· By Carley Sheehy
Review of Jerk Kit
I absolutely LOVE this product. My readers know that if I'm not sold on something, I'm not afraid to say so and the reasons why. They also know that when I find a product I fall in love with--and would pay FULL RETAIL PRICE for, that I totally love it.
This is how I feel about these meal kits! The blend of spices and ingredients contained in them are fresh, flavorful and not your standard supermarket-style "meal in a box." The directions were clear and easy to follow. In fact, the ingenious packaging actually turns into a self-standing easel of sorts when you reverse it so you have the directions right in front of you and propped up like on a cookbook stand.
This jerk chicken and coconut rice brought back very fond memories. I have not had something so authentic and so good since I was 16 years old (that was 1970 folks) and it's been a long time. Originally, Jamaican chicken and rice was made for me by a Jamaican employee of my aunt's bar in the UK. Nellie was a fantastic cook...so what more can be said of her dish? Only that I think the Global Grub people channeled her for her secret recipe, because they really nailed it with this one.
I wimped out a bit and only used 1/4 of the provided habanero peppers. I found this amount gave the right amount of heat and zip for me, where I could still taste my chicken, but got some heat and the flavor of the marinade.
I used boneless skinless breasts, which can be notorious for being dry when grilled. The marinade kept this chicken juicy and tender.
And I could not stop eating this rice!!! The leftover chicken (if there is any) makes an awesome chicken salad!
The ingredients you need to complete the preparation are pretty much standard (nothing exotic) fare that most folks have in their freezers and pantry already, so nothing more is really needed but the kit.
The kit will supply the spice mixtures, rices/pasta/dried fruit, etc. that you will need. I would go so far as to say purchase a couple of kits to keep in the pantry to have on hand for a special dinner or company. The preparation is easy and you can impress your guests with a genuine gourmet and globally-inspired meal!