Jerk Chicken w/ Peach Chutney & Jalapeno Corn Slaw

Jerk Chicken w/ Peach Chutney & Jalapeno Corn Slaw

JERK CHICKEN

approx. 3.5 lbs split chicken breasts
1 tbsp olive oil
½ lime (juice)
1 jalapeno (sliced or diced- You can omit if you have kids or substitute w/ 2-3 tsp cayenne)
¼ cup cilantro (chopped)
4 garlic cloves (finely minced, preferably grated)
½ - 1 tbsp grated ginger
1 tbsp salt
1 ½ tbsp Italian seasoning (oregano, rosemary, thyme, basil)
½ tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp cloves
½ tsp cinnamon

PEACH CHUTNEY

2 very ripe peaches (skin peeled)
1/2 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
¼ cup tomatoes (diced)
½ tsp crushed red peppers

JALAPENO CORN SLAW

4 corn cobs (cooked)
2-3 cups of green & red cabbage (mandolin sliced)
cilantro (roughly chopped)
1 tomato (diced)
1-2 stalks of scallions (chopped)
1-2 jalapenos (sliced or diced-2 if you like it spicy!)
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup white vinegar
⅛ cup olive oil
pinch of salt

1) CHICKEN: Add wet ingredients to chicken. Combine all dry ingredients and add to chicken. Rub Rub and Rub! Try to get access to every surface. If you find a flap or pocket between the rib bones and the breast, rub there as well. If you’re in a rush, you can get straight to cooking the chicken. If not, allow chicken to sit for a couple to a few hours.

To cook chicken, preheat oven to 325. Add some oil to a pan and heat on medium high. When the pan is hot, add chicken skin side down and sear for 1-2 minutes on each side. Do not sear chicken until the oven is ready. If you have a piece of chicken that is noticeably larger than the others, you can cook it in the pan another minute or so to allow even cooking. Bake chicken for 35-40 minutes depending on size. Loosely cover chicken with foil for 5-10 minutes after you take it out. If you baked for 40 minutes, tent for only 5 minutes. The longer you bake the chicken, the less time you tent.

2) CHUTNEY: While chicken is baking, cut the peaches in half and peel off skin. You can only do this if the peaches are really ripe (it can even be almost mushy). If you can’t, just use a pairing knife. Cut the peaches into small cubes. Add just a tad of olive oil or non-stick spray to a sauce pan on medium high heat and add all ingredients. Stir, then reduce heat and alllow to simmer for a few minutes until peaches soften and juices are released. Set aside to cool.

3) SLAW: While the chicken is in the oven and the chutney is simmering you can prep your slaw ingredients. (I absolutely love overlap cooking!! It makes gourmet meals during the week possible!) Cook the corn cobs whichever way you’d like. Just don’t boil them. I like to pop them in the microwave with the husks and everything on for 7-8 minutes. Just rotate and flip them around half way through to make sure they cook evenly. Allow the corn to cool before slicing and combining with the other ingredients. Place corn, cabbage, jalapenos, cilantro, scallions, and tomatoes in a large bowl. In a small bowl, add olive oil, vinegar, sugar, a pinch of salt and mix. Refrigerate both bowls until the chicken has finished cooking. When you’re ready to eat, pour the dressing into the bowl and stir.

NOTES:

-I like to remove the bones and slice the chicken into ½ inch slices. It’s so tender when you eat it this way. Leftovers taste even better!

-You can tailor the spiciness according to your tolerance. If you have kids but love to eat spicy foods like me, you can have a side of pickled jalapenos to add to everything. That way everyone is happy! To make pickled jalapenos, just add a 1:1 ratio of vinegar to sugar and placed sliced or diced jalapenos in the juice and refrigerate. Just keep adding jalapenos and replenishing the juice. The longer you keep it, the spicier it gets!!

-Vegetarians: Substitute chicken with black beans, avocado, and pan-seared plantains.