Jerk-Seasoned Chicken and Coconut Curried Rice & Beans

I just started nursing school (getting a second bachelors degree is a good idea, right?!).  Needless to say, I'm a little busy.  And what comes to mind when you think of healthy weeknight dinners that will produce enough leftovers to feed your family for at least two nights?  That's right, chicken and rice.  But that's boring.  So this month I'll be showering you with some flavorful alternatives!  Starting with a nostalgic favorite...  My husband took me to Jamaica for our anniversary and every time I see a recipe involving Jerk seasoning, I'm taken back to our week of island paradise.  Lately I've been craving the carefree sunny feeling I enjoyed five years ago.  When I saw this menu in a cookbook I don't often use, I knew I had to try it! This recipe (well, recipes, actually) seem like a lot of work, but they're really not.  And super yummy.  Adjust the spices and chiles if you'd like, but I promise you'll love the kaleidoscope of flavors dancing on your tongue.  Yeah mon!

Jerk-Seasoned Grilled Chicken

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Juice of 1 lime

Juice of 1 orange

1 teaspoon mustard

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 pounds chicken breasts

3-4 tablespoons Island Spice Adobo dry rub (recipe follows) 

Combine the Worcestershire, lime, and orange juices with the mustard and oil, then toss the chicken in this mixture to coat evenly.

Sprinkle the chicken with the dry rub and cover.  Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours.

Place chicken in a baking dish and bake at 375 for 20 minutes.  Preheat the grill.  Grill over medium heat until evenly browned and cooked through.  In a time crunch, skip the grilling and just bake until the juices run clear when the meat is pierced with a fork.

Serves 4-6.

Island Spice Adobo Dry Rub

1/8 cup onion powder

1/8 cup powdered garlic

1-2 tablespoons cayenne

2 tablespoons mustard powder

1 tablespoon powdered ginger

1 tablespoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground corriander

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 tablespoon dried thyme

2 teaspoons dried orange peel

1 teaspoon dried lemon peel

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons black pepper

1/2 cup salt

Mix all together.  Store in an airtight, cool, dry place out of the sunlight.

Makes about 2 cups.

Coconut Curried Rice and Black-Eyed Peas

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/3 cups basmati rice

1 sweet bell pepper, diced

1/2 inch peeled ginger, cut into three slices

1 clove garlic, minced

1 whole habanero chile

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

2-3 teaspoons curry powder

generous pinch ground cloves

4 green onions, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons Worcestershire

1 teaspoon ketchup

1 13-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk

1 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup diced tomato

1 1/2 cups cooked black-eyed peas (drain and rinse if using canned)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven.  Add the rice and fry, stirring constantly until the rice begins to turn opaque-white and a touch of brown develops.

Add the sweet pepper and ginger and continue frying for another minute.  Add garlic, chile, thyme, curry, cloves, and green onions.  Cook 30 seconds more, stirring well to prevent burning.

Temporarily remove from heat and carefully stir in the Worcestershire, ketchup, coconut milk, stock, tomato, black-eyed peas, and salt (the hot rice may splatter!).  Stir well to mix.

Return to the heat and bring to a boil.  Stir once, cover tightly, reduce heat to simmer, and cook 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to steam for 10-12 minutes (don't remove the lid, even to peek!).

Remove cover, add the cilantro, and fluff with a fork.  Remove the ginger slices and chile.

Serves 6-8.

All recipes adapted from Fiesta on the Grill, by Daniel Hoyer.