Food BM

Dish: Delicious Jerk Chicken

This is a dish that most of my family enjoys to eat. It is from the Caribbean Islands which my family is from. It is a simple meal to make, and is not as unhealthy another types of chicken people from the Caribbean might make. 

Yields: 8-10 people

Time: 95-200 minutes

Ingredients/Materials:

16 Raw Chicken wings

Jamaican's Choice Jerk seasoning

Botticelli Extra Virgin Olive Oil

McCormick Ground Cayenne Red Pepper

2 Bowls

2 Foil Baking Pans

Paste Brush

How to make:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees

• Wash off chicken wings in cold tap water and place each of them in a bowl when finished
• In a separate bowl mix 3/4 of the jerk seasoning, 1-2 teaspoons of the olive oil, 2 teaspoons or more of red pepper (depending on spice level)
• Taste mix to see if it is to your liking.
• Evenly spread the jerk mix paste on each piece of chicken evenly, placing them in a a pan when finished
• No more than 8 pieces of chicken wings per pan
• Cover with foil and place in oven for 60 minutes
• After 60 minutes uncover chicken and let bake for 45 more minutes uncovered
• If the pans have a lot of liquid then do not flip chicken, but if not flip each piece of chicken to the other side.
• Bake until browned a little
• Turn oven off and take out both pans of the jerk chicken
• Let the wings cool off…. then serve!

c)  Usually in the islands people will make this dish with all natural ingredients. More than likely they raise their own chickens and make their own homemade seasoning. But since we are in America and I do not have chickens or spices growing in my backyard we had to get all of the ingredients from the grocery store. The chicken that we used most of the time is farm grown and USDA approved. And the jerk seasoning is always from the grocery store but it is a Jamaican brand. The calories are…….. Since this is chicken this meal will give my body protein. The sodium from the seasoning will also give my body some energy. If I was to eat this everyday it wouldn't necessarily be unhealthy since it is not fired or processed too much..I just might get tired of the taste. For the chicken I have no idea where it is from. It is from the US but could be from various states. The chicken is probably grown in one place and packaged in another. For the jerk seasoning it is a Jamaican company but they have factories in different countries. The one I have was made in Jamaica/Costa Rica and distributed from Queens, New York. The olive oil was made in Europe and is shipped from Hauppauge, New York. And the red pepper is made in Hunt Vally, Maryland. so the jerk seasoning or olive oil had the farthest way to travel. At the market everything cost around roughly $15-$20. Compared to fast food to feed 8-10 people it actually cost the name. Of course the people getting paid off this meal are the people who make the products as well as the supermarkets. 

Product 1: Jerk Seasoning

• Is made in a factory in Costa Rica or Jamaica
• Then sent to somewhere in the US
• From there is sent to the distributer in Queens, NY.
• Then they sent it to the market trucks and stores who use the seasoning

Product 2: Red Pepper

• The peppers are grown and crushed 
• A factory puts them together
• From there they are shipped to distributers
• They then sell it to markets and stores that use it.

For both of these things I could have easily went to the farmers market or a produce junction and got all of the ingredients to make them. They would have been locally grown and not have taken so long to get here. Socially wise I would have been helping out local farmers and produce people by buying it and then making it myself. But this way was less time consuming and more convenient . 

Food Rule:

My slide is basically talking about the amount of food you should eat. My grandmother would always tell me that if it is bigger than your fist then you are eating too much,

Reflection:

I think that for somebody my age I eat a normal teenage diet. I try to only eat out once a week as possible. When I'm home I eat some junk food but also some healthy food. I try my best to get as much fruits and veggies as possible. I am now starting to eat more healthier than I was before and cutting put all fast foods. Some changes could be to just plan my meals ahead. Getting enough healthy things from the market to last me all week. As well as making healthier food choices when I am out with my friends or go out to eat. From this change I will feel better about myself as well as making sure I will live as much as a healthy life as I can. It will be hard because I know sometimes my taste buds will want fried chicken instead of skinless baked chicken, but long term is greater than short term. Since I will be starting college at the end of this summer my diet will e filled with a lot of unhealthy and cheap snacks. But I plan on excessing and buying as much cheap healthy food as possible to make sure I maintain a healthy life.  A major problem with our food system is that we don't have enough time or money to eat healthier anymore. That we have become accustomed to eating meals that are more unhealthy and easier to obtain that we have forgotten what it really means to eat right. And I honestly think that this will not change. Unless McDonald's decides to have a healthy menu then this countries eating habits will continue to not be healthy at all.