Jamaican Jerk Chicken with Caribbean Sweet Potato Fries

This is one of my favorite grilled chicken dishes.  The seasonings may seem strange, but trust me - it's awesome!  The coating keeps the chicken moist and juicy, and it's not too spicy.  If using chicken breasts, cut them into tender-sized strips so they'll cook faster, since the sugar will make them brown quickly.  I actually prefer using thighs for this recipe.  The Caribbean sweet potato fries compliment the chicken really well, but if you're not sure you'll like it, just season half the fries and use salt on the other half - although you'll wish you'd seasoned all of them!

2 T. canola oil
3 T. brown sugar
1½ tsp. salt
¾ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. dried thyme
¼ tsp. ground allspice
1/8 tsp. ground cayenne
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or skinless thighs

Stir together oil and seasonings in a medium bowl.  Add chicken to bowl and toss to coat.

Broil:
Heat broiler on high and broil chicken in foil-lined pan for 6 minutes on each side.  (Be aware that broiling sugar can cause smoke and, thus, set off your smoke alarm.  Ask me how I know this...)

Grill:
Grill covered, over medium heat for 6-10 minutes on each side, depending on size of chicken pieces.  Cook bone-in chicken longer.

Caribbean Sweet Potato Fries

1 T. brown sugar
1 tsp. cumin
½ tsp. cinnamon
Pinch of allspice
2 T. canola oil
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled
Coarse salt (regular works, too)

Cut each potato in half (or quarters, if they are large).  Cut each half into 3 or 4 long wedges.

Combine oil and first 4 seasonings in a large bowl.  Add potatoes and toss to coat.  Spread in an even layer on foil-lined jellyroll pan.  Sprinkle with salt.

Bake at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

To top off this tasty meal, serve with grilled pineapple, cooked over medium heat for 10-15 minutes.

Herb Seasoned Rice

One of the most disappointing discoveries after going gluten free was that almost all flavored rice mixes contain wheat!  I'm not a fan of plain rice, but with it being one of the few inexpensive grains available to us, I knew I needed to find a way to incorporate it into our meal plans.  So I tweaked a recipe from one of my cookbooks and came up with this recipe which rivals, in my opinion, those little boxed mixes.  You can toss all the seasonings in the water while you wait for it to boil, so it takes no more time to make than the time the rice takes to cook.  Convenience food time and taste for a fraction of the cost!


1 1/2 T. chicken bouillon* (we use Better Than Bouillon)
2 tsp. dried minced onion
2 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
3 c. water
1 1/2 c. long grain rice (brown would also work)
*If using low sodium bouillon, you may want to add some salt

Heat water to boiling in a medium saucepan.  While water is heating, add first 6 ingredients (plus salt, if using).  Add rice to boiling water and stir.  Reduce heat to low.  Cover and cook for 15 minutes or according to package directions if using a different kind of rice.  Fluff with fork.  Makes 6 servings.