It's Caribbean Food Week!......{Jerk Chicken Wraps}

Did you know that this week is Caribbean food week? That's right, it runs 24-31 August culminating in the world-famous Notting Hill Carnival. When Grace Foods offered me the chance top create some yummy recipes using their wide selection of Caribbean products I couldn't wait to get involved. Caribbean food is something I have tried on a few occasions but don't really cook myself so I was up for the challenge. 

For my first recipe I decided to create a really healthy but incredibly tasty chicken dish using the Dunns River Jerk Season that I was sent. I love Jerk Chicken and when the chicken was cooked on my grill plate it went all smoky and delicious - the marinade would work so well on chicken legs and wings for a BBQ. The spiciness of the chicken is cooled down by the mango and lime juice and you basically just have a taste sensation in your mouth! H absolutely loved these and if you marinade your chicken overnight they literally take 10-15 minutes to cook and get onto the plate so they are great as an after work quick and easy dinner!

Jerk Chicken Wraps with Mango Salsa  

300g chicken (breast of thigh), sliced into large strips 

for the marinade:

1 tbsp Dunns River Jerk Seasoning 

3 spring onions roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled 

inch of fresh ginger, peeled

1 dried ancho chilli or one fresh red chilli

2 tbsp coconut oil

2 tbsp coconut sugar (or brown sugar will work)

1 tbsp algarve syrup (treacle would also work)

s&p

juice of 1 lime 

For mango salsa:

1 mango, peeled and cubed 

handful coriander, chopped 

juice of 1 lime 

to serve:

iceberg lettuce, shredded 

tortillas   

place all of the ingredients for the marinade in a blender and blend until smooth. pour over the chicken and mix until coated. cover and place in fridge - ideally overnight. to make the salsa combine the mango with the coriander and lime juice. warm a grill pan and cook off the chicken - let it get a bit charred as it tastes even better this way. in a separate pan warm up the tortilla. to serve place a bed of lettuce, add on the chicken and top with the salsa. 

Simple but full of  flavours of the Caribbean sunshine!   

Why not follow along all the Caribbean fun and check out more recipes via @caribbeanfoodwk on Twitter and on Facebook www.facebook.com/caribbeanfoodweek

Disclaimer: The lovely people at Grace foods sent me some of the ingredients to create this recipe. All thoughts and ideas are my own. 

SOmetimes good food isn't pretty...........{tomato zoodles}

 

 

As a (sorta) food blogger I sometimes find myself stuck on whether or not to post a recipe as the photos don't make it look the best or its just not a "pretty" recipe and sometimes food just isn't that pretty. But then I didn't start this blog to be popular, or pretty. I just wanted to make tasty food, share my love of flavours and perhaps inspire a few people in their kitchens. So these zoodles are quick easy and really tasty. Like all my zoodle recipes the sauce would taste just as good if it went over some spaghetti or pasta.

Cherry Tomato Zoodles

2 tbsp. olive oil
120g cherry tomatoes - I used red and yellow, cut into halves and quarters
2 tbsp. red onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and squashed down but kept whole
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. tomato puree
S&P
1 tbsp. parmesan, grated
2 courgettes (zucchini), spiralized to make noodles

warm olive oil in the pan and add in the onion, cook until softened and then add in the garlic clove. when fragrant add in the tomatoes and balsamic vinegar and cook through for 10 minutes. Add in the tomato puree to thicken the sauce. season. add in the zoodles and cook through for a few minutes. sprinkle over and serve. 

I served this alongside a stuffed mushroom and it was lovely