CurrentMom: Power Outages & Protein: Fiesta Chicken Recipe

Meal Monday

Two weeks ago we lost our power for four days. We saved ourselves (escaped to Mommom's house), but sacrificed a freezer and fridge full of food.

So many meals were lost…bye-bye Bubbe's brisket. Ta-ta turkey burgers. So long salmon patties. Adios organic milk and cheeses. I could go on…and on and on, but it's just too depressing. At least $400 worth of depression, actually.

I've spent the last couple of weeks rebuilding our reserves. First I stocked up on the trio's tried and true favorites: waffles, spinach pancakes, and mac and cheese. Then I stocked up on the stuff my husband and I eat. But we're still not cooking with all of the options we had before the outage.

It was as if I was approaching my triplet food challenges from scratch. And with fewer ingredients to work with. That's when it came to me—a way to sneak chicken into a triplet meal: fruit salsa. I could cut the chicken into small pieces, then hide it amongst equal size pieces of fruit that they like.

Yes, I know that if my little OCD Dude so much as sees a stringy piece hanging off of a cut-up chicken nugget, he removes it and gives it to me immediately for quarantine. No need to remind me that Zeke often bursts into tears at the sight of naked protein (but proudly struts around naked any chance he gets). And, somehow, even if all the food on their tray is the exact same color and size, the triplets can easily zero in and isolate any seemingly unsavory item.

But I also know that they love fruit. I put my money on the fruit.

I made the chicken one night for my husband and me and another couple. I served it with a tomato/peach/onion salsa. It was a huge hit.

For the kids, I served it with cut-up peach and orange, with a few pieces of tomato from the adult salsa to up the ante. No onions.

At the moment of truth, the Dude predictably refused to eat the chicken. But the slap? He refused the peaches. And the oranges. And the potatoes. Even the Cheerios. One hand lost.

Bitty scarfed it up. Our dainty little thing does not eat like a bitty. She even ate the tomato—the first time any of my kids ate tomato without spitting it out. It was a proud moment for me. One hand won.

Zeke did not break out in tears at the sight of naked chicken. That's another first. Still, he did not eat the chicken unless I hid it in a piece of potato. But he ate the hidden chicken and lots of peaches and oranges. A close call, but we can call it a win for me.

Two out of three ain't bad.

Fiesta Chicken
Adapted from The Kosher Palette

Chicken Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 tsp dried oregano
½ cup fresh orange juice
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tsp olive oil

Chicken Preparation:

Cut breasts into smaller pieces (size of tenders).

Combine orange juice, lime juice, smashed garlic, and oregano in a bowl. Mix and let sit for 5 minutes. Remove the garlic and discard.

Place the chicken in a shallow container and cover with marinade. Marinate for 20 minutes.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sauté 4 to 6 minutes on each side or until browned. Serve with salsa (recipe below).

Salsa Ingredients:

3 tsp fresh lime juice
2 tsp olive oil
1 peach, skinned and diced
1 tomato, diced
1 Tbsp diced red onion
salt and pepper, to taste

Salsa Preparation:

Combine juice and oil in a medium bowl. Add peach, tomato, onion, salt, and pepper. Mix well.

Notes:

Definitely try this now when the peaches and tomatoes are at their peak. The flavors are incredible together.

For the kids, instead of serving the chicken with the salsa, I served it with plain cut-up peaches and orange segments.