Baked Pepperoni Pasta

1 box rigatoni
20 turkey pepperonis, diced
3 C pasta sauce
1 C shredded mozzarella

Cook pasta according to box directions, but cutting cooking time in half. In a 9x13 glass pan, mix drained pasta, sauce, and turkey pepperoni. Top with mozzarella. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 5-10 minutes until cheese is melted and golden.

NOTES:
- Use any pasta you like, including spaghetti if it tickles your fancy. I'm a fan of tube pasta for this dish because the hollow center picks up the sauce nicely. Whole wheat penne or rigatoni is my favorite.
- I rarely used store bought pasta sauce to save on the salt and sugar.
- Experiment with the cheese.
- Substitute turkey pepperoni for any other cooked meat as desired. Or omit for an even lighter option.
- Pair with a salad, because veggies.

Jamaica's Spaghetti and Meatballs

1 package Spaghetti

Sauce:
2 T olive oil
1 large onion, diced
5 cloves garlic
1 t fresh (preferred) or dry thyme
1 t fresh (preferred) or dry oregano
1 t fresh (preferred) or dry rosemary
1 t fresh (preferred) or dry basil
1/2 t red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
2 large cans crushed tomatoes

Meatballs:

2 T olive oil
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 C bread crumbs
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t onion powder
1 t salt
1 t ground pepper
1 T Italian seasoning (thyme, oregano, rosemary, basil)
1/4 t red pepper flakes
1/2 t smoked paprika

Mix olive oil, onion and garlic over medium heat until onions are translucent. Add sauce spices and tomatoes. Cook approx. one hour until sauce is thickened.

Cook pasta per package directions, but remove from heat approx. 2/3 through recommended al dente cooking time. Drain but do not rinse.

Mix meatball ingredients in a bowl. Roll into approx. 1/2 in. balls. Cook in a nonstick skillet with olive oil approx. 10 min. stirring frequently until golden brown on the outside and cooked thoroughly inside.

Mix pasta, sauce, and meatballs together in pan. Serve immediately.

Coconut Curry Chicken

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 t cayenne
1 T vegetable oil
1 medium onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 t coriander
1 T fresh ginger, grated
1/2 t turmeric
1 t curry powder
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 can unsweetened coconut milk
1 C rice, cooked
1/2 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
salt and pepper to taste


In a small bowl, mix chicken, lemon juice, cayenne, salt and pepper together and set in fridge. In a medium pan, cook onion and garlic in vegetable oil until onions are translucent. Add coriander, ginger, turmeric, and curry to pot. Add diced tomatoes (with the juice) and coconut milk to mixture. Add chicken to pot and cook 15-20 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Serve over cooked rice and top with fresh cilantro.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 C cooked shredded chicken
4 C chicken stock
1 T olive oil
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 T tomato paste
1 can tomatoes with green chilies
2 cans black beans
1 T chili powder
1 T cumin
Salt, pepper, crushed red pepper to taste

In a stock pot, cook onion, garlic, and bell peppers in oil until soft. Add chicken, tomatoes, tomato paste, beans, and spices. Add stock and simmer for 20-30 min.

Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, cilantro, lime, and/or jalapeños. I also serve with tortilla chips (I fry my own using vegetable oil and corn tortillas).

I've also made this with turkey (and homemade turkey stock), and it was awesome.

Jamaica's Thai Chicken and Rice

An attempt at an adaption of Nong's Kao Man Gai Chicken and Rice. Not nearly as good, but still decent.

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 T vegetable oil
1 C brown or white rice
1 palm size fresh ginger root
2 heads garlic
1/3 C lite soy sauce
1/3 C white vinegar
5-10 small red hot chilis
1/2 C peanuts (optional)
cilantro (optional)
lime (optional)

Boil rice in water per package directions. Mince one head of garlic (4-5 cloves) and half of the ginger root. Add to a large skillet along with vegetable oil and heat on medium. While oil is heating, dice chicken into bite size cubes. Add to skillet and brown, stirring frequently. While chicken is cooking, make sauce by combining soy sauce, vinegar, remaining minced garlic and minced ginger. Minced chilis can be added to the sauce directly or served on the side. Add peanuts to chicken during last few minutes of cooking. Serve rice on a platter with the chicken on the top. Serve the sauce on the side, along with chilis, cilantro, and lime.

SUBSTITUTE: I recently made this using a whole chicken and it turned out really well. I roasted the chicken for a few hours, let it cool, and pulled the meat off the bone. I reheated the meat in a little bit of vegetable oil in a skillet along with some garlic and peanuts. The mixture of white and dark meat really enhanced the flavor. I also fried up the skin from the chicken and served it on the side. It gave the dish a nice crunch.

Jamaica's Choriqueso

5-6 oz chorizo
8 oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1/2 onion, diced
1 clove garlic
1 can tomatoes with green chilies

Preheat oven to 425. In a saucepan, brown chorizo. Add onion and garlic and cook 2-3 minutes until softened. Add tomatoes and scrape all the yummy bits from the pan. Grease a loaf pan and add half the cheese. Top with half of the chorizo mixture. Repeat. Bake 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbling. Serve with chips or tortillas.

Sriracha Ramen

1 block of ramen noodles (noodles only not the seasoning pack)
1 C stock
1/2 C frozen vegetables (green beans, edamame, carrots, corn, and/or peas recommended)
1 T Sriracha (more or less to taste)

Boil stock in a small pot. Add noodles (NOT the seasoning pack) and vegetables. Cook 3-5 minutes stirring occasionally until noodles are the desired consistency.