It’s “Kiddlings in the Kitch” week … check back soon for July’s cookie of the month: Giant Kitchen-Sink Oatmeal Cookies
I love hearing from my readers ~ they are a smart and fun group from all over the world. They ask questions, share their successes and, occasionally, their mishaps. Our conversations are always enlightening – I help solve difficulties & offer flavor variations and they help me to be a better author and recipe developer.
Now, I’m not one to play favorites but… I especially like hearing from my young cooks. Over the years (and 3 kid’s cookbooks), I’ve met – literally and virtually – hundreds of enthusiastic young cooks all eager to cook and bake things that their folks & friends will gratefully devour. Hunter (great name, right?) is one such cook. Her Aunt Cheryl and Eniko gave her a copy (a signed one at that) of my Around The World Cookbook and Hunter immediately rolled up her sleeves and started cooking. Thankfully, her aunts sent me this adorable pic of Hunter cooking up a storm and, with her Mom’s permission, allowed me to post this pic. Looks to me like Hunter is making the Mango Salsa to go along side the Jamaican Jerk Chicken. I like how she has the book opened, her workspace clearly defined and her ingredients prepared and measured out ~ nice mis en place, Hunter!!
This kiddling-in-the-kitch pic reminded me that its been ages since we’ve had this dish – Jamaican Jerk Chicken here we come. The dry rub has just enough spice to be interesting without over-heating our taste buds and the chicken comes together quickly and easily making it perfect for a summer weeknight dins. The recipe calls for broiling the boneless breast but, being a hot summer night, we decided to grill instead. While the chicken was grilling, I sautéed up a variation of the Summer Succotash (page 122 in ATWC) using chopped red onion, sliced zucchini, fresh corn kernels cut from the cob, fresh basil and a little – or a lot – freshly grated Parmesan.
Tuesday night Dodge dinner… good stuff any day of the week.
Many thanks to Hunter and her family for sharing the pic and her story ~ looking forward to hearing and seeing more from kids who hang in the kitchen!
“Jerk” refers to the sweet and spicy seasoning that’s rubbed on meat, chicken, seafood or veggies before grilling. Traditional ingredients include allspice, cinnamon and fiery-hot scotch bonnet peppers but there are many, many variations. In this version, we use ground cayenne pepper instead of the fresh peppers – it’s just as spicy and easier to use.
Makes 4 servings.
Worth Noting:
* As I mentioned, I grilled these boneless, skinless chick breasts. I used my gas grill and heated up one side ( 2 burners) to medium-high and cooked the chicken about 4 minutes per side. If your chicken is on the big and thick side then add a minute of cooking time to each side.
* If you have fresh thyme growing in your garden, substitute 1 teaspoon of chopped thyme leaves for the 1/4 teaspoon dried that is called for in the recipe.
Tips 4 Success:
* A Reminder: Hey kids…Always make sure to have an adult on hand when working in the kitchen especially when you are cooking with heat: stove, oven, broiler and grill. Oh and… don’t forget to do the dishes 😉
* Equipment & Ingredients: You’ll notice that I format my recipes for kids a bit differently. I like to include an equipment list along with the ingredient listings. This way, kids can collect the equipment and ingredients they need before they get cooking.
A view from the book…
Here’s what you’ll need:
Equipment:
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Medium mixing bowl
- Rubber spatula
- Small jellyroll pan or broiler pan
- Aluminum foil
- Tongs
- Potholders
- Wire cooling rack
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Jamaican Jerk Chicken
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons oil (olive, canola, or vegetable)
- 3 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
To make the Jerk Chicken:
- Arrange the oven rack in the upper quarter of the oven and heat the broiler to high. Line the jellyroll or broiler pan with foil.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the oil, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, cumin, thyme, allspice and pepper. Add the chicken breasts and stir to coat..
- Place the chicken on the prepared pan. Scrape any remaining spices in the bowl and spread on chicken. Broil 6 minutes. Using oven mitts, remove the pan from the oven and set on the rack.
- Using tongs, turn the chicken over. Return the pan to the oven and broil until the chicken is browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Using oven mitts, remove the pan from the oven and set on the cooling rack. Serve immediately with the mango salsa or Summer Succotash.
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One last look…
