A Legacy of Good Cooking

9 May

picmonkey_imageToday’s post is dedicated to my mother and grandmothers—Big Mama and Gonga. These women shaped my taste memories and taught me about really good cooking.

My Mom will celebrate 90 years young in a couple of months and she is one good cook. She has always said she liked cooking but she didn’t like the everyday “What’s for dinner” stuff! As an active senior she enjoys taking new recipes into the kitchen and testing them out on the family. And there have been some very impressive ones. On our Mommy & Me kitchen dates we’ve cooked more than a few recipes that we consider 5-star additions to the recipe file.

Some of our legacy favorites like Jerk Style Chicken were shared with Cooking Light magazine a few years ago for the Mother’s Day issue. The chicken is marinated in a blend of sweet and spice to create the signature jerk flava’. Pair it with rice, and a vegetable and you’ll have a mouthwatering and slimnastic* meal.

Jerk Style Chicken

This recipe was inspired by friends with family from Haiti. Photo is courtesy of Cooking Light magazine.

Jerk Style Chicken

1 teaspoon grated lime rind

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon ground allspice

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 to 2 tablespoons finely chopped jalapeño pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 cup chopped onion

6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 1 pound)

3 (6-oz.) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Combine first 12 ingredients in a blender; process until well blended. Pour mixture into a large heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag; add onion and chicken. Seal bag; marinate in refrigerator 1 to 2 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Spray cooking grates with non-stick cooking spray. Prepare grill for medium to low direct heat cooking. Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill chicken, covered, 5 minutes on each side or until done meat thermometer inserted in chicken registers 165°F. Garnish with parsley or clilantro and lime slices, if desired. YIELD: 6 servings

*169 Calories per serving

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