My intention today was to get over this cold, but it is just lingering. And since nothing sounds good, I decided to go with a flavorful dish for dinner in hopes of getting my appetite back. So … Jerk chicken it was.

My recipe for this called for cider vinegar and nutmeg, neither of which I have. I should have both, but somehow when I go shopping, I always forget to put them on the list. So, I decided to improvise. The marinade – white balsamic vinegar, two scallions chopped, three cloves of chopped garlic, olive oil, thyme, allspice, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, chili pepper, salt and a little brown sugar. I debated using honey and molasses, but wasn’t quite up for that much of an experiment. Chicken marinated for a few hours then hit the grill.

While the chicken was grilling, I took the bok choy from my veggie basket and braised it in veggie broth with some carrots and garlic (also from the veggie basket this week). The results were surprisingly good. And oddly, the Jamaican and slightly Asian flavors worked well together. I almost called is my “wanderlust dinner” post.

I will say, a lot of times there is nothing prettier on the plate than a colorful pile of veggies. It is almost enough to get my appetite back. Almost.