Jamaican jerk chicken and spiced slaw

Today is such a gorgeous day where I am, and that just makes me want to eat delicious foods! Try this Jamaican jerk chicken dish! It is delicious, fresh and very impressive while requiring little work.

And if you happen to have an outdoor grill, even better :)




INGREDIENTS (4 people):
- jerk sauce (click here for recipe)
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 cup cashew nuts
- fresh cilantro
- roasted coconut flakes
- 1 fresh mango
- 1 head of cabbage
- 1 large shallot
- a few spring onions
- 1 jalapeno pepper
- 1 small red pepper
- 1 small yellow pepper
- 2 lbs chicken drumsticks


RECIPE:
- coat the raw cashews with a few tablespoons of jerk sauce (click here for the recipe), spread into a single layer on a baking sheet and bake in a 350F oven for 15-20 minutes, or until golden

Note: make sure to stir often to ensure even baking and that it doesn't burn
- put the chicken drumsticks in a ziploc bag and add about 1 1/2 cups of jerk sauce, coat well and marinate for about 1 hour in the fridge

- after an hour, put the chicken and marinade in a baking dish and cook in a 350F oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked all the way through

Note: you can turn the chicken a few times during the cooking so that it gets caramelized on all sides
Note 2: if you are lucky enough to have an outdoor grill, these drumsticks would be absolutely delicious grilled!!!
- while the chicken is cooking, you can prepare the slaw: shred the cabbage, slice the mango, shallot, green onions and peppers finely and mix in a bowl

- serve the cooked chicken on a bed of slaw, sprinkle with the roasted cashews, a few toasted coconut flakes, fresh cilantro and dress with a few tablespoons of jerk sauce loosened with a splash of sesame oil and white vinegar

- enjoy!

Quick pickled okra and mango

I'm not going to lie. My first ever experience with okra was a gumbo slimefest. In New Orleans, I'll grant you that, but a slimefest nonetheless. I just simply hated it!

Fast forward a few years, and I had my second taste of the little green pods. In a tibetan stirfry, and I LOVED it! Not at all slimy, just the right amount of crunch and seasoning. I was smitten. I also realized that the response to okra is binary: you either hate it or you love it. There's nothing in between.

Since then I've been trying okra in all forms I can find it.

Because I love pickles and they are so easy to make, I decided to try my hand at pickled okra. Super simple and you can take it in any direction you like!

I chose to pickle my okra with mango and jalapeño pepper. Divine!


INGREDIENTS (yields two 1 pint jars):
- fresh okra, rinsed and drained
- 1 small filipino mango (or any kind you like, really!), not too ripe
- 1 fresh jalapeño pepper
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 3 tbsp salt
- 1 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 cup water
Note: for pickling liquid, just keep the ratio of 2tbsp salt, 1 cup water, 1 cup vinegar. Adjust if you need  more or less.


RECIPE:
- bring the water, vinegar and salt to a boil

- in the mean time, layer the spices, sliced jalapeño, okra and diced mango (with the skin) in the jars

- cover with boiling pickle liquid all the way to the rim, close the jars and let cool to room temperature before refrigerating

- let sit in the fridge for a few days before eating
- enjoy!

White chicken chili

This is the absolute perfect recipe to cook on a snow day! How convenient is it that a snow storm is about to hit us in the North East??

Even if you're not in a snowy climate right now, try this easy chicken chili dish. Dead simple, few ingredients, very quick and absolutely delicious! Try it and let me know what you think :)


INGREDIENTS (4 people):
- 2 onions, peeled, 1 quartered and 1 diced
- 3 celery branches, cut in 3 chunks lengthwise
- 1 carrot, peeled and cut in 3 chunks
- 5 cloves of garlic, peeled and diced finely
- 1 green pepper, diced finely
- 1 jalapeno pepper (or any hot pepper you like - I would have used a poblano if I'd found it instead)
- 2 15oz cans of white beans (I used cannellini and small white beans), rinsed and strained
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 5 chicken thighs, bone in skin on, or a whole chicken cut in pieces (I just prefer dark meat, so I used only thighs)
- water
- cilantro and grated cheddar for decoration
- salt, pepper to taste
- a splash of olive oil
- 4 cups of chicken broth
Note: If you do not have chicken broth on hand, no worries! You'll be making your own in this recipe anyway.
Note 2: even if you are by yourself or just think that this will be too much food, this freezes wonderfully and always tastes better when reheated anyway!


RECIPE:
Note: for optimal taste, prepare this dish the day before you want to eat it as the flavors will develop and blend together overnight.
- start with cooking the chicken and making your own chicken stock: place the chicken thighs, celery, carrots and the quartered onion in a stockpot. Salt generously, cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Cover with a lid, and simmer over low heat for about 20-30 minutes, or until the chicken meat is cooked through.

- Take out the chicken, strain the liquid and RESERVE it on the side: this is your own delicious homemade chicken stock! How easy was that??

- when the chicken is cool enough to touch, remove the skin and bones and shred the meat with forks or using your hands and reserve on the side

- in a pot (I used the same I cooked the chicken in to avoid too many dishes), saute the diced onion, garlic and peppers in a splash of olive oil over medium high heat until soft. Then add the beans, the chicken meat, ground cumin and stock. Mix well and and reheat over low heat

Note: if you think 4 cups of stock is too little or too much, just adjust to the consistency you like. Just keep in mind that the chili will thicken over time, so I usually make it a little on the runny side the first day so that it doesn't congeal too much the next day.
- serve hot, sprinkled with a healthy dose of grated cheddar and chopped cilantro (a little dollop of sour cream doesn't hurt either!)
- Enjoy!

Chili con carne

Ole!

I've been in the mood for Chili con carne for about 3 years. It was about time I did something about it...
I was browsing the Food Network website a couple of weeks ago, in preparation for my bimonthly-ish culinary gathering of sorts, when a recipe caught my attention.

That was it! I was sold! This was going to happen... "This" was Guy Fieri's Dragon Breath Chili.

Seeing as my stomach lining is nowhere as heat-tolerant as Guy's, I substituted most of the hot peppers for bell peppers, adapted the spice-mix to whatever I had lying around in my pantry and omitted most of the hot sauce, chili powder and cayenne, preferring the slightly much safer option of post-cooking heat-customization :D

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons granulated onion
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons cumin powder
2 teaspoons ground coriander (I used a pestle and mortar, but if you have powder or a spice grinder it is better; those half-ground seeds can get really annoying in the final texture)
1 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder (not in the original recipe)
1 tablespoon crushed dried oregano (not in the original recipe)
3 teaspoons kosher salt
3 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons bacon grease

2 red bell peppers, diced

• 2 green bell peppers, diced
• 
• 1 small jalapeno pepper, diced very finely
• 
• 2 yellow onions, diced
•  
• 1 head garlic, grated 
• 
• 2 pounds boneless chuck, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 3 pounds ground beef
• 1 pound bulk Italian sausage
• 
• 1 28oz can of peeled tomatoes (I used Italian style because I had it in the pantry already, but plain is fine)
• 1 cup tomato paste
• water (about 1-2 cups, just as needed to avoid getting too dry during cooking on day 1)
• 12 ounces lager beer (used it to reheat on day 2)
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 14oz cans pinto beans, with juice
• 2 14oz cans kidney beans, with juice
• 1 14oz can black beans, with juice
• 
• 
  
• For garnish: 
• Saltine crackers and corn chips
• 
• 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
• 
• 1 small jalapeno, finely diced
• 
• Lime wedges
• 
• Sour cream
• 
• Cilantro
• 
• Liberal amounts of shredded Cheddar cheese

RECIPE:

In large stock pot over high heat, melt butter and bacon grease.
 
Add the diced bell peppers, jalapeno, and onions and cook until caramelized, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute a minute longer. Reserve in a bowl.

Add chuck meat to the pot and brown.
 
Add ground beef and sausage to brown and stir gently, trying not to break up the ground beef too much, when the meat is almost cooked all the way through, add the reserved sauteed vegetables back into the pot.
 
Add in the spice mix and cook for 1 minute. Add in tomato sauce and paste and stir for 2 minutes.
 
Stir in the chicken stock and beans. Lower heat and simmer for 2 hours.
 
If it is not wet enough, add some water. Let rest overnight in the fridge. 
Note: If you are preparing this chili on the day you are going to eat it, add the beer together with the chicken stock and forgo the water.

To reheat on day 2, stir in the can of beer and extra water if the chili has become too thick. Reheat on low heat for 30 minutes, or until the chili is warm evenly.

Serve with saltine crackers, a good dollop of sour cream and sprinkle liberal amounts of shredded cheddar cheese, cilantro and spring onions :)


 Enjoy!!