Simple Italian "Stir Fry"

With just the right balance of sweetness and acidity, this easy meal will take you directly past your fill. Using one pan to cook the rice (unless using leftovers, which makes for an even easier meal!) and another to saute the chicken and "stir fry" the tomatoes and rice, you're left with a quick cleanup and more time to enjoy each other's company and, perhaps, a little bite of dessert in front of the television... 

Simple Italian Stir Fry (makes about 4 servings)

• 1 cup rice (Jasmine or Basmati is great)
• 1 1/2 cups water or chicken broth
• 2 pounds boneless, skin-on chicken breasts or any equivalent parts you prefer
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon (or a whole lime)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the rice and water in a large pot and bring to the boil, stirring once before covering and turning the heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes, until all the liquid is absorbed. Then fluff, keep covered, and wait to stir fry.

While you wait for the water to boil/the rice to cook, though, you can begin to prepare and cook the chicken. 

Heat a large, oven-proof saute pan over medium high heat. Season the chicken pieces with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add a few turns of olive oil to the pan once hot--your palm should feel hot within 4 seconds of placing it over the pan; if it begins to smoke, it's too hot and will need to be removed from the heat to bring the temperature down. Add the chicken, skin side down and brown on all sides, turning every couple minutes until a golden walnut color, for about ten minutes (brown in batches, if necessary). 

With the chicken skin-side up, place the pan in the oven and cook for about ten more minutes, until, when pricked with a knife, the juices run clear. Set chicken aside on a cutting board to rest. Remember to adjust your cooking times if using a different cut of chicken or if it's bone-in, which will take slightly longer.

Both taking about twenty minutes to cook and ten to rest, the rice and chicken should be finished at around the same time. While they are both resting, place the same saute pan over medium heat and add the tomatoes, sprinkling with salt and pepper. Stirring occasionally, cook the tomatoes for about ten minutes, until lightly broken down and softened. Add the rice and stir to incorporate. Add the balsamic vinegar, honey, and lemon juice, stirring to evenly coat the rice. Once everything appears to be uniformly mixed, place a couple scoops of rice and tomato on a plate, top with chicken, and enjoy! I also recommend a nice, cool can of San Pellegrino Limonata on the side ;)

Of course, if you like, you can cook this more accurately like a stir fry by dicing the chicken prior to cooking and then frying it up with the tomatoes before adding the rice. As I don't want the extra work of dicing and enjoy the crunch of the browned skin, I don't do this. Also, to serve several people, consider slicing the chicken, on the bias, so that each person may take the share he or she desires. As Billy and I can each only eat about half a chicken breast, we simply cut it in half and end up with lots of leftovers! 

To turn into a young toddler meal (9+ months): 

Cube the cooked chicken and add, with rice/tomato mixture, to a food processor. Pulse until desired texture and serve! Guaranteed to be just as delicious to your baby as it is to you :) If you're one who avoids giving salted foods to your baby, simply cook the meal sans salt and add it, at the end, to your own portion.