I know-I know, the description sounds a little unorthodox but, believe me, this dish is amazing. I love variety; I love contrast when it comes to flavors and my fusion bowls offer nothing short of just that.
The night I made this, I was planning to make the jerk burritos that I have posted in this blog. But, since I am trying to lay off the carbs, I decided to make a fusion bowl. Roasted sweet potato, spicy chicken, sweet peas, couscous and rum bananas are just a few ingredients that grace this fabulous bowl of all things good.
The Marinade:
6 chicken thighs, boneless-skinless and trimmed
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp blk Pepper
1 scotch bonnet, sliced
1/2 c brown sugar
1/4 c lime juice
1 tbs low sodium soy
1/4 c olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
The Rum Bananas:
1/4 c brown sugar
2/3 c rum
2 peeled and sliced frozen bananas
1/2 c brown sugar
The Rest:
1 1/2 c plain couscous
1 1/2 c water
1/2 c frozen sweet peas
1 lg sweet potato, peeled and diced
2 tbs olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
2 green onions, chopped
3 jalapenos, sliced
2 c fresh cilantro leaves
Start by combining all of the marinade ingredients in a large zip seal bag with the chicken. Coat chicken well, press out all of the air from the bag, seal and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour (24 hours is best).
When your ready to start getting it all together, preheat your broiler. Bring the rum and 1/4 c brown sugar to a boil in a small sauce pot. Boil until it reduces by half. Remove from heat. Get your bananas from the freezer and set aside. Spray a lined sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray and arrange your bananas so they are not touching. Brush with the rum and brown sugar mixture. Top with 2 tsp of brown sugar per banana slice. Broil for about 5-10 minutes or until the tops of your bananas become caramelized. Remove from broiler and set aside.
Get your couscous ready by bringing 1 1/2 c water to a boil. Immediately remove from heat, add couscous and frozen peas. Mix well and cover until the chicken is done and you’re ready to put the bowls together.
Preheat your oven to 400° Toss the sweet potatoes with the olive oil, salt and pepper on a lined sheet pan. Once the oven is brought to temp, bake the sweet potatoes for 30-40 minutes or until tender with a little crust. Remove from oven and set aside.
Preheat your grill to 450°. Once your grill is brought up to temp, spray the grates with nonstick cooking spray and arrange the chicken so it’s not touching (thighs will not take long to cook). Transfer the marinade to a small sauce pot and bring to a boil, cooking for 10 minutes or until the onions become tender (if you’re cooking on an indoor grill, simply cook the marinade along with the chicken). Cook your chicken thighs for about 5-7 minutes on each side or until they’re cooked through and develop a bit of a char. Remove from heat and set aside to rest.
Time to get the bowls ready. Break up the couscous with a fork. Divide it evenly between 3-4 bowls. Top each bowl with 4-5 banana slices. Shred chicken and divide equally between the bowls, topping with a few of the cooked onions and marinade. Add about 1/4 – 1/2 c sweet potatoes to each bowl. Finish off with jalapeño slices, green onions, cilantro and a drizzle of tomatillo sauce. A bowl of this is amazing flopped down in front of the t.v. watching a great horror movie from the 1980’s like,…ohhhhh… April Fool’s Day (R).
Girl-Chef Tastes 