Jerk Chicken Seasoning

 

I am Jamaican and yes I LOVE jerk chicken.  When I make it I use the Walkerswood Jamaican Jerk Seasoning.  It is an EXCELLENT seasoning.  It is not dry but it is more like a paste.  You can get it in either hot, medium or mild. I personally prefer the hot version.  I typically rub it on my meats the night before I cook it. This allows the flavors to really get in the meat providing wonderful results.  I sometimes put it on the meat and put the meat in a Ziploc bag and put it in the freezer until I am ready to cook it.   This process takes the taste to another level. There is no need to add any other seasonings to your meats when using this product, it is just that good! I love putting it on chicken thighs, legs, and wings.  I have also put a little of it in my ground meat when making hamburgers.  When the weather permits, I put the meat on the grill.  Cooking it in the oven works as well.  I put the meat on a cooking wrack and cook at 400 for approx. 1 1/2hour (cooking time may vary depending on your oven).

 

The last time I made jerk chicken I served it with crispy baked okra , fried plantain, and a side salad.  I encourage you to give it a try and come back and let me know what you think!

 

Easy Chili Recipe for a Crowd

With a family of 8, as far as I am concerned EVERY NIGHT I am cooking for a crowd!  Hence the fancy name, “Anika’s chili for a crowd.”  Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Anika’s chili for a crowd!

Ingredients

4 Ponds ground beef (can substitute ground turkey if you prefer, both yield delicious results)

2 tablespoon ghee or cooking fat of choice

2 medium onions chopped

2 cups bell pepper chopped

2 cups chopped mushrooms

6 garlic cloves minced

4 cans of 14.5 oz. diced tomatoes

2 cans 60z tomato paste

4 cups water

4 bay leaves

2 ½ tablespoon ground cumin

2 tablespoon oregano

1 tablespoon basil

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (add more if you like chili with a kick!)

 

Directions

1. Add ghee  or other cooking fat of choice to hot pot
2. Add mushrooms, peppers and onions and sauté for 5 minutes,
3. Add minced garlic and sauté for another 3 minutes
4. Add meat to the pot and brown ground beef
5. Add seasonings
6. Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and water
7. Bring mixture to a boil  and once it starts boiling, turn stove to a low.
8. Let simmer uncovered on low for 30 minutes
9. ENJOY!

Serve with side salad and this  grain free “cornbread” or  this Paleo “cornbread” muffin recipe

 

 

Paleo Fish Tacos

 

I think I am officially addicted to fish tacos.  I have my cousin to blame. I found a great recipe on line but made a few changes to suit my taste buds and to cut down on time.  Below are my changes.  You can find the original recipe at Paleo Magazine.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. cod cut into cut into ½ inch by 3-4 inch strips (Trader Joes sells wild caught cod pieces that are perfect for this dish)
• ½ cup coconut flour
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons cumin powder
• dash of pepper
• Coconut oil for frying

Shell & Toppings Ingredients

• Lettuce leaves to be used as shell
• All natural salsa (Costco sells great tasting organic salsa)
• Sliced avocados
• Thinly sliced red onions
• Shredded cabbage

Instructions

Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl and coat the fish with the flour mixture.  Fry fish pieces in coconut oil.

Place a few pieces of fish on lettuce leaf and top with avocado slices, sliced onions, shredded cabbage, and salsa. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

Easy Fall off the Bone Baked Chicken Recipe

 

When I am not in the mood to try a new recipe or don’t have the time to do a lot of prep I resort to a whole baked chicken.  I love the different options that are available once the chicken is baked.  I can use it for soups, salads, or serve it with roasted vegetables among many other options.  Below is my simple fall off the bone baked chicken recipe. I sometimes bake a few chickens at a time and freeze some for a later date.   Don’t forget to save the bones to make bone broth.

Fall off the Bone Baked Chicken

Total Time: 2 hours

Ingredients

1 whole chicken

2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Fresh or dried herb of choice.  I like to use the no salt herb seasoning from Costco if I don’t have any fresh herbs on hand.

 

Method

Preheat oven to 325

Remove giblets and neck from the cavity

Wash and pat chicken dry with paper towel

Rub the oil all over the skin of the chicken

Season chicken inside and out with salt, pepper and herbs

Bake at 325 for 1 1/2 hours in a covered dish

Increase temperature to 375 and cook uncovered for 30 minutes (This helps the skin to get crispy)

 

Enjoy!

 

What is your go to recipe when you don’t have time?  Please leave and comment and let me know.

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is your go to recipe when you don’t have time?  Leave and comment and let me know

Paleo Main Dishes Recipes

The kids and Tyrone started school this week so I spent A LOT of time in the kitchen.  Cooking really is a ministry…sounds like the title of a future blogpost.   Below are recipes for the top three dishes of the week.

I made Picadillo Tacos this week and they were absolutely delicious.  This songstress came by when I was cooking and she agreed that they were delicious.  Below is the recipe.

 

Picadillo Tacos (I got this recipe from PaleOMG).

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

45 mins

 

Serves: 3

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• ½ white onion, diced
• ½ green bell pepper, diced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 8 ounces tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ⅔ cup beef broth
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• ⅓ cup green olives, halved
• ⅓ cup raisins (optional*)
• 6 Must B Nutty tortillas
• roughly chopped cilantro, to garnish
• lime wedges, to garnish

 

Instructions

1. Place a large cast iron skilletover medium heat, add ground beef to brown and break into pieces.
2. Once almost cooked through, add onion, bell pepper, oregano, cumin, bay leaf and salt and pepper. Mix well to combine and let cook for about 10 minutes.
3. Then add tomato sauce, tomato paste, broth, vinegar, olives and raisins (if you are using raisins), mix well then cover and cook for 25 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. To soften must b nutty tortillas, place on hot skillet or on gas range to brown on both sides. Remove bay leaf, then add picadillo to tortillas, squeeze fresh lime juice on top and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Note:  I did not use the tortillas she recommended.  I used this plantain bread recipe as the shell and it worked out great!

 

I also made these spicy tuna cakes from Nom Nom Paleo.  These work great for breakfast or after school snack.

The final recipe I would like to share is slow cooker Korean beef short ribs from Nom Paleo.  I have made these quite a few times and they are always enjoyed by all.

Enjoy!

Anika