The Grad Student's Vacation: Making Caribbean Food at Home

For those of you who haven't been watching the news or weather lately, we Midwesterners have been dealing with a little storm the media has called "Q." I still don't really know why, so if you can enlighten me, please comment.

So, because Matt and I are not fond of being holed up inside while the snow comes down around us, we decided to take a vacation.

Yes, a vacation.

But don't get too excited. We're students, so we had to get a bit creative. Instead of packing our bags, slathering sunscreen on our noses and heading out for a Jamaican cruise, Matt and I headed for the store and picked up some ingredients for Caribbean chicken. We grabbed a Red Stripe for good measure.

Oh, you were expecting an actual vacation? You didn't know we're poor?

But as I always say, "Just because you're poor doesn't mean you can't live richly."

So we did.

I got so excited about cooking my own freestyle Jamaican Jerk Chicken and Mango Lime Rice that I forgot to take a picture of my ingredients. Whoops. But let me make a go at remembering them...


Betsey's Jamaican Jerk Chicken
As many boneless, skinless chicken breasts as you feel like eating
1 c. Jamaican jerk marinade, plus extra for basting (I used Lawry's)

1. Marinate your chicken breasts for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.
2. Set your oven to broil, and place your marinated chicken breasts on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
3. Broil chicken on each side for about 7 minutes, or until cooked through. While it's broiling, you can continue to baste the chicken with more marinade, if that's your style. You go ahead and baste. I won't judge you.

Yes, those are carrot spears on top. I got fancy.

Mango Lime Rice
Instant brown or white rice
Chicken broth or water
1 T. canola oil
1 mango, peeled and diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
Juice of 1 lime 
Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Make your rice according to package directions, using either chicken broth or water.
2. Heat canola oil over medium heat and add mango, onion, and green pepper and sauté for about 2 minutes.
3. Throw your lime juice and cooked rice into the mix and heat everything through. Season to taste.



Pour yourself a Caribbean cocktail or a cold glass of Red Stripe, close your eyes, and image you're on a white sand beach somewhere in the Caribbean, soaking up the sun and not in this: