Grilled Jerk Chicken

Today was a spicy day!  My daughter and son-in-law brought these goodies home to me from Jamaica and I've been looking forward to trying them.

I had 1 pound of boneless skinless chicken tenders which I coated liberally with this jerk seasoning.

I cooked the seasoned chicken tenderloins over medium high heat on a gas grill until the internal temperature reached 170 degrees F.  At that point, I brushed on the sauce, let it glaze for a few minutes, and then turned the chicken over and repeated on the other side.

When the internal temperature reached 180 degrees F., I removed from the grill.

I served with mustard greens which I topped with a few drops of the hot sauce and canned black beans which I seasoned with 1/2 t. of the jerk seasoning.

Jerk Seasoning

My daughter and son-in-law brought back seasonings and sauces from their trip to Jamaica.  I was ready to grill some chicken tenders this afternoon and use the grill sauce, but I knew I had to have a rub or seasoning to coat the chicken.

I went in search of a Jerk Seasoning recipe and Chili Pepper Madness came through big time!

I had everything needed waiting for me in my spice cabinet!

Here is the recipe:

1 T. onion powder

1 T. garlic powder

2 t. cayenne pepper

2 t. salt

2 t. ground black pepper

2 t. dried thyme (or use 1 t. ground thyme)

2 t. sugar (or use brown sugar) (I used Stevia)

1 t. ground allspice

1 t. dried parsley

1 t. paprika

1/2 t. hot pepper flakes

1/2 t. ground cinnamon

1/2 t. ground nutmeg

1/2 t. ground clove

1/4 t. ground cumin

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until well blended.  Store in an airtight container.  Use as needed.

Instant Pot "No Bake" Pork Green Chile Enchiladas

Today I went to the freezer and pantry for inspiration.  The freezer provided a 1 lb. package of pork stew meat.  The pantry provided a can of green enchilada sauce.  Now what?  My eyes spied the Instant Pot and my brain took over from there.

I thawed the pork and got busy!  I didn't want to heat up the kitchen by baking enchiladas.  I also knew these would be a tad too messy to be a burrito.  So, here's the newly invented no bake pork enchiladas.  

1 T. vegetable oil

1 lb. pork stew meat, cut into 1/2" cubes

fajita seasoning

1 large yellow onion, chopped

4 - 5 garlic cloves, minced

1 small can green enchilada sauce

garnishes:  sliced jalapenos, sour cream, cilantro, shredded cheese

Heat the olive oil in the Instant Pot on the 'Saute' setting.  Season the pork with the fajita seasoning.  Carefully, add the pork to the Instant Pot and let it begin to brown.  Add the onions and garlic and stir frequently until the onions are just beginning to soften, 3 - 4 minutes.

Add in the can of enchilada sauce and stir to combine.  Cancel the 'saute' setting.

Place the cover onto the Instant Pot and set to sealing.

Cook on pressure cook setting for 30 minutes.  Once the cooking time is up, allow the pressure to release for 20 minutes.  If necessary, do a quick release.

If you want less liquid, turn the 'saute' option back on and let cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid reduces to the consistency you like.

Doesn't this look delicious?

At this point, you could forget the enchiladas and stir in a can of hominy and have a great stew!

But, that's another recipe for another day.  I heated low carb tortillas and spooned some of the pork mixture onto the tortilla.

I topped mine with shredded cheddar cheese and rolled the tortilla around the filling.  I added another spoonful of the pork over the top and added some sour cream.  Pickled jalapenos on the side added a nice kick.

Around Lolly's Sideboard: 4th of July 2025

Oh, this one was a fun sideboard to decorate!  This is a little bit of everything red, white, and blue.

Our main focus will be on my trusty Fiestaware in cobalt, white, and scarlet.

I used "this and that" pieces of those colors to be the anchors of the theme.

Of course, a 4th of July sideboard wouldn't be complete with a few pieces to represent our First President and First Lady.

These elegant Fostoria goblet/candle holders were a product from Avon back in 1976.  My mother had these packed away with her things and they were a nice addition to the sideboard.

What's more American than apple pie?  This was my mom's cookbook.

Uncle Sam and Betsy Ross had to make an appearance as well!

I filled in the remaining space with miscellaneous Americana.

4th of July 2025 Food

Instead of the foods we normally enjoy on the 4th of July, burgers, hot dogs, ribs, I decided this year to enjoy some untraditional items for our meal!

We started with a fresh and cool caprese salad!

I grilled boneless skinless chicken thighs (seasoned with Kinder's Italian Chicken seasoning) along with boneless pork chops (seasoned with Hardin's Seasoning).

I cooked broccoli (seasoned with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper) on the Blackstone as one of the side dishes.

Thankfully, I had two pounds of Gulf Shrimp in the freezer.  After peeling and deveining, I drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with Kinder's The Seafood Blend, and cooked on the Blackstone.

This platter was definitely a crowd favorite!  Sweet Italian Sausage, smoked bratwurst, and Conecuh Sausage all grilled until they were charred and served along with grilled sweet peppers.  Whole grain mustard and horseradish sauce were delicious accompaniments and helped cut the richness of the sausages.

Deviled eggs always make an appearance on the table no matter what the menu happens to be!

Instead of slaw or a salad, I grilled romaine and radicchio on the Blackstone after drizzling with olive oil and seasoning with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.  A light oil and vinegar dressing at the table added the perfect finishing touch.

Pickled okra and peperoncini peppers finished out the menu!

Andrea's Birthday Onion Rings

Each year for her birthday meal, my daughter requests onions rings. It doesn't matter if we're having Mexican food or Italian food, she still wants onion rings. I agree, and then once I begin to fry them, it is an ongoing battle to keep her from sneaking "samples" one right after the other as quickly as I can cook them!

And lest you think my daughter is a young child or teenager, no. She's married with four children of her own! I love to cook these for her because I know without a doubt they are some of her favorite things.

So this year for her birthday onion rings, I told her I would come to her house and cook them for her.  I also laid down the ground rule that no one (her husband and kids!) could have ONE onion ring until she had her fill and was prepared to share!  

When choosing onions for your onion rings, select the flattest, largest you can find. 

3 large yellow onions, thinly sliced and separated into rings

3 cups buttermilk

1 - 2 T. of your favorite hot sauce

2 cups self rising flour

1 t. Creole seasoning

Peanut Oil

Mix buttermilk and hot sauce together in a large bowl. Place onion slices in buttermilk to soak for at least 30 minutes.

Combine the flour and Creole seasoning together in another large bowl.

Heat peanut oil in deep fryer to 375 degrees.

Using a fork, remove onion rings from buttermilk and dredge (a half dozen or so at a time) in flour and shake off excess.

Fry in hot oil until well browned. 

Drain on paper towels or a rack placed over a rimmed baking sheet, and lightly salt. Devour immediately.