coconut rice and a side salad.
Even though the medium heat does pack a punch, after roasting the fish, I couldn’t taste any pepper in it. This was perfection for my daughter.
With coconut rice, I hate adding any sauces to the rice, even as a side as I feel it takes away from the coconut flavour. My partner did add the Original FujiFuji Sauce to the side of his plate and he found the heat to be just perfect.
Whenever, I roast fish, I prefer to eat the fish a few hours later. I find that the flavour has had time to settle properly. So I had mine the following day. There was zero pepper taste in the fish and the fish did not taste fishy at all. It was a lovely mild taste. I can definitely see myself using the sauce as a dipping sauce for my fish to give me the heat that I need.
Maybe next time, I will order the Extra Hot FujiFuji sauce.
What should you wash down lunch with?
My partner is vegetarian and I don’t drink alcohol myself. So finding something that we both can share does take a bit of thinking. So when I was gifted a bottle of NOUGHTY ALCOHOL-FREE SPARKLING CHARDONNAY by THOMSON & SCOTT, I knew it was a match made in heaven and would be a great accompaniment to our Valentine’s day lunch. Not only is it alcohol free, it is Certified organic, vegan and halal. It is a 100% organic Chardonnay and is great for aperitif and party nibbles, as well as with all manner of cuisine for those who choose not to drink alcohol.
Dessert
Please click here to check out my favourite ice cream recipe.
Do you have a special menu and great pairing for lunch on Valentine’s day 2021? Please leave a comment below. I would also like to know what you think about my Lunchtime recipe for Valentine’s day 2021.
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