Lunch: Jerk Chicken and Dumplings

This recipe includes superfoods such as:

Cinnamon

Health benefits of Jerk Chicken and Dumplings

Cinnamon is one of the best ingredients that someone with insulin sensitivity can eat. Half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day has been shown to be very effective at normalizing blood sugar levels. Cinnamon contains hydroxychalcone, which is thought to enhance the effects of insulin. It has also been suggested that Cinnamon prevents post-meal blood sugar spikes by slowing the gastric emptying rate - meaning that food digests slowly. (Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11506060).

Ingredients

Crunchy Fried Dumplings
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoon cold butter, cubed
1 1/4 cups milk
3 whole chicken legs and 3 wings
1 head garlic
1 (3 to 4-inch) piece ginger, peeled
1 tablespoon Jerk seasoning
Canola oil, for frying
1/2 sweet red bell pepper, seeded
3 small carrots
2 green onions
3 stalks celery with leaves
1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
3/4 cup Jamaican Ginger Beer
Dash ground cinnamon
3 Kaffir lime leaves
1 to 2 tablespoons or a nub of butter
2 limes
Crunch Fried Dumplings, recipe follows

Instructions

Cut the chicken legs into pieces - thighs, drumsticks, wings, and drop into a bowl. Peel and rough chop the garlic, and add to a large bowl. Rough slice the ginger into long thin slices, and add to the bowl. Toss in the chicken pieces and mix together. Add a good tablespoon or two of your favorite jerk seasoning spice rub into the bowl, and mix with your hands to coat the chicken really well. Cover the bowl, and let rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Put a large pan on high heat. Add a good layer of oil (a little more than just coating the pan). When the oil is hot enough, add the chicken. You should hear a sizzle as the meat hits the pan. Let the chicken pieces brown for about 5 to 6 minutes on one side. Then gently flip them over, and place the pan in the oven for about 10 more minutes of roasting, to make sure the chicken pieces are cooked through. Julienne the bell pepper, carrots, green onions and celery, and drop into a large mixing bowl. Add the cilantro. When the chicken comes out of oven, remove the chicken from pan, and set aside. Put the pan over medium heat, and pour the ginger beer into the pan to deglaze it, stirring up all the brown bits. Add the cinnamon and Kaffir lime leaves, and let simmer for a couple of minutes, and then add the butter, and stir in. Toss the chicken pieces with the vegetables, and the juice of a lime. Plate up in a mound, and drizzle the sauce over top, and place 2 or 3 fried dumplings on the side. Add a couple of lime wedges, for garnish.
Pour 1/2 to 1-inch of vegetable oil into a heavy-bottom saucepan, and heat until sizzling hot. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Work in the cold butter with your hands, rubbing the butter bits into the flour, breaking them up and aiming for small pea-size pieces. Add the milk to make a loose dough that will barely hold its shape without running off a spoon. Drop by large spoonful into the hot oil, and fry about 3 minutes per side, or until nicely browned but not too dark. When you bite into it the crust should be crunchy but the inside soft and tender. Serve the warm dumplings beside the Jerk Chicken.