Honey Basted Jerk Chicken

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What is Honey Basted Jerk Chicken you may ask? I confess I took culinary artistic license with traditional Jerk chicken . Rather than BBQ outside I wanted  an easy indoor version of the Spicy Jamaican Favorite. The method of cooking Jerk style is essentially making a dry or wet rub of all spice, cloves, garlic, hot peppers(scotch bonnet ) and  other spices that was originally developed as  a smoking method of preservation among the natives of the Caribbean Islands.Jerk anything has evolved into a world wide favorite with commercial blends readily available. Rather than buy a commercial  Jerk blend , I wanted to make my own Jerk rub as I had a canister of allspice sitting on my pantry shelf.I saw a television spot on a local Jerk restaurant and became fascinated watching how they make their own Jerk rub. I figured I could make my own.I took some liberty and switched out  some ingredients for what I had. For instance, I used my Sambal, in place of Scotch Bonnet Peppers for the heat. This recipe is  by no means authentic, but makes a very tasty overnight marinade for chicken.To neutralize the heat, I basted my boneless chicken thighs with honey as they cooked on the indoor grill pan. The result was a a great chicken dish in which Certain Someone devoured.  Bear in my nothing beats Jerk Chicken cooked over coals and fire, but this recipe will do in a pinch.


You will need a good blender or food processor for this. You can alter and adjust ingredient proportions to taste. Less heat, more sweet, etc.

Honey Basted Jerk Chicken
8 Boneless Chicken thighs or breasts
Jerk Marinade
2 Tablespoons of  whole All Spice Berries
1/2 cup lime juice
1 cup water
1 inch fresh ginger peeled
2 tsp dried Thyme
1 tsp sea salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or grape seed oil
1 bunch scallion chopped
1 onion chopped
6-8 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon Sambal or 2 Scotch Bonnet Peppers
Baste
1/2 cup honey
In a mixer of food processor combine all the Marinade ingredients and puree thoroughly.Pour marinade over chicken pieces and cover. Refrigerate over night .
Remove chicken from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature for about 15-20 minutes.
Make sure kitchen is well ventilated.
Prepare an indoor grill pan and heat. Brush grill pan with a little vegetable oil and add chicken which has been removed piece by piece from the marinade.
Sear  chicken  on each side for a few minutes each  to make grill marks. Continue to grill chicken until almost done. During the last few minutes of cooking brush the chicken pieces with honey on both sides . Remove from heat .
Serve.


So It’s Mothers Day

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I always face Mothers Days with sadness and some dread.It’s hard to watch everyone while out and about celebrating with their Mother or Mother figures at brunch. I wish mine was still here with me.I lost my mother in 2000 from Ovarian Cancer, and it still feels like yesterday.We were pretty low key and if she was alive we would probably be side by side in the kitchen this Sunday making some sort of feast . She was my best friend and confidant. While she’s no longer physically here on this earth , I know she’s with me in my heart. That’s what she promised  me before she died and I feel it everyday. In a way she lives on through this blog. You see, she was the extraordinary writer and baker, things I never had much interest in before, .It was my mother that encouraged me to dream, dare, and  just be me. She was self sacrificing, nurturing, and full of love . As I grow older I see and understand her more  through my looks, mannerisms, experiences, and journeys . I am her, Little Jackie , as the family likes to say. I’m grateful to all my great aunts and aunts who are still there for me and promised my Mother that they would watch over me. Their support has made these past years more bearable.To all  the mothers and mother figures everywhere, whether here physically or in our hearts. You are loved.


Roasted Strawberry Balsamic Ice Cream

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Strawberries are pretty cheap these days due  to the Nations Strawberry Glut. A late Florida Season caused by a cold winter is meeting up with California’s traditional spring crops and the US market is flooded.Seeing as how I could purchase  two containers of berries for the price of one,  I went ahead and then put the ice cream freezer bowl in the freezer. I love to make ice cream , yet don’t do it as often as I would  like .I always seem to forget how easy it is and how creative you can get.
While announcing my weekend intention on Twitter/ Face Book, renown  and highly respected pastry chef, Shuna Fish Lydon suggested I roast my strawberries with vanilla sugar to coax out more flavor. That’s what I love about social media. Great chefs with a wealth of experience ready to help or just talk and share with no pretense. I took Shuna’s suggestion and ran with it a little more by roasting the berries with both vanilla sugar and Balsamic Vinegar. Oh WOW! I also decided to use Sour Cream , in addition to Half and Half and Milk. Did I mention just a bit of Creme de Noyaux, an  pink almond  flavored liquor made from apricot kernels? In the end the Creme de Noyaux was very subtle, but I added it to keep the ice cream from freezing  hard and to enhance pink color, as homemade ice creams tend to do. My pastry instructor in the workshops at French Pastry School last summer declared Ice Creams will be next big thing in terms of trends in pastry . I do believe he is right.

Roasted Strawberry Balsamic Ice Cream

3 cups Strawberries  washed, hulled and halved
2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 cup Vanilla Sugar ( save used vanilla beans and add to containers of sugar)
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar ( reserve 1/4 cup)
1 teaspoon Vanilla Paste ( extract can used as well)
2 tablespoons Creme de Noyaux
1 1/4 cup whole milk
1 1/4 cups Sour Cream
1 cup Half and Half

Prepare Freezer Bowl according to ice Cream makers instructions.
Line a baking sheet with lips with aluminum foil. Spread the halved strawberries. Combine Vanilla Sugar and  1 cup of granulated sugar . Sprinkle over the berries. Drizzle the Balsamic Vinegar over the berries and sugar. Roast at 400 F  until the sugar dissolves and the juices start to bubble and caramelize. This will take about 15 minutes or so. Remove from the oven and carefully pour into a bowl. Using a strainer separate the  the berries  from the juices, while mushing them slightly. Set aside the mashed berries in one small container and allow the hot strawberry sugar balsamic juice to cool in another container. Add vanilla paste or extract and the Creme de Noyaux. Set Aside.
In a bowl or stand mixer mix the whole milk and remaining 1/4 cup sugar for a few minutes on low speed. Add the Sour Cream and  half & half. Mix well. While mixing, add the Berry Juices, and mashed berries. Pour the mixture into the freezer bowl and churn for 25 minutes. It will be a soft consistency. Pour and spread into loaf pans and cover . Freeze for several more hours in the freezer until ready to serve.



Middle Eastern Pickled Turnips and Kale Salad… Little Bites to Soothe The Soul

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This has been an amazing week in both good and bad ways. At my age I should know that when people start to attack and provoke me out of the blue, then something good is brewing in the universe for me, and they sense that. My spirit has been both deflated and elated this week. But what kept me centered is that I know my worth , value , and talent. And no one , no matter how well meaning they think they are,can take that away from me, especially as they have no bearing or impact on my future what so ever. Besides having a healthy, yet sensitive sense of self, these little recipes brought me joy in the kitchen this week. Some other things that have brought me joy are hearing from dear old friends from long ago, and a new part time job , in a professional kitchen. I auditioned and got hired hired at a  caterer not far from the house. African American owned and primarily serving an upscale clientele of movers and shakers . My first night I looked up from my cutting board of quartering potatoes and see Mayor Richard Daley walking through the kitchens on a tour as a fundraiser was being held. I love this job and love working with the executive chef who I get to speak some french with.So you see everything turns around in the end for the best.
I always love the pickled pink vegetables that are served with my Middle Eastern takeouts both here and in Europe. I never really knew what I was crunching on but I loved them. Come to find out they were pickled turnips with the addition of beets to give the color. I searched the web for a recipe and most seemed to not rather simple not requiring process, just sitting in a jar for a few days. I really wanted to use my Weck Jars and decided to alter the recipe a bit. I processed mine in a water bath. While a little softer, they are just as refreshing and tangy as I remembered. Next time I will decrease my water bath to 10 minutes as opposed to 20. These turnips make a great addition to salads, grilled chicken, lamb, or beef.

Middle Eastern Pickled Turnips
makes 5  1/4 L  jars
1 large turnip or 3-4 small ones peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch strips
2  small beets
4-5 cloves of garlic sliced into slivers
Celery leaves( 2-3 sprigs per jar)
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup water
2 tablespoons sea salt

Sterilize your jars and lids.

Boil your beets with skin for about 8-10 minutes. Remove from water and allow to cool. Peel and quarter. Set aside.
Blanch the peeled and sliced turnips in  boiling salted water for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and drain. Allow to cool.

Pack each jar with  2 pieces of quartered beet, turnips, garlic, and celery leaves.
In a saucepan boil vinegar and water with the salt. Pour the hot vinegar solution over the turnips . Seal and process in a water batch for 10 minutes. Remove from water and allow to cool on a rack for 24 hours.


Kale Salad really doesnt require a formal recipe. I thought the concept of a kale salad was strange at first. But one bite and you feel the healthy leafy green energizing your body. I can imagine many variations for this salad, but I kept it simple with items most of us have on hand. I have found  the  key is to massage your bite size kale pieces with the oil of your choice to soften it.
Kale Salad
Wash and dry your kale. Remove large center stem and tear the kale into bite size pieces. With your hands , massage the kale with olive  oil for a few minutes. Add carrots, tomatoes, garlic,slivered onion, and finish with Balsamic Vinegar. Chill and serve. Can keep for about 2-3 days in the refrigerator.

Both of these recipes are suitable additions  for Meatless Mondays.
Enjoy.


Sweet Potato Everything Bread… Necessity Breeds Invention

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I had this big fat sweet potato staring at me for a week. As some people in this household are not to fond of them, and I wasn’t having a taste for it. I wanted to use  the sweet potato in  another way. I also had some Poppy Seeds that have been whispering for me to use them, every time I open my cabinet.
Sweet Potato + Poppy Seeds + Yeast =A beautiful relationship
I call this my Sweet Potato Everything Bread. I’m feeling pretty confident as a baker now, where I can take liberties with a recipe base and expand. One of my first Daring Bakers Challenges a few years back was a great Potato Bread which I have used from time to time and seems almost fail proof. Using that recipe as a base I decided to switch out the white potato for sweet. Unfortunately I did not have the total amount of All Purpose Flour and didn’t want to use more  Whole Wheat Flour , which was also required. I looked on my shelf and found some King Arthur’s Rye Blend Flour and used some of that with the other two flours. I figured if anything it would be a great experiment. I also made an egg wash with some honey . The bread was topped with Poppy Seeds, Sesame Seeds, Dried Minced Onion and Sea Salt. The recipe yielded enough for a 20 rolls and 1 medium sized loaf of bread to slice. Certain Someone, who is very picky about bread was pleased with the results. He liked it. I take that as a  huge compliment because Europeans are finicky about their breads and are often disappointed with the  commercial findings here in the United States. The loaf and rolls have a tender crumb that would be great with jams or savory items.
Sweet Potato Everything Bread
12 oz of sweet potato pieces
4 cups of water
1 Tablespoon and 1 tsp seas salt
2 Teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
6 Cups All Pupose Flour
1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 tablespoon butter at room temp/softened
Egg Wash
1 egg
1 teaspoon of milk or cream * Cream gives more glaze
1 teaspoon honey
Topping
2 Tablespoons Poppy Seeds
2 Tablesppons Dried Minced Onion
2 Tablespoons Sesame Seeds
1 teaspoon Sea Salt

Boil the sweet potato chunks with skin in the 4 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Cook until tender. Drain the sweet potato, but save the water! Do not throw away the cooking  water as it will be used in the recipe. Peel of the skins and mash the sweet potato. Run  the sweet potato with the 3 cups of the cooking  water ( you may  have to add more water to make up difference) in a blender to make a smooth liquid mixture. Pour warm mixture into the mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Cool down until lukewarm .Add the yeast to sweet potato water and mix gently. Let rest for 5 minutes. It will start to bubble slightly on the surface.


Whisk together the all Purpose Flour and Rye Flour in a separate bowl to combine.  Add a few cups of this flour blend to the yeast , sweet potato mixture. Add the butter and salt and with the paddle attachment slowly blend to incorporate. Continue to add the remaining flour and the whole wheat flour as well. Switch to the dough hook. The dough will be sticky still but will start to take hold as more flour is added. It will still be a stickier dough however. With the dough hook , beat for several minutes ( about 8-10 minutes) until the the dough starts to hold its shape .Turn out into a clean bowl or container with lid. Cover and let rise in a  warm place for 2 hours or until double.
On a clean counter surface which is lightly floured,  turn out the risen dough and punch down and knead to shape. Place the rolls or loaves into the respective baking  tins and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise again for approximately 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 450F
Mix the Seed Topping ingredients.
Mix egg,milk, and honey for egg wash.
After second rise, brush the formed dough with the egg wash and sprinkle with Seed Topping.
Bake at 450F until golden for about 30-40 minutes depending on size and shape of dough. If the topping starts to brown to fast . lightly cover with foil.
Remove from oven and let cool on wire baking racks for 1 hours or more to let bread rest.
I submit this to BYOB

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