I cooked this meal a few nights ago. Instead of eating any of it, Zack got a fast food burger.

Now, before you go storming into his place of employment to give him the ol’ what-for (which would indeed be the correct response for a person who refused to eat a spouse’s home-cooked meal), hear me out.

He didn’t eat any because there wasn’t enough left.

The girls and I ate a few of these chicken breasts for dinner.

A couple of us had them in a protein bowl situation with avocado lime dressing. The other two had them alone with rice and salad on the side.

There were three chicken breasts leftover when supper was done.

I ran an errand while Zack finished up some work from home. When I came back into the kitchen, I noticed that we were down to one piece of chicken, and it was a paltry, scrawny looking thing.

I assumed Zack had caught a break at some point and heated up a plate. Not his usual habit, but people will surprise you.

I went ahead and put away the leftovers. No one was more surprised than I was an hour or so later when Zack asked what we had eaten for supper.

That’s how we discovered that our kids had snuck back into the kitchen for just another taste – and another and another – of this chicken.

To me, the best part – besides the versatility and taste of it – was the fact that I could make it ahead of time.

In fact, I had butterflied these breasts and added them to the bag of marinade the day before because we had planned to grill that night.

Our schedule went sideways that night, as schedules tend to do, so I held the chicken in the fridge overnight and cooked it in a cast-iron skillet after I got home from work.

I’ve always been told that marinating chicken for longer than the recommended period was a bad idea.

The acid would alter the texture of the chicken, I was told, and make the finished product terrible.

I’ve tested that theory a handful of times now, and here’s what has been true for me: chicken can handle a longer marination time – and indeed frequently benefits from it – when the acid is in small quantities and is a citrus juice or similar rather than something strong, like vinegar.

Enter this chicken marinade.

This is one I am planning to make part of the regular rotation.

(OK, fine. I don’t actually have a “rotation,” per se, but I do have meals I make over and over.)

Those Goldilocks recipes that are just right – flexible, make-ahead, and please everyone – are rare. This one makes the cut.

LIME CHICKEN MARINADE

(adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe)

Ingredients
3 Tbsp. oil
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 Tbsp. coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
1 1/2 tsp. Salt
2 Tbsp. sugar or honey
1/2 c. canned coconut milk
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied to make two thinner breasts from each thick one
1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions
■ Mix all marinade ingredients in a gallon-sized ziptop bag (oil through coconut milk). Mash ingredients together to mix. Add chicken breasts to the marinade. Place bag in refrigerator and allow to marinate overnight or two days.
■ To cook indoors, heat large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add oil to pan. Place chicken breasts in pan. Do not crowd the pan. If breasts do not fit in the pan comfortably, cook in batches.
■ When bottom of breasts are golden and no longer sticking to the pan, turn over. Continue cooking until internal temperature reaches 165.
■ To cook outdoors, call someone who knows how to grill. Get that person to help you through it because I have a cultivated ignorance of the grill.
■ When chicken is cooked, top with cilantro if desired.
■ Serve with rice and salad or dice and mix into a salad.
Keep your children out of the kitchen until everyone has had supper.

Amelia Plair is a mom and high school teacher in Starkville. Email reaches her at [email protected].

Amelia Plair is a Starkville resident who writes occasional food columns.

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