Not long ago I read an article (somewhere) about why most recipes are terribly written. The author contends that every step should be carefully spelled out so that the completely novice cook can recreate the recipe. Every move and measure should be absolute and precise.
I hate that kind of recipe. It makes me feel like an idiot. I write terrible recipes. I write for people like me who are basically good home cooks and fully anticipate that they will tweak any recipe according to their own taste. I expect that if I say “using the muffin method” that this mythical home cook will know what I mean or be willing to look it up. Maybe if I was a professional cookbook author I would think differently. On the other hand, if I write something particularly stupid or unclear, please let me know in the comments.
Oh well, this is another badly written recipe. Tweak to your heart’s content.
I made another version of Jerk Chicken Chili last spring. It was good but it wasn’t quite right. It was very mild, for one thing. And the flavor profile desperately needed ginger. So, this is the new version and I like it a lot better!
Jerk Chicken Chili
1 1/4 pounds chicken breast, no skin, no bone, ready to cook, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 small onion, chopped
2 tablespoons jalapeno pepper, minced
1 inch fresh ginger root, grated
10 ounces roasted red peppers, chopped (about 2/3 of a 16 ounce jar)
16 ounces crushed pineapple in juice (about 3/4 of a 20 ounce can)
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup salsa
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon jerk seasoning
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced fine
In a medium stock pot, saute onion, jalapeno, garlic and ginger until softened. Add chicken broth and pieces of chicken. Cook until chicken is no longer pink. Add roasted red peppers, pineapple, salsa and seasoning. Stir in black beans and simmer for about an hour.
Makes about 10 one cup servings
Per serving: 264 Calories; 4g Fat; 22g Protein; 36g Carbohydrate; 8g Dietary Fiber.
Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 2 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 1/2 Fruit; 1/2 Fat.
*Note: Pineapple chunks or tidbits would be prettier, probably, but in deference to the lap-band, I used crushed.