jamaican jerk chicken & broccoli

It was Saturday night & all, so I wanted to make a meal that looked fancy, but stayed true to my typical cooking style – quick & simple! I looked up some recipes for Jamaican Jerk Chicken & I excluded the few items that didn’t match my criteria of real food & voila … I ended up with this. I only marinated the chicken for 1 hour & it turned out fantastic.

Jamaican Jerk Chicken
Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
2 green onions – chopped
2 cloves garlic – crushed
1 tablespoon – peeled & grated fresh ginger
1 serrano chili pepper, seeded & chopped
1 tablespoon raw honey (optional)
1 tablespoon allspice
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
juice of 1 lime
juice of 1 orange
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, except the chicken. Make sure it is all mixed well.
2. Place chicken breasts in a shallow bowl & pour marinade over the chicken. Cover & marinate for at least 1 hour.
3. Heat a grill to high.
4. Grill the chicken, turning once, until no longer pink.

Broccoli
Ingredients:
1 bunch broccoli rabe – ends cut off
sea salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled & crushed
red pepper flakes

Directions:

1. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot
2. Once water is boiling, add the broccoli rabe and cook for 1 minute
3. Drain the broccoli rabe in a colander, then run cold water over the broccoli to stop the cooking
4. Drain the broccoli, then pat dry with paper towels
5. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat
6. Add the garlic and red pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes
7. Add broccoli to pan and cook it until tender, but still slightly crispy ~approx. 5 minutes
8. Season broccoli with salt to taste and serve