Grilled Pork Chops and Peaches #30MinuteMondays

You're less than 30 minutes away from this healthy paleo meal of spice-rubbed pork chops 

and grilled peaches served with bitter greens and avocado.

How was your weekend? Whether or not it was a long one, I hope it included lots of time spent doing your favorite things. Mine did: I spent time cooking, baking, swimming, sleeping in, and eating burgers. I couldn't have asked for much more!

It's been about two weeks since Ben and I moved to Chattanooga, and I'm so happy to be here. I've only had three full days of work so far, so it's all felt a bit like a giant vacation. We're staying with my future sister-in-law and her husband and my three future nieces, and they are all so much fun. The girls are eight, six, and three years old, and make me want to have my own children YESTERDAY. They love to help me cook, which is a welcome change since so often I'm alone in the kitchen.

On Friday we made chocolate pudding. I'd made the recipe before (I just substitute tapioca flour for the cornstarch to make it grain-free) and knew it only made 6 servings, but figured we could stretch it to feed 7, 3 of whom are not full grown. Right when the girls and I had finished the pudding and were looking for cute little cups to put it in, Ben announced that his parents and brother would also be joining us for dinner. That raised the total count to 10.

Faced with the fear of not enough dessert, the girls suggested another batch of these brownies (similar recipe here--omit the cinnamon and cayenne and add a handful of chocolate chips for a kid-friendly, double chocolate version). I agreed. After baking the brownies, we spread our meager stash of chocolate pudding on top like frosting, added a layer of whipped cream, and sprinkled some more chocolate chips on top for good measure. The result was something so decadent that the eight year-old, who prides herself on usually being able to eat several servings of dessert, was satisfied after just one. When it follows the fear of not enough dessert, too much dessert is a wonderful thing indeed! The pudding brownies lasted for days in the fridge and made excellent snacks throughout the weekend.

Rainbow Salad with Grilled Chicken and Raspberry Walnut Dressing #30MinuteMondays

All the colors of the rainbow are represented in this quick paleo salad with a creamy, dairy-free raspberry walnut dressing.

I've been wanting to make a rainbow salad for a while now, but this seemed like an especially opportune moment. Summer produce is everywhere in all its resplendent hues, and more Americans are able to get married than ever before. Let's celebrate with this salad!

This healthy salad has pretty much all the colors of the rainbow (if you kind of merge indigo and violet together) plus pink. Pink is my favorite color and it's not really fair that it's not a part of the official rainbow, so I made sure it was included by making a nice pink dressing. Despite how creamy it looks, the dressing is dairy-free--the creaminess comes from the walnuts and shallots, and the color is thanks to the raspberries. It's inspired by the creamy shallot dressing from my pan-seared chicken, orange, and walnut salad, but this one's even better because it's pink.

Grilled Adobo Chicken & Sweet Potato Bowls with Jicama Guacamole

I have a bone to pick with boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

I mean, there aren't any actual bones in there to pick, but I'm trying to say I have a problem with them. Ninety percent of the time I eat boneless, skinless chicken breasts, they're no good! Dry, flavorless, and boring. One hundred percent of the time, I would much prefer chicken thighs.  

(Side note: Back when I was a kid and McDonald's still used dark meat in some of their chicken nuggets, I would refuse to eat the white meat ones. I would actually take a bite out of each nugget to check and only eat the ones that passed muster, which was usually 2-3 per order. I was a super fun kid. Thanks, Mom, for putting up with me!)

Anyway, chicken thighs are one of my go-tos (and luckily, McDonald's chicken nuggets no longer are). I love bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for pan-searing and roasting or braising. I am even willing to go to the trouble of deboning thighs myself to make Nom Nom Paleo's amazing cracklin' chicken. And I love boneless, skinless chicken thighs for grilling and making curries. They're moister and more flavorful than breasts, and won't dry out even if you overcook them slightly. I'm super paranoid about making sure my poultry is fully cooked, so I like that extra flexibility.

Matcha Avocado Ice Cream

I'm working with high school students this semester, and on Mondays we have great chats about our weekends. I always feel like a boring, lame adult because every time they're like, "What did you do this weekend?" I'm like, "Oh, I did a lot of cooking, and only a little bit of cleaning." Welcome to my life.

I was excited last Monday because I felt like it sounded a lot cooler to say I made ice cream. Cooler both literally and figuratively, I suppose.

Of course, they wanted to know what flavor, and I wish you could have seen the looks on their faces when they found out I put avocado in my ice cream. They didn't know what matcha was, and that part kind of flew under the radar--everyone was really stuck on the avocado.

You know what, though? It's not weird at all. I knew I wanted to make a matcha ice cream (because matcha in all the things feels like spring to me), and I decided to throw in an avocado because green tea and avocado are spring-green-colored soul sisters. The finished product doesn't taste like avocado, but has an added richness and health boost thanks to that sneaky addition.

Burmese Chile Prawns with Cucumber and Avocado Salad

Are you fast in the kitchen? I'm super slow. No matter how much I wish I could be an ingredient ninja, I just can't seem to get things located and prepped very quickly. I took a knife skills class a few months ago, which helped a little, but I think the issue stems more from disorganization than a lack of dexterity.

I'm working on making more 30-minute paleo dinners to share here on A Calculated Whisk. To make sure I'm representing things accurately, I time myself as I cook, which really highlights my lack of culinary efficiency. For this recipe, I started timing, assembled most of the ingredients for the marinade, and then realized I couldn't find a sharp knife to cut the lime in half. I paused the timer while I located a chef's knife and washed it, because I thought you, my wonderful readers, were likely to already have a clean knife on hand. Several other misplaced items and dirty dishes slowed me down and I didn't stop the timer every time, but I still managed to make this meal in JUST over 30 minutes (if you're making rice, you may need an extra 3-5 minutes to get that measured and set up).

So, even if you're less than speedy in the kitchen, like me, you can have this dinner on your plate in just about half an hour.

Today's recipe comes from Sue at Couscous and Consciousness. I was assigned her blog for this month's Secret Recipe Club reveal, and had so much fun browsing through her delicious recipes. (I was also excited to read that Sue is a yoga teacher. I love yoga and have been trying to do at least a few sun salutations every morning. I wish I could take a class with Sue, but she lives in New Zealand, so it would be quite a commute.)

Sue's food is colorful, creative, and usually on the lighter side, so there were a lot of tempting options to choose from. She also has many internationally inspired dishes, which makes browsing her site really fun. For this month's reveal, top contenders included bengali aloo with lemon turmeric aioli, roasted apricot gelato, and plum and cardamon cake. Even though I'm not much of a salad person at all, I also found myself wanting to try this salmon with green tea soba noodle, broad bean, and radish salad and this watermelon and feta salad with preserved lemon dressing.

Orange Peach Raspberry Smoothie

When I'm sick, I crave smoothies. Just thinking about blending together a bunch of vitamin-packed produce makes me feel a tad better, and my outlook only improves once I'm actually drinking it. Smoothies, especially ones that look like sunshine in a glass, also help me momentarily forget about winter. For me, they're are an important aspect of self-care. 

I wanted this smoothie to have plenty of Vitamin C, so I used oranges, peaches, and raspberries. Also, like I almost always do, I added an avocado. It makes the smoothie really creamy, but you won't taste it. The healthy fat from the avocado also makes this nice and filling.

To make the smoothie pack even more of a punch, I added some turmeric and fresh ginger. In addition to providing more potential health benefits, these rhizomes add depth of flavor, and the turmeric deepens the golden color.

The cara cara oranges I used also contributed to the hue of this drink. I bet using blood oranges would make the color pop even more!

Why Avocado Belongs in Your Smoothies

photos via Instagram

I have a new morning routine.  It begins at 5:30, and goes like this.  First, I stumble to the sink, get a glass of water, and drink it on the couch, usually while staring blankly at my Instagram feed.  After a minute, I've built up the energy necessary to take steps to obtain coffee, which then fuels the rest of my activities.  If there is coffee in the machine from the day before, I drop in three ice cubes and congratulate myself on making iced coffee.  If the machine is empty, I grumble a lot, make a new pot, and settle for hot coffee.

When the coffee hits, it's time to make a smoothie.  The smoothie is the highlight of my morning, and it's all because of the humble avocado.

A friend gave me an incredulous look recently when I mentioned putting avocado in my smoothies. I only started adding them in April, but they've already become such a smoothie essential for me that I was totally flabbergasted by her response.  I am writing this blog post on the off chance that you, like my friend, have not tried putting avocado in your smoothies yet.

Here are five quick reasons you should do it:

Bacon, Arugula, and Avocado Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette

My last post was about inspiration, and this one is about exhaustion.  Not the discouraging kind of exhaustion that makes you feel like there's no end in sight, but the kind of exhaustion that leaves you cheerfully spent at the end of the day--content, but without much left to offer.

I started my first external placement for graduate school last week, and I'm in schools working with kids and teachers four days a week for ten hours a day.  (In case you haven't heard me mention it, I'm working on a master's in speech and language pathology with dual certification as a reading specialist).  I am learning and doing so much that I do not know where to put all my thoughts and ideas.  I have plenty of notebooks and folders, but there's not enough space and time to capture everything I want to hold onto.  Do you ever feel that way?  Please tell me about your own exhaustion in the comments so I can feel a little less alone!

Slow-Cooker Carnitas Lettuce Wraps with Pineapple & Avocado Salsa

Ben is out of town this week, so I have been left to my own devices.  Last night I got home and decided to read the first chapter or two of the kids' novel Because of Winn-Dixie, which I needed to preview before using it in a lesson.  Turns out the book is really good, and also a bit sad.  A girl named India Opal, whose mother left when she was little, moves to Naomi, Florida with her dad and ends up adopting a stray dog who helps her make all kinds of interesting friends.  Each friend has their own poignant story.  I may have ended up crying several times (just enough to need a tissue, not straight-up bawling), and finishing the whole book in less than two hours.  Now, that's what I call a fun evening!  Tonight I might watch the film version.

Bacon & Sweet Potato Chili

Do you have a really big skillet?  If not, you are going to want to go buy one so you can make this chili right away.

If you are not convinced that you need a 14-inch skillet, I understand.  However, I intend to convince you to make this chili.  It's the best chili I've ever had, and it's a complete and colorful one-pot meal.  If you didn't just go by a huge skillet and/or don't need to feed a bunch of people, you can halve the recipe and make it in a normal-sized pan.

Why is this the best chili ever?  Well, because bacon.  And sweet potatoes.  And all the fresh things on top that make this the perfect comfort food to carry you from winter into spring.

Fried Okra with Avocado Crema (Whole30 Day 18)

My mom grew up in Austin, and that's where I learned to love fried okra.  We used to go every year to visit our family, and we always ate at this amazing cafeteria called the Marimont that has now been closed for several years.  We would stay for a week, and eat there everyday for lunch.  Here's what I used to get: two or three sides of macaroni and cheese (theirs was the best!), an order of fried okra, and a slice of chocolate cream pie.  I miss that place so much!

Fortunately, there are other places to get great fried okra (I recently had some really delicious okra at Tupelo Honey in Chattanooga).  However, as far as I know, none of those places are in Massachusetts, and none of them offer fried okra that's paleo, gluten-free, vegan and fried in coconut oil.  I still consider my version an indulgence since it uses a lot of oil, but treats like this are important, especially when you're doing a Whole30 and can't have any desserts.

I made an easy avocado crema to go with my okra.  If you have extra crema, it would also be great on eggs or as a dip for veggies.  Of course, the okra is also amazing plain, with just good coarse salt sprinkled on top!

Caldo Tlalpeño (Paleo, Gluten-free)

When I lived in Houston, I loved to stop at El Rey Taquería for a big bowl of their tortilla soup, which was packed with chicken, shredded cheese, corn, avocado, and crispy tortilla strips, and also called caldo tlalpeño.  The restaurant is open until 3 am on the weekends, and has a drive-through.  I miss living the easy life in H-town, with all the drive-throughs, cheap prices, and delicious Mexican food!  I decided it was time to make my own caldo tlalpeño up here in the frosty north.

A little research revealed that caldo tlalpeño and tortilla soup are not really the same thing.  Tortilla soup usually has tortilla strips in it (shocking, right?), and caldo tlalpeño often has chickpeas and other vegetables like chayote.  This is my version of the soup, which combines the best of both worlds.  If you can't find chayote (I found mine at the Vietnamese market), you can use zucchini instead or leave it out.

Carnitas con huevo

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day.  I like to start with a hearty, hot, and delicious breakfast--no bowls of cereal, please.  Since I've started my whole30, I've made lots of great egg dishes, but now I'm having a problem.  I'm tired of eggs.

Blueberry Pancakes with a Secret Ingredient

Okay, I know I've been posting a lot of pancake recipes recently.  But, I had to make these because I went berry picking yesterday, and all those adorable, sweet blueberries were begging to be made into pancakes.  And, I had to share this recipe with you because I snuck in one of my favorite secret ingredients.

It's green.  It's delicious.  Can you guess what it is?

Sesame Lime Steak, Zucchini, & Avocado Salad

After all those pancakes, I was ready for some meat.  I cooked this steak on my George Foreman grill which, I'm ashamed to admit, had been riding in the trunk of my car ever since I moved back up from Houston two years ago.  No worse for the wear, the grill worked fine when I finally brought it inside today.  You can also cook your steak on a real grill or stovetop in a grill pan or heavy skillet.

This salad is my first attempt at using zucchini as noodles.  I think in this recipe it really works.  You aren't tricked into thinking you're eating real noodles, but the long, thin noodle shape is the perfect vehicle for the sauce, and the raw zucchini still has a little bit of a crunch to it.

Another ingredient note: this recipe calls for coconut aminos, which are a paleo replacement for soy sauce.  In my opinion, the flavor is very similar.  You won't taste any coconut here.  If you're looking for coconut aminos, I found mine at Whole Foods.  You can also just substitute soy sauce if you're not avoiding soy.

Ingredients (serves 2):

For the steak:

2/3 pound thin sliced top round steak (or another thin cut)
1 tablespoon coconut aminos
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon red chili paste
Juice of half a lime

For the salad:

2 zucchini, cut or peeled into thin, noodle-like matchsticks
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon almond butter
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon coconut aminos
1 tablespoon apple juice
1/2 avocado, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon roasted sesame seeds
Lime wedges

To make the marinade, combine all ingredients in a shallow bowl and toss with the steak to coat.  Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or in the refrigerator for up to two hours.  If you marinate in the refrigerator, take the meat out 30 minutes before you plan to cook it to let it come to room temperature.

Heat a George Foreman grill or a heavy skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook the steak to your desired doneness.  Set steaks aside on a plate, covered.

In a medium bowl, combine the almond butter, sesame oil, coconut aminos, and apple juice to make a smooth sauce.  Toss the zucchini to coat it with the sauce, and divide the zucchini between two plates.  Slice the steak into strips and place it on top of the zucchini.  Top the steak with the avocado slices and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.  Serve warm or chilled with lime wedges.

Blueberry Avocado Breakfast Cake

Cake for breakfast!  That's what it's all about.  Did you read Maurice Sendak's In the Night Kitchen when you were a kid?  Mickey has to fly all over the city looking for "milk for the morning cake".  I think morning cake is totally legit, and something we should all have more of.



My mom got me a bunch of organic blueberries when they were on crazy sale at Whole Foods.  I came across a recipe for buttermilk blueberry breakfast cake on Alexandra's Kitchen, and really wanted to try it.  Then I remembered (sigh) that the blog and I are supposed to be eating healthy.



So, I decided to try an experiment.  In Gaby Dalkin's book Absolutely Avocados, she has several dessert recipes (brownies, cookies, pound cake) where she substitutes avocado for half the butter.  I wanted to see how that would go in this morning cake.  I also reduced the sugar a bit and added some cinnamon.



The results were wonderful!  I would recommend this to anyone who wants to have their cake (for breakfast) and their avocado, too.

Ingredients (serves 6-8; adapted from this recipe on Alexandra's Kitchen):

1 avocado, peeled and seeded
1/4 cup butter (4 tablespoons), at room temperature
Zest of one lime or lemon
2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup buttermilk*

Preheat the oven to 350.  Grease an 8 x 8 baking pan.

In a large bowl, combine the avocado, butter, lime or lemon zest, and 2/3 cup of sugar.  Cream with a fork or mixer until well-blended.  Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth.

Toss 1/4 cup of flour with the blueberries.  In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the remaining flour with the baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk and mixing by hand just until combined.  Fold in the blueberries.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of sugar on top.

Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool for 15 minutes, then cut into squares and serve warm or at room temperature.

* Make your own buttermilk!  Place 1 tablespoon vinegar or fresh-squeezed lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup.  Add milk (I used 2%) until it reaches the 1 cup line.  Let sit for five minutes.  Use half your homemade buttermilk in this recipe and save the rest for something else!

Cilantro & Avocado Pesto Pasta Salad

I was planning to make guacamole for my party the other night, but at the last minute, I barely got the last batch of cupcakes into the oven before guests started arriving.  I think the party went fine without it, but I was left with several avocados and a big bunch of cilantro.  I thought about making the guacamole for me and Ben, but after my love affair with this queso, I wasn't in the mood for any more chips.

Then, I thought of a brilliant idea.  Cilantro and avocado pesto!  For pasta salad!  And this dish was born.

I think it's fabulous, and I hope you will, too!  You can make it in twenty minutes and it's the perfect color for a spring lunch or dinner.  You could definitely bring it on a picnic, too!



Ingredients (serves 4):

1 pound pasta (I used cavatappi)
1 cup packed fresh cilantro
1 large avocado, peeled and seeded
Juice of half a lime
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 scallions, sliced
1/2 cup crumbled feta (omit this for a vegan dish--it still tastes great!)
1 cup peas, cooked if frozen (I sauteed mine in a little olive oil for 5 minutes)
Salt and pepper to taste
More cilantro, scallions, and lime wedges for garnish

Cook the pasta until al dente, then drain and run under cold water.

To make the pesto, blend the cilantro, avocado, and lime juice in a food processor.  With the motor running, add the olive oil in a steady stream and process until smooth.

Toss the cooked pasta, pesto, scallions, feta, and peas together.  Garnish with additional cilantro and scallions and/or a lime wedge (or more feta--I was out).  Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Breakfast Arepas with Guacamole

Here's the perfect Cinco de Mayo breakfast!  Arepas (my favorite thing ever since I made these), eggs, and guacamole.  These are pretty quick to throw together, and very filling and satisfying.  Plus, who doesn't love a chance to make guacamole first thing in the morning?  I know I do!

I was excited to try arepas with some shredded cheese mixed into the batter, but once they were cooked I didn't really notice the cheese.  Oh well.  Next up in my all-arepas-all-the-time series, I'll be trying arepas with a big chunk of cheese stuffed in the middle.  Cheese-bellied arepas, if you will.  Stay tuned!  I won't make you wait long, I promise.

Ingredients (serves four):

For the arepas:
1 cup masarepa (precooked fine yellow or white cornmeal)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup shredded cheese (optional)
Butter for cooking

For the guacamole:
1 ripe avocado
1 clove garlic, minced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of one lime
Salt and pepper to taste

4 eggs, poached or fried
Salt and pepper

To make the guacamole, place all ingredients in a bowl and mash with a fork until combined but still chunky.

For the arepas, mix the masarepa, salt, and water and let sit for 5 minutes.  Heat some butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Mix the cheese into the batter, then form patties about four inches across and half an inch thick.  Fry until golden and crisped on both sides, about 10 minutes.

Spoon a generous layer of guacamole on top of a hot arepa, then top with an egg.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve hot.

Arepas with Black Beans and Corn & Avocado Salsa

I have been dying to make something with avocado ever since I got Gaby Dalkin's amazing cookbook, Absolutely Avocados, in the mail.  Tons of bloggers have been posting recipes from her book in honor of its release, and after I saw Recipe Girl's photos of Gaby's Bacon, Avocado, and Corn Salad, I was determined to make that.

However, due to a bout of laziness, I was only able to make it to the small Vietnamese store down the street.  No bacon, no cheese, no fresh corn.  I was forced to re-imagine my dinner plans.

In my opinion, anything with avocado and corn is pretty fabulous, even if the corn is frozen.  But, the two together don't really quite make up a meal.  I picked up a can of black beans, imagining tacos with a corn and avocado salsa.  Alas, no tortillas.  However, I did stumble across a section chock full of tortilla ingredients.  A bag of creamy yellow masarepa caught my eye, and guess what?  It had a super easy recipe for arepas right on the back.

If you've never had arepas, you need to try them!  They are a lot like pupusas, and super easy to make.  If you live in Boston, you can choose from all kinds of delicious, cheese-stuffed arepas at Orinoco.  Either way, you should definitely try this recipe.

Serves 3-4 as a main course or 8 as a first course.

Ingredients for the corn and avocado salsa:

1 tablespoon butter or olive oil

1 1/2 cups frozen corn

4 scallions, sliced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Juice of one lime

1 ripe avocado, peeled and small diced

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the butter or olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the corn and season with salt and pepper.  Cook for about five minutes, until the corn is tender.  Remove from heat.

After the corn cools a bit, combine with the rest of the ingredients and add more salt, pepper, and lime juice as needed.

Ingredients for the black beans (adapted from the back of the Goya can I used):

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 15 ounce can low-sodium black beans 

3/4 cup water

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 packet Sazón Adobo seasoning

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Pinch of sugar (optional)

Salt to taste

Heat the olive oil over medium heat, and saute the garlic until fragrant and lightly browned.  Add the beans, water, seasoning, and vinegar.  Bring to a boil, and then simmer for ten minutes.  Taste for seasoning, adding sugar and/or salt as desired (I used a bit of both).

Ingredients for the arepas (from the back of the Goya bag):

2 cups precooked masarepa (fine yellow cornmeal)

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups warm water

Butter or olive oil for cooking

Mix together the masarepa, water, and salt, and let it sit for five minutes.  Heat the butter or olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium high heat.  Use your hands to form patties that are about 4 inches wide and half an inch thick.  Make sure the skillet is very hot before you add the arepas.  Cook until browned and crisped on both sides, 10-15 minutes total.  I recommend letting the arepas sit for the first five minutes without moving them, because at first they are vulnerable to falling apart.

The recipe said you can mix in some shredded cheese right before forming the patties, so I might have to try that next time.  Let me know if you give that version a whirl!

Serve the arepas topped with beans and salsa, with a wedge of lime for squeezing on top.

This is a perfect recipe for Cinco de Mayo!  Do you have plans to cook anything else fabulous for the big day?

Jerk Chicken with Avocado and Papaya Salad

In the Jamaican airport I bought myself a cookbook called Eat Caribbean by Virginia Burke to read on the plane.  It's fabulous--full of colorful photographs and delicious recipes.  I read the whole thing by the end of the second flight, and already knew I wanted to try jerk chicken right away.  Since Ben and I are trying to eat more lightly for spring, I decided to opt for the recipe with jerk chicken on top of a tropical avocado and papaya salad.  (Have I mentioned how much I love papayas?  If you don't, or you can't find one, I bet this would be great with grapefruit, too.)

The jerk seasoning has a lot of ingredients, but is super quick to make.  This recipe makes about 2/3 of a cup, so you can store the extra in your fridge and try it on other meats or seafood.  I am pretty much dying to try jerk everything.  The cookbook even has a recipe for jerk hamburgers!  How fabulous does that sound?

This salad was a wonderful light dinner.  The citrusy dressing, creamy avocado, sweet papaya, and spiced chicken complement each other perfectly.  I will definitely be making this again soon!

This recipe is adapted from Eat Caribbean and serves 3-4.

Ingredients for the jerk seasoning:

6 scallions, trimmed
1-3 scotch bonnet or habanero peppers, seeded and trimmed (I chickened out and used half a pepper, and it wasn't hot at all.  So I recommend using at least one whole pepper!)
1 teaspoon allspice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 tablespoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup cane, malt, or apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon oil

Blend all ingredients in the food processor to form a paste.  Store in the refrigerator.

Ingredients for the jerk chicken:

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1.5 pounds)
Salt or lime juice
1-2 tablespoons jerk seasoning (The recipe called for 1, but I thought the chicken could have used more flavor)
1 tablespoon oil, plus some for cooking

Prepare a bowl of salt water, or water with the juice of 1 lime, and rinse the chicken pieces in it.  Pat dry.  Rub the chicken with the jerk seasoning and oil, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

Heat a bit of oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken pieces and cook, turning occasionally, until well-browned on both sides and cooked through, about 15 minutes total.

Ingredients for the salad:

1 avocado, cut into small chunks

1/2 papaya, cut into small chunks

8 ounces mixed greens

Ingredients for the lime vinaigrette:

Juice of 1 lime

5 tablespoons olive oil

1 scallion, thinly sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the ingredients for the dressing in a medium bowl and set aside.  As soon as you cut the avocado, put the pieces in the bowl and toss to coat with the dressing so the avocado doesn't brown.

To prepare the papaya, slice it in half and scrape out the seeds and fibers with a spoon.  Score the flesh with a knife and scoop out the chunks with a spoon.

To serve, divide the salad greens between the plates.  Top with papaya, avocado, and dressing.  Slice the chicken and place on top.  Drizzle with additional dressing if desired.

Enjoy your healthy dinner.  This would be a good vegetarian option without the chicken!