Jamaican Jerk Chicken Legs

TGIF-where has the week gone by?...pretty soon, the kids will be going back to school at the end of this month, and the end of summer vacation for most people, as well! Living in South Florida most of my life, and my children, 'native Floridians'...grandchildren not even knowing what cold winter, and snow is all about...glad that we are here in the 'land of sunshine'...not so much of it for the last couple months. Although we get a 'sneak preview' of it just about every single day, even if its for an hour, S. Florida is still the SUNSHINE STATE!

Often, I have a dilemma about what to make for 1 person (myself) for dinner, when I'm not at my daughter's which is just about every day. We cook together, or I cook (she does most of the baking)...but when I eat alone, about twice a week, I just don't want to heat up my little kitchen and waste electricity, so I use my George Foreman grill, or my toaster over to make a small portion, for (2) ...yes, 2...either for one, and have another portion fore leftover lunch, or invite a friend!

Have you ever tried cooking a gourmet meal in the toaster oven?...well, you can, you know, it's as easy, if not easier than in your big conventional oven! I've been doing this for a long time now, and my best friend suggested that I write a 'toaster oven cookbook'...which of course, I haven't but then, they already have them and she gave me a cute little toaster oven cookbook!

You have to have at least a large enough tray for the toaster oven to be able to fit at least 6 pieces of chicken comfortably, or for roasting a few pieces of vegetable, fish, or even baking cookies...seriously!

I'm gonna share 3 different recipes...one for the Jerk seasoning, 1 for the Basmati rice which is a cilantro-lime scented, and a fabulous Cuban , authentic Havana based black beans, which you can mix with the rice, or serve it separately! So, are you ready?...because I will guide step-by-step for this semi-spicy delicious Caribbean dish, that will take you away to the island of Jamaica...or the Havana black beans to the 'forbidden island'...which I will not go into a long explanation but just that; it was referred to as the 'jewel of the Caribbean'...the largest of the Caribbean islands...frozen in time, from the 1950's!... see link-Caribbean, Havana!
We have a huge population of Cubans here, in S. Florida, as we also have a large population of Jamaicans, and Haitians. We have so much 'island influences' that you do not have to venture far to authentic cuisines of these colorful, tasty, spicy, Caribbean influences of their culture!