I love this dish. It’s a fun summer dish for the grill.  The leftovers are really great for hot summer days.

 The nice part about this dish is that the apple cider vinegar (both in marinade and in salad) and the spices help neutralize the carcinogens created by grilling. Bonus! Apple cider vinegar also gets your digestive juices flowing that will help you digest and also helps reduce menstrual cramps, heavy flow and night sweats/hot flashes.

The cucumbers are great for staying hydrated in the summer heat.  Cuc’s also have great anti-inflammatory properties so can help settle an irritated digestive tract.

I make it without any of the peppers to keep it kid friendly and it tastes delish. Feel free to add peppers to your liking. Remember it’s the seeds of the pepper that have most of the heat so deseed. . .or not, to your liking. I use boneless chicken thighs to make using leftovers easier. If you want to use bone-in chicken legs, go for it.

I hope you enjoy it!

x-

Maria

Jerk Chicken

3-4 lbs. boneless chicken thighs

2 tsp. allspice

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 small onion, roughly chopped

8 garlic cloves

1 inch fresh ginger, grated

3 limes, juiced (you can substitute any citrus if necessary)

2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

2 tsp. molasses

2 Scotch bonnet peppers (or habaneros), chopped (optional)

¼ cup olive oil

1. Blend all ingredients (except chicken) in food processor.
2. Pour over chicken and let marinade for at least 1 hour (overnight best).
3. Grill.
4. Freeze the leftovers.

DEFROSTING

1. Defrost chicken by submerging it in a watertight container (Ziplocs works well) in cold water. 1-2 lbs. should take an hour or so to defrost. (Water needs to stay below 40F to avoid bacterial growth. If you start with cold water, this shouldn’t be a problem.)

Jerk Chicken with Cucumber, Red Onion, Parsley (and Rice) Salad

1 lb. Jerk Chicken, cooked and cut into ½ inch squares

½ small red onion, thinly sliced

1 cucumber, quartered lengthwise and cut into ½ inch slices

¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 cup cooked rice

2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar (ACV)

1 garlic clove

1 lemon, juiced

3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt, to taste

Fresh black pepper, to taste

5oz. spring mix greens

1. Place the red onion in small bowl. Add the 2 tbsp. of ACV to it. This will onion tasty and decrease the bite.
2. In another small bowl, whisk the garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and sea salt until blended.
3. In a large bowl, combine the cucumber, red onion with vinegar, parsley, rice (optional) and chicken. Pour the garlic lemon mixture over it. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
4. Serve cold on a bed of mixed lettuce greens.