What's for lunch
Chef Keith Martin
Café 54
www.cafe54.org
Jerk Chicken Salad
(serves 4)
1 barely ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and sliced
4 strawberries, stems removed, quartered
½ cup diced pineapple (fresh preferred)
½ cup spiced pecans (recipe follows)
1 lb. cleaned mixed baby greens
Raspberry vinaigrette (recipe follows)
4 jerk chicken breasts (recipe follows)
Fresh cilantro for garnish
Lay out 4 chilled dinner plates. Divide greens among plates. Drizzle with raspberry vinaigrette. Divide mangoes, strawberries, pineapple and pecans evenly among plates. Top each plate with a sliced chicken breast. Garnish with fresh cilantro.
Spiced pecans
1 cup pecan halves
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp molasses or dark corn syrup
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp cloves
¼ tsp allspice
Pinch cayenne pepper
Toss pecans with sugar and syrup and spread out on oiled sheet pan. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes until pecans are toasted. Remove from oven to bowl and immediately toss with spices. Spread spiced pecans onto another oiled cookie sheet to cool completely before using or storing in an airtight container for up to a week.
Raspberry vinaigrette
1 pint fresh raspberries
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
2 cups canola oil
Salt and pepper to taste.
In blender, combine raspberries, vinegar, mustard and honey. You may strain out raspberry seeds at this point, or leave them in. With blender running, drizzle in oil in slow stream until vinaigrette reaches desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt, pepper and more vinegar if needed. Store in refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to a week.
Jerk Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 Tbsp bottled (or homemade) jerk sauce
4 tsp chopped cilantro
4 tsp dry jerk seasoning
Rub chicken breasts with sauce, then sprinkle with dry seasoning and cilantro. Allow to marinate for at least 20 minutes or up to 4 hours. Grill over charcoal, saute, or bake until internal temperature reaches 170 F.
