Jerk Chicken with Spicy Black Bean Puree

Oh goodness. It's March. That means it's almost bathing suit time! Hello. Wake up call. Time to eat healthy. Hubby & I are cutting back on the heavy foods - that means goodbye breads & heavy cream. Not that we eat that way all of the time, because we definitely don't. But, for the next few weeks, we really are going to try hard to be careful about what we eat.

I had some black beans on hand that I wanted to use and I came across a recipe on CDKitchen that caught my eye. I made a few changes and we loved the end result of this healthy meal (especially Hubby).

Using the tomatoes with habanero made this super spicy, but for those who don't really like things with a big kick, regular Rotel (tomatoes with green chiles) would work just fine.

This is also a very easy recipe, great for a weeknight meal.

Jerk Chicken with Spicy Black Bean Puree
Adapted from CDKitchen

1 - 1 1/2 lbs chicken tenderloins
Jerk seasoning (I used a blend I bought in St. Maarten)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (15-ounce size) black beans, undrained
1 can (10-ounce size) diced tomatoes and green chiles, (I used Rotel with Habaneros)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (I used parsley)
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice
Shredded 2% milk Mexican Blend cheese (optional)

Rub chicken with jerk seasoning & cumin. Marinate for at least 1/2 hour.

Drain beans, reserving 2 tablespoons liquid; rinse and drain beans again. Combine with tomatoes, cumin, cilantro and lime juice. Set aside.

Cook chicken in hot oil in a skillet over medium-high heat 3-4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from skillet, reserving drippings in skillet; keep chicken warm.

Saute onion and garlic in reserved drippings until tender.

Add onions to black bean mixture and process in a blender or food processor until smooth (or use an immersion blender).

Pour mixture into a small saucepan, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with cheese, and serve under chicken.