Jamaican Jerk Chicken Marinade

My husband compiled some jerk chicken recipes and came up with this. Delicious!We love to serve it with Caribbean Sweet Potato Salad.

Jamaican Jerk Chicken Marinade

1 medium Onion, peeled
1 small Red Onion, peeled
1 Jalepeno Pepper, seeded if you don't want it too spicy
2 cloves Garlic, peeled
3/4 cup Bragg's Liquid Aminos or Tamari or Soy Sauce
1/2 cup Vinegar
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Lime Juice
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp dried Thyme
1/2 tsp ground Nutmeg
1/4 tsp Red Pepper
1 tsp ground Cloves
1/4 tsp ground Cinnamon
1 Tbsp fresh Cilantro

*optional*1/2 tsp Frontier Caribbean Citrus Seasoning

Blend all ingredients well. Marinate chicken pieces at least an hour. This amount of marinade will cover 2 breasts and 4 drumsticks easily.

Grill chicken until done. :)

Honey Chicken Kabobs

Honey Chicken Kabobs

1/4 cup Olive Oil
1/3 cup Honey
1/3 cup Braggs or Tamari or Soy Sauce
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
2 cloves Garlic, crushed
8 skinless, boneless Chicken Breast halves - cut into 1-inch cubes

Veggies such as quartered onions, bell peppers, fresh pineapple, etc. 

Mix marinade in ziploc or other airtight container.   Marinate chicken at least two hours in the refrigerator.   Thread chicken and other veggies onto skewers. 

 

Cook for 12-15 minutes on a hot grill until chicken juices run clear. 

Fauxback Steak in Cast Iron Skillet

Have you tried the Fauxback Steak Rub recipe I shared last year? It's still our favorite and we have even used it on chicken a few times.

Some people have asked how we cook our steak. We used to always grill it, and I know some people use the broiler, but our favorite way is to cook on the stove in a cast iron skillet.

Heat skillet on medium-high heat. Add about a tablespoon of butter to the pan. Place seasoned steaks in pan and let them sit.

Flip them once to sear the other side, then remove to a plate. You want to take them off before they are to the point you like them.  We like our steaks medium, so we take them off when they are medium rare. If you like it medium well (just a little pink) then take it off while it's still red in the middle.

Let them stand for a few minutes as they continue cooking, then serve.

Foil Packet Dinners

Did you ever go camping, maybe in scouts, and make foil dinners that cook on the campfire? We love this meal so much we make it at home, sometimes on the grill and sometimes just baking in the oven.

It's so easy to do, and everyone can have his own packet made just the way he likes. My husband likes bell peppers and corn in his, plus a ton of black pepper. I prefer the basics - green beans, potatoes and carrots with my hamburger patty. The kids don't want any green beans so theirs is customized for them.

Foil Packet Dinners

Meat (if desired) - hamburger patty or chicken tenders or boneless/skinless breast work great
Cut up veggies - diced potatoes, snapped green beans, sliced carrots, chopped onion, frozen corn, etc.
Seasoning - salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, anything you like can go in

Lay out one large sheet of foil for each person. You can make a layer of onions first, or just set the meat right in the middle. Add veggies around meat. Sprinkle with seasoning. Bring up the sides and add just a little bit of water to help steam the veggies, and seal well. Use a sharpie to write the name or initial of each person on the packets.  Grill on indirect heat, or bake at 350* for 45 minutes to an hour.

Check the veggies for doneness and continue to cook until they are fork-tender. Serve! We love to dip our meat and veggies in homemade ranch dressing.

Garden Burgers

These garden burgers are SO GOOD and a great way to get some extra veggies in. My family likes cheese on theirs but mine is pictured with guacamole and tomato.

Garden Burgers

1 Egg, beaten
1 Tbsp Ketchup
1/2 tsp Basil
1/2 tsp Onion Salt (or use minced onion and 1/4 tsp Salt)
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 cup frozen loose pack, finely chopped Veggies - I use Carrots and Broccoli.
1/4 cup Bread Crumbs (optional)
1 lb Ground Beef

Mix well and shape into patties.  Grill over medium-high heat until desired doneness.

Chopping the veggies is the biggest job in this recipe.  The easiest and fastest way Is to use a food processor if you have one.  I don't, but I do have a vitamix and the wet-chop technique works perfectly for this.  Simply fill the vitamix about half full with water, add veggies, put the lid on and pulse a few times.  Then dump the whole thing into a fine mesh sieve.  Just be sure not to let the vitamix run too long or you'll have veggie puree.

Feed Your Freezer: You can also make these ahead and freeze the patties for a quick dinner.  I make 1/3 or 1/4 lb patties, lay them on parchment paper, four per layer, and stack three layers.  Then put the whole stack into a gallon size freeze ziploc bag and freeze flat.  They'll be easy to separate with the parchment paper in between.

Bulgogi (Korean Marinated Steak)

My parents started making this recipe when we lived in Okinawa, Japan after seeing it printed in the newspaper in 1988.  Now I make it in bulk and freeze the steak in the marinade so all we have to do is thaw it and grill it.  What used to be a time-consuming meal is now one of our quickest!

Bulgogi

1 lb Flank Steak

Slice steak against the grain into 1/4 inch slices, 2-3 inches long.

2 Tbsp Honey

1/2 c Bragg's or Tamari or Soy Sauce

2 Tbsp Sesame Oil (or another oil, but try to get sesame oil if you can!)

1/4 cup Onion, chopped

1 clove Garlic, minced or 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

1/2 tsp Black Pepper

Combine marinade ingredients.  Marinate steak strips at least 2 hours or overnight.  Grill or broil about 1 minute on each side.  Serve immediately. 

Leftover steak can be chopped up and used in stir fry or fried rice.

For two adults, it works out perfectly to buy 2 steaks, and divide the sliced meat into three ziplocs bags full of marinade to freeze.

Here is the full meal we usually serve: Bulgogi, Sesame Green Beans and Jasmine Rice

Chili Cheese Hotdogs Chilidogs

This is the latest protein success in our house.   I got some delicious grassfed-beef hot dogs from Tallgrass Beef, and their grassfed ground beef makes great chili (and great anything, really).  I feel like the only mom thrilled her kid finally asks for hotdogs to eat!

Homemade Chili (no beans)

1/2 lb Ground Beef

2 Tbsp Tomato Sauce or Ketchup

Squirt of Mustard

1 tsp Chili Powder

Brown ground beef, then drain excess fat.  Add tomato sauce or ketchup, squirt of mustard, and sprinkling of chili powder.  Mix well and taste, adjusting amounts to your liking. 

Here's my big 7 year old cooking his own hotdog for the first time.  He kept telling me he felt so big, now that he's 7, cooking his own food. :)  (When I'm just making a single hotdog, I just heat it in a pan with some butter, but for a big batch we usually grill them.)

 

"Fauxback" Steak Rub

We love Outback's steak rub and have come up with a "copycat" that we use at home. Our preferred method of cooking is to sear the steak in a hot pan, with butter.  Of course you can also grill it.

(This recipe will fill one spice bottle)

Fauxback Steak Rub

4 tsp paprika
2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
3 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp coriander