Flicks & Food With The Domestic Diva: PRECIOUS Green Chili (Not Fried) Chicken

It's gotta be one of the most poignant movie moments of the past year.

If you've seen PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL PUSH BY SAPPHIRE, then you may already know what I'm talking about.  It's the scene where Precious, an obese inner city teen mom, has to resort to stealing a bucket of chicken to feed herself.  She scarfs it down, only to vomit soon after.  While this movie grapples with a lot of tough issues, from incest and rape, to teen pregnancy and STDs, I'd argue that food scarcity, which has only worsened with the weakening of the economy, coupled with the lack of healthy choices for inner city children may be the biggest and saddest problem facing this country.

I'll put it bluntly.  Yes, there are starving children in the United States of America.  And yes, the childhood obesity problem can be linked to the lack of healthy choices for less wealthy Americans.  There aren't grocery stores where Precious lives, nor could she afford them.  And by the way, it's not that fast food is actually cheaper than healthy food, just that the way that the government subsidizes agriculture has made it appear that way.  If we subsidized apples and carrots the same way that we do corn and soy, there would be a whole different food landscape in America today. 

And don't even get me started on the school lunch program!  (Fortunately, one of my culinary heroes, Jaimie Oliver, is starting a Food Revolution!  Tune into his show!).

So this scene - the obese girl stealing the fried chicken that will only make her fatter - could have come off as funny, but because of the quality of this film, it's truly sad.  There are a lot of things holding Precious down, and her weight is the most obvious.  It's literally holding her down.  

So, in honor of Precious and all the precious girls and boys out there, instead of fried chicken, I'm writing up a healthy chicken recipe that's simple to make.  It's my Green Chili Chicken, made with a healthy marinade, and then thrown onto a grill or under a broiler (a great low fat cooking method).  Not only is it delicious with spicy green chilies and honey, but it's great for you, too. 

I know Precious didn't have many choices, but I hold out hope that in the near future, change will come to America.  To find a food bank near you, visit Food Pantries (www.foodpantries.org).  

PRECIOUS Green Chili (Not Fried) Chicken
Serves 2 people
Cooking time: 40 minutes (including marinade)

Ingredients
2 boneless chicken breasts
1 4.25 ounce can green chillies, drained
2 tablespoons honey
1 lime, juiced
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt & pepper

Directions
In a blender, combine the honey, lime juice, garlic clove and green chillies and puree them together. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place the chicken breasts in a bowl and pour the marinade over them, coating them well. Allow to marinade for at least 30 minutes.

To cook the chicken, either grill it or broil it, turning once, until cooked through.  Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes and then cut into thin slices.  Serve the chicken over brown rice or beans.  Enjoy!

Wine Pairing
Go big or go home!  For this spicy dish, I'd suggest a spicy California Syrah like Copain's Hawks Butte Syrah.  I want a glass just thinking about it.

About the Author
JENNIFER DAWN ROGERS … A graduate of Harvard University and a former film development executive, Jennifer cooks and writes in Los Angeles. In 2009, she launched her blog Domestic Divas (www.domesticdivasblog.com), which focuses on local, organic cooking, restaurant and wine reviews.  She is currently writing her first novel.