Jerk

Sometimes life throws a curve ball your way, causing you to lose a few steps backwards, to lose endless hours of sleep, and to take too many deep breaths to count.

Sometimes life is a jerk.

Lately, this is what life feels like: a series of extreme days, nights, and weeks, most of which seem to be countered by some strange and equally extreme blessings, but nonetheless, riding out a chunk of life on a roller coaster will most definitely earn you some grey hairs.

Although I'm not usually one to count my blessings, nor to dwell on my spites with life, getting dragged through the muck lately has lent cause for reminiscing on equally stressful but blessed times, like these same weeks last year, when I picked up life as I knew it, pulled out half my hair, and stumbled my way to a little Caribbean neighborhood in New York that instantly became second home.

Maybe it's because atop the list of life's latest stresses is the fact that I'm once again leaving the nest, but this jerk salmon dream bowl seemed like the perfect fit for a time like this.

It's not because I grew up eating jerk anything, it's because this is a small ode to what made Brooklyn taste as familiar as home - a plate full of flavor, texture, and freshness.

So soak some jalapeno in pineapple juice to kill it's kick, use whatever sauce spice level you can tolerate, let the jerky moments go, and absorb a little taste of what I call home.

Jerk Salmon With Green Rice and Pineapple Pico

Ingredients

For the pico:

• 1/2 c pineapple, diced, with extra juice from cutting board
• 1/2 jalapeno, minced
• 1 T shallot, minced
• salt, just a pinch

For the salmon:

• Salmon (2-4 portions), skin on or off
• Jerk marinade
• 2 T coconut oil
• a pinch of salt

For the rice:

• 3-5 T coconut oil
• 3 small cloves garlic, minced
• 1 T shallot, minced
• 1 c short-medium grain rice
• 1/2-1 t salt
• 1-2 lemons or limes, 1 juiced, 1 sliced (optional)
• Warm water as needed
• 1 c basil, finely chopped
• 2 c parsley, finely chopped
• 2 c spinach, finely chopped
• 1/4 c coconut milk, shaken well

Combine

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Combine the ingredients for the salsa in a small bowl and set aside for at least 20 minutes.
3. Stir the jerk, oil, and salt together in a separate bowl, then add the salmon to the dish and gently toss it so it is well covered in sauce, adding more if needed.  Let marinate while refrigerated for 30 minutes.
4. Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat until just shimmering.
5. Add the garlic and shallot and saute for 1-2 minutes, stirring semi-often to avoid burning.
6. Add the rice and salt and saute for 3-4 minutes, stirring gently but well so the grains are well coated in oil.
7. Add the citrus juice, and citrus slices if using, cook until the juice is evaporated then turn the heat up to high and add 1 cup of water.
8. 
   
• Stir continuously as the water bubbles off, then add half a cup of water.  Continue this process for about 40 minutes.  Each time the water cooks off you'll notice that the water seems "thicker" as the starch from the rice meddles with it.  When the rice is ready it will be soft enough to eat but firm enough to not fall apart, and there should be enough "sauce" to hold the ingredients together.
• After you add two or three half-cups of water, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  This usually takes 10 minutes, after which you should place the salmon on the sheet and bake for 20 minutes - this is roughly how long it will take the rice to finish cooking.
9. Add 2 tablespoons of water, the coconut milk, and the greens, stirring as the water cooks off.
10. Add a large scoop of rice to a bowl, top with a piece of salmon, and a spoonful of salsa.
11. Enjoy!