Caribbean Chicken Hash Salad

This summer has been unusually rainy. I decided to come up with a hearty and healthy meal but wanted to add a more tropical flair as I day dreamed about being on the beach. What I came up with ended up being a cross between a salad and hash but was absolutely delicious. Just ask Forrest, my roommate's scruffy yet adorable rescue dog. He usually can be found on top of my feet while I'm in the kitchen, hoping that my clumsy self drops more food on the floor than normal.

As a cook, I truly believe that measurements can be used loosely, recipes should be altered and don't worry too much about how it will turn out (that's what a lot of seasoning or delivery is for). I'm also completely a meat and potatoes kind of girl. I'm getting in the habit of adding as many vegetables as possible but then I start thinking of an all meat pizza. So with that in mind, here's my first recipe of Venison and Vodka.

Caribbean Chicken Hash Salad

Ingredients:
4 Chicken Breasts or Tenders
2 Medium Russet Potatoes
2-3 Handfuls of Brussel Sprouts
4-5 Handfuls of Spinach
1/2 Cup of Shredded Mexican Blended Cheese
1 Can of Black Beans
2 Avocados- Sliced and Diced
Sprigs of Fresh Rosemary
Lime Juice
Lawry's Caribbean Jerk Marinade
Olive Oil
Chili Chipotle Seasoning
Chili Flakes
Paprika
Sea Salt and Black Peppercorn, Grinded

1. Add the chicken, marinade, a pinch of salt and pepper, a little bit of both the chipotle seasoning and chili flakes to a plastic bag. Put in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

2. Cut the potatoes into small cube-like pieces and add to a bowl of ice water, preferably for 30 minutes. Let stand while cutting all of the brussel sprouts into halves.

3. Preheat oven to 450 F and add olive oil to a baking sheet with foil.

4. Dry off potatoes and place on baking sheet along with the brussel sprouts. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and add a few dashes of salt, pepper, paprika and the fresh rosemary. Bake for 40 minutes. Take out and add half of the Mexican cheese. Return to oven for an extra 5 minutes depending how crispy you want your veggies. (Also make sure to remove the pieces of rosemary before serving.)

5. Add chicken to a medium heated frying pan with cooking spray. Blacken on both sides and then shred. Add back to pan along with a few sprays of lime juice.

7. Turn the pan off but add the spinach while still hot. Make sure to flip around so you have equal parts sauteed and fresh. The spinach will pick up the leftover seasonings from the chicken.

6. Heat up the can of black beans and set aside with the chicken and spinach.

7. When they are ready, add a base layer of potatoes and brussel sprouts. Followed by the blackened chicken and black beans. Add the rest of the Mexican cheese and diced avocado pieces. You don't have to use all of the amounts at once. I'm a leftover queen so I purposely make extra. Add as much or as little of how much you want to eat at once.

8. Finally I combined a little bit of olive oil, a squirt of the jerk marinade, a dash of all of the spices, lime juice and just enough water for a juice like consistency. Drizzle over your bowl.