Tropical Envy

My friend Janice is vacationing in Hawaii this week.  My sister's vacationing in Florida.  I'm stuck here with nothing but rain every single dingle day, dreaming about sunshine and the sand between my toes. So if I can't go to the tropics, I'll bring a little of the tropics here....a sweet Caribbean-inspired chicken and banana dish.  May sound weird, but believe me it is delish!  Made me do the happy dance after the first bite...feeling a little full of myself right now.

First I heated about a teaspoon of coconut oil in a skillet over medium high heat and browned four quartered bananas. It takes just a minute or two per side.  Remove them from the skillet, and when they're cool enough to handle, give them a rough chop. And try not to eat all of them while you're preparing the rest of the meal.  That's the tricky part.

Add a bit more coconut oil to the same skillet and saute one pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts that are seasoned with salt, pepper, smoked paprika and cinnamon - give both sides a good rub of the spice mix.  I pound the heck out of the chicken breasts (before I season them, of course) so that they are about 1/4" thick and they cook much faster - just 4-5 minutes per side.  When they're cooked through to 165, remove them from the skillet to cool and then shred into bite-sized pieces.

Add just a smidge more coconut oil to the skillet and saute two diced jalapeno peppers (remove seeds and membrane if you're afraid of the heat), 1 diced red bell pepper, and 6 thinly sliced scallions.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes then add the chopped banana, shredded chicken, 3 cups cooked brown basmati rice, 1/3 cup chopped peanuts, the juice of one lime, and one tablespoon tamari.  Garnish with a little of the scallion greens or chives and call it a day.  \Another one pot wonder - fuit, veg, protein, whole grain...you've got it all.

The smoky chicken, the sweet, gooey carmelized banana, the crunchy peanuts, the fiery jalapeno peppers; suddenly I don't care so much that it's raining... and raining and raining. Well sure, the umbrella drink helps a little.