Nancy Reagan’s most lasting contribution might not be the slogan, “Just Say No,” but a recipe for Baja Chicken, that she made popular while First Lady.
Nancy Skinnies Up the Recipe
It was everything a good dish should be: quick, simple, nutritious, and flavorful. Women of the Eighties, seeking to lose weight, could prepare the entrée for their families without making them feel deprived.
If you’re feeling nostalgic, click here and take your taste buds for a stroll down memory lane. Or you can squint and read from the old newspaper clipping.
More Jazz and Pizazz
Wanting to give this dish a flavor kick? Try this version. It calls for orange juice, lemon seasoning, zest, jalapeno, and a goodly amount of garlic.
How to Make a Baja Unhealthy
Subway’s Baja Chicken and Bacon will give you more than 100% of your recommended salt intake with just one sandwich. You might not want to do that too often.
Mrs. Reagan said she served Baja Chicken with Rancho California Rice, but I don’t have nerve enough to pass that on without an artery alert. The rice recipe calls for 3 cups of cheese, 2 cups of sour cream, and a half-stick of butter. You could get by with that in the Eighties, but not today.
Best to stick with Nancy’s recipe or the spiced up version for maximum health benefit.
Kitchen Note: I use a whole cup of wine, when cooking the recipe: 2/3 cup for the chicken and a 1/3 cup for me. You’d be surprised how much that improves the dish.
1/3 cup of wine really is just doing what every cook should do – tasting as she goes. This recipe goes on my To-Cook list.
Mm-mmm. This one looks great to make and refrigerate for a few additional meals. Thanks, Jean. Going to the jungle.
I made this dish last night for dinner, with deboned skinned chicken thighs. As promised, quick, easy and delicious. I didn’t have tarragon vinegar, so i used a top-notch white wine vinegar and added a whole bunch of fresh tarragon when sautéing. Ummm! And more left over for later this week. On a more ambitious night, I’ll try the jazzier version which looks like a no-fail palate pleaser.