Got sun?

We don't have sun right now. It's just plain cold out, and mostly gray, so we made our own sunny food for dinner last night—Jerk Chicken , Red Beans and Rice, and Key Lime Cheesecake with mangoes. Oh, and a tropical "Salsa" to go with the meat. We had Troy over for dinner. He's solo this week since Karen's got sun—cruising the Caribbean with a girlfriend all week (soak up some rays for me)!

E helped with the marinade for the chicken until I got to the habanero pepper part. It's Mike Woodman's recipe:

Jerk Marinade

2 bunches scallions, chopped (or equivalent amnt of onion)
6 garlic cloves, crushed
4 t. allspice
2 T. dried thyme
4 t. salt
2 habanero chiles, stemmed and scored
2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1/2 c. oil
1/2 c. molasses
2 T. cumin

Broil or barbeque the chicken after marinating for at least two hours. Serve with Zataran's Red Beans and Rice and a "salsa" (my recipe) of 1/2 c. crushed pineapple, 1 cubed avocado, 1/8 c. chopped fresh cilantro leaves, 1/4 c. chopped fresh mango, 1 T. key lime juice and 1/4 t. kosher sea salt.

For dessert we had a wonderful Key Lime Cheesecake with mangoes on top—recipe from Smitten Kitchen right here. I skipped the whipped cream, and used ReddiWhip (fewer calories and fat), and used Nellie & Joe's key lime juice which I've been using for key lime pie since, oh... 1995 or so. It's the best.