Jerk Cod with Mango Salsa
While we try and eat fish (particularly oily fish) a couple of times a week in our house, it can be tough to do this on a tight budget. We have managed to incorporate some organic produce, free range meat, organic milk and occasional organic nuts, grains and eggs by doing pretty much entirely cooking from scratch, doing a lot of research to find the best deals, bulk buying and sometimes eating a bit less of something for the sake of better quality.
All of this has had to be done with minimal stretching of the food budget (and when we do stretch it’s because we are having to take it out of a different part of the budget like going out or clothes). But the hardest area, and the one we have not really been able to add to our lives as a mostly single-income family is good-quality fresh fish. Instead, we rely on tinned or smoked oily fish and frozen white fish to keep our omega-3 levels up. If we are getting fresh seafood, it is usually the cheaper kinds that people are not so keen on (even though they are delicious!).
If we are fortunate enough to be in a position sometime in the future where our income increases enough for us to justify up the food budget a little, I know exactly what will be my first priority: more fish in our diet.
And while we all know the omega-3-rich benefits of oily fish such as sardines, salmon, fresh tuna, anchovies and herring, white fish also have a host of health benefits that are often ignored. It is recommended in the UK that we eat at least 2 portions of fish or seafood a week, one of which should be oily fish. But we like making the other white fish, not only because it can be a bit cheaper, but because it is a low-fat protein that is rich in B vitamins, iodine and selenium. It can keep you fuller for longer in a truly healthy way, and can help support your immune system, promote healthy skin and good mental health.
For us, where our budget is now, we tend to stick almost exclusively to frozen white fish. It’s just not affordable for us to have fresh fish often (although when we do, it’s usually a cheaper fish from the fishmongers rather than cod or haddock from the fish counter in the supermarket). So feel free to sub in fresh cod (or a different white fish) in this recipe if your budget stretches to it, but for a truly budget-friendly dinner, defrosted frozen fish works just as well.
Now onto the dinner itself: aside from an hour’s marinating (not obligatory but highly recommended), this recipe takes 20 minutes to make and is a deliciously light and sweet sugar free, gluten free, simple family meal. It tastes amazing and is surprisingly easy to make. We have a fish night every week, and it is seriously tempting to include this recipe every single week, mostly because I adore the flavours!
So I hope it will make it into your meal plan on a regular basis, too.
A super simple and affordable 15-minute summer meal that tastes amazing but comes together easily, this Jerk cod and mango salsa dinner is sure to become a family favourite. Sugar free, dairy free, gluten free, low carb option.
- 4 fillets cod (frozen defrosted or fresh) or similar meaty white fish
- 2 tablespoons Jerk seasoning (check ingredients to ensure it is sugar free - you can make your own if your prefer)
- juice of 1/2 lime
- sea salt & fresh ground black pepper
- 1/2 large mango (or a couple of handfuls of frozen defrosted mango), roughly chopped
- 1 ripe avocado, roughly chopped
- 2 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 3 spring onions (scallions), finely sliced
- juice of 1/2 lime
- 1 finely sliced red chilli or pinch of chilli flakes (I like chipotle chilli flakes), optional
- 1 mug Basmati rice, rinsed
- 2 mugs water or stock
- 1/2 (200g) pack grated creamed coconut block (or use 1 mug coconut milk in place of 1 of the mugs of water),
- a few handfuls of frozen baby leaf spinach
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An hour before cooking, place the fish (defrosted if using frozen) in a large freezer bag along with 1 tablespoon of the seasoning, the lime juice and a generous pinch of salt & pepper. Shake gently to coat the fish in the marinade, then leave to marinate in the fridge for 1 hour.
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Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas 5. Place the marinated cod on a lightly oiled or lined baking tray and sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of the Jerk seasoning. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cod is cooked through and flaky but not dry.
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While the fish cooks, prepare the salsa by mixing all of the ingredients in a bowl, and place the rice, water and creamed coconut or coconut milk in a large saucepan. Bring to the boil and allow to simmer for 12 mins, until all of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is fluffy, adding the spinach in halfway through. Stir the spinach through with a fork and serve with the baked fish and salsa.
*For a low carb version of this meal, swap the coconut rice for steamed cauliflower rice mixed with wilted spinach and desiccated coconut for a similar taste, or serve the cod with just the mango salsa and add some steamed green beans drizzled with butter and black pepper if you prefer.
