Time for something with warmer vibes, don’t you think?

I’m definitely in need of a little sunshine in the form of food about now. Have I told you guys how done I am with the cold and how much I’ve been dreaming of Spring? Okay, okay, I know I have, but this constant stream of gray and rainy days is making me a little psycho. It’s time to put away the coats and rip out the flip flops!

Also, I’m not being 100% for real here, but I’m kinda thinking it would be cool to do lots of traveling this year, like a trip every month! While that’s maybe not a realistic goal, I am planning my next viaje. In fact, I just might be booking tickets this week. But more on that later, we’ve got a recipe to discuss.

So yeah, the weather is getting me down a little bit. Of course, I’m always up for trying to imagine away the seasons with my newest recipe and I guess you could say that’s what inspired this one. I was planning out which recipes I wanted to make for the week and I knew it had to be something with a savory and sweet combo like this. I don’t know about you, but I sometimes really enjoy alternative styles of salsa to the the traditional tomato based one. Not that I don’t really enjoy regular salsa, but it’s just nice to change things up a bit sometimes I think.

There’s a few pieces to the recipe, but it’s really not difficult and it comes together pretty easily. Obviously the flavors of the jerk chicken are the best part, but the mango salsa with the roasted asparagus with it are nearly perfection. Of course, you can’t forget the rice either, because rice = life. I’m just hoping you’re as excited as I am about trying this one.

Jamaican Jerk Chicken Plates + Mango Salsa

Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Yield: 4-6 servings

A fresh and healthy meal that comes together quickly and brings some of Summer's best smells and flavors to your kitchen!

Ingredients

Roasted Asparagus:

1 bunch fresh asparagus, trimmed
1 medium onion, sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Chicken:

1 1/2 pounds (about 4 large) boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoons melted coconut oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon freshly minced ginger
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 sprig of fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons coconut sugar (or 1 tablespoon brown sugar)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Mango Salsa:

1 large mango, peeled pitted and diced
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 small bunch green onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sriracha
1/4 cup fresh cilantro finely chopped

For serving:

4 cups steamed white rice
1-2 ripe avocados, sliced
lime wedges
green onions
cilantro

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 C) and line a baking tray with foil. Place the trimmed asparagus and onions on the tray; drizzle with oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 25-30 minutes until tender-crisp and browned.
Combine all the ingredients for the chicken marinade In a ziplock bag and add the chicken. Toss to combine and allow the chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 48 hours.
While the chicken marinates, make the salsa. In a medium bowl, combine the mango, lime juice, green onion, bell pepper, garlic, sriracha, and cilantro. Toss to combine.
Heat a large skillet or outdoor grill to medium high. Grill the chicken for 5-8 minutes per side or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the grill.
Divide the rice among bowls and top with a chicken breast, roasted asparagus/onions, avocado, salsa, and any other desired toppings.

For more great food ideas, please do not forget to look at my other recent food posts

ALL CONTENT IS MINE AND ORIGINAL! All of these food photos were taken with my Nikon D750 and my favorite Lens, the Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G. You can find out more in my INTRO POST.

And, by the way, to all the minnows out there, my intro post did a huge $0.21. The key to success on Steemit is to be consistent and persistent. Click on the link below for some great tutorials on how you can also succeed on the steem blockchain: