1 Meal x 3 ways: Jerk Chicken with Roasted Peppers and Pineapple

This is the first of the recipes, Jerk Chicken

Being a busy mom of 6 (picture me wearing a sweet little apron over a skirt, with heels and pearls) I love a recipe that I can make once and use for several days.  This recipe requires you to make a large portion to begin with and divide it into three meals, changing it up a bit for the second two meals.  I have tried freezing it and it works pretty well.

Jerk Chicken
3 red onions: 1 coarsely chopped and 2 sliced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
Juice of 2 limes
2 jalapeno peppers halved and seeded (at our grocery store you can buy them already chopped= time saver!!)
3 TBS grape juice
1/2 cup orange juice
1 TBS paprika
1 TBS cumin
2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
5-6 fresh thyme sprigs
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
8 chicken drumsticks
8 chicken breasts
*since this recipe was designed to feed  family of 4 and I need it to go further, I always use16 chicken breast, since there's so little meat on a drumstick*
Salt and Pepper
1 pineapple, peeled, cored and chopped
1 yellow pepper, sliced
2 red peppers, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced

*preheat the oven to 400 degrees *
In a food processor, combine the chopped red onion, garlic, lime juice, jalapenos, grape juice, orange juice, paprika, cumin, allspice, and thyme.  Pulse a few times, then add a little olive oil to make a paste-like consistency.
In a roasting pan, or glass casserole dish, sprinkle the chicken with the salt and pepper, then pour the spice paste over the top, making sure to get all the chicken pieces covered.  Roast in the oven for 45 minutes.
In another casserole dish arrange the pineapple and peppers and the other 2 red onions.  Drizzle some olive oil over the top, sprinkle with salt and pepper.  After the chicken has been in the oven for 15 minutes, add the peppers and pineapple dish to the oven to cook along with it for the last 30 minutes.


Divide the cooked food so that the first meal gets half of everything, the second and third meals each get 1/4.  (Like dividing a 4/4 measure of music into one half note and two quarters :)

 Meal #1
Each person gets a helping of the chicken, the veggies and some steamed rice.

Meal #2  Sweet and Spicy Sesame Noodles with Shredded Chicken
First we add a few more ingredients to our 1/4 portion of the chicken and peppers already cooked

1 lb spaghetti
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tsp ground ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
3 TBS peanut butter (stay with me!)
1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
Hot Sauce-a few dashes
2 TBS canola oil
2 TBS honey
1 small package slaw mix
4 green onions
3 TBS sesame seeds

Cook spaghetti noodles according to package directions.  While the pasta is cooking, heat the chicken stock in a small pan.  Once warm, add the ginger, garlic, peanut butter, tamari, hot sauce, canola oil, and honey and whisk to combine.
Using whatever method you can, shred the chicken, then put it in a big mixing bowl with the peppers and pineapple.  If you think your family will eat it, you can also add half of the slaw mix.  I choose to omit this.
 Drain the pasta, add it to the bowl, then drizzle the sauce over the top.  Toss to combine.  Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.

*My kids were surprised that they liked this, since they saw me with the peanut butter and all...*

Meal #3 And my favorite!!  Jerk Chicken Quesadillas
 
Tortillas
Monterey Jack, or Pepper Jack cheese, grated

Arrange small portions of the Jerk Chicken and pineapple and peppers on a tortilla, add grated cheese, place another tortilla over the top and heat using desired method (frying pan, broiler, George Foreman Grill).  I'm sure David Martinez would know the exact method.  He was a whiz with the quesadillas at the beach!