Here's the next promised 3 day Rachael Ray Rollover Meal Plan. Jerk Chicken with Roasted Vegetables and Pineapple. I love these because it allows me to focus most of my cooking energy on one night making the next two evenings of meal preparation a breeze.
After having completed two of these plans now, the first one was Roast Pork Loin, I have realized that it is VERY important to start that first meal on a day when you have some extra time. You do not want to make this first meal when you feel rushed or frazzled. Save the next two meals for your "busy" days...now if I could just learn to take my own advise..
So, you are wondering, how was the jerk chicken with roasted vegetables and pineapple? My husband's words when he walked in the door should give you a clue..."Oh man! That smells SO good, what is it?" Nothing like hearing those words to make you forget the hour you just spent blending from scratch jerk chicken rub; and peeling and coring a whole pineapple while trying to avoid chopping off a finger.
The aroma of the chicken cooking truly transformed the whole house...if I closed my eyes I even felt like I was on a Caribbean island somewhere...okay in reality not so much..BUT it did smell really good. The chicken roasted beautifully, it was moist and delicious. I was worried about it being a little "spicy" for the kids since it had two jalapenos in the rub but it wasn't at all! Just a perfect blend of spicy and sweet.
Below you will find the first of three meals. At the end I will list the additional ingredients you will need for the other two recipes so you can purchase all of them at once.
Rollover Chicken with Roasted Vegetables with Pineapple-Rachael Ray
Serves 4
Ingredients:
3 red onions, 1 roughly chopped and 2 sliced (1.67)
4 cloves garlic (.20)
4 scallions (fancy word for green onions) (.40)
2 limes (1.00)
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded (.36)
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar (.15)
1/2 cup orange juice (.25)
1 tablespoon sweet paprika (a palmful) (PI)
1 tablespoon cumin (a palmful) (PI)
2 teaspoons allspice (about 2/3 palmful) (didn't have and didn't notice that it effected the taste)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (eyeball it in your palm) (PI)
5-6 sprigs fresh thyme (.40)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus 2-3 tablespoons for drizzling (PI)
8 drumsticks, bone-in, skin on* (see price below)
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts* (see price below)
Salt and black pepper (PI)
1 pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into chopped into small bite-size pieces (2.99)
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped or sliced (.99) (already had sliced and frozen from previous sale)
2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped or sliced (.99) (already had sliced and frozen from a previous sale)
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped or sliced (.67)
*I used 3 large chicken breasts and 12 drumsticks instead, for a more frugal option. (6.11) (purchased on sale for .99 a lb.)
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 400°F.
Place one red onion (chopped), garlic (coarsely chopped), scallions (coarsely chopped), lime juice, jalapeño peppers (seeded, coarsely chopped), red wine vinegar, orange juice, paprika, cumin, allspice, cinnamon and thyme in a food processor and pulse to combine. Turn processor on and stream in about 1/2 cup olive oil to form a thick paste.
Place the chicken pieces in a roasting pan and season generously with salt and pepper. Rub the paste on the chicken and roast 45 minutes.
Peel and core pineapple.
Pile the pineapple, bell peppers and remaining red onions on a baking sheet, coat them in 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Add the tray to the oven after chicken has been in for 15 minutes, roasting the fruit and vegetables for about 30 minutes.
Serve up half the chicken (mine got 2 drumsticks or 1 drumstick and a portion of a chicken breast each) and half of the roasted pineapple, peppers and onions for dinner.
Cool leftovers before you wrap and refrigerate them. I served this with rice as well, to round out the meal.
Total with Rice for Meal #1: $8.09**
**I had to bump this price up from my posting the other day, my math was a little "fuzzy" sorry. But only by $2.00
*As promised
Ingredients you will need for additional recipes
1 pound spaghetti, whole wheat or plain
1/2 cup chicken stock
1-inch piece of fresh ginger or 1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 clove garlic
peanut butter
Tamari (dark soy sauce) (I purchased this to try it out BUT you can use just regular soy sauce)
hot sauce
canola oil
honey
1 sack slaw salad mix (shredded cabbage and carrots) (16 ounces) (I'm using other half of my red cabbage from another meal and some broccoli slaw I got on sale)
4 scallions, thinly sliced on an angle
toasted sesame seeds
1 lime
tortillas
2 cups Monterey jack, pepper jack or cheddar cheese
Enjoy! Tomorrow...Rollover Sweet and Spicy Sesame Noodles with Shredded Jerk Chicken
