Early Wake Up

Day 5,

It is 5:45am, on a cool Oakland morning.  Gina and I are sitting on a small jet plane bound for Fort Worth, TX, to attend my best friend’s wedding.  My wife is a true champ.  Working on 3 hours of sleep we rolled out of bed to get to the airport for a very early flight. 

Although it is only 5 days since the positive pregnancy test (we think we’re at week three, since conception), I have come to realize two things.  First, Gina is not a staunch supporter of waking up early.  In fact, if “early” were running for president my wife would not vote for him/her.  The second discovery is the birthing gift.  This was revealed to me at 5am, as we were walking to the gate, to check in.

Gina, “Babe, do you know about the birthing gift?”

Me, “Birthing gift? No, what’s that? ”

Gina, “It is a gift I receive when we have the baby.”

Me, “Oh, ok.  What do you want?”

Gina, “Tickets to a music festival.”

Me, “Cool.   Ok, do I get a birthing gift?”

Gina, “No.  You don’t get a birthing gift because you aren’t birthing the baby.”

Me, “Ok, but I want you to know that I would totally have this baby, if I could.”

Gina, “Really?”

Me, “No, actually, no, not at all.  You got it.”

We just arrived at the one-stop layover, Salt Lake City, and Gina noticed a great hunger.  I silently champion her hunger and cravings (which, so far, are mostly meat).  So, we split a cheeseburger, at 7:45am, in the Salt Lake City airport.  I did not complain.

Folic acid, a B Vitamin, plays a large role in the very early stages of baby’s development.  According to WebMD, it helps the neural tube develop in to the brain and spinal cord, and can reduce certain birth defects by up to 70%.  Gina takes a pre natal vitamin which contains the recommended 400 micrograms of folic acid.  We also found foods rich in folic acid, such as leafy greens, asparagus, garbanzo beans, broccoli, green peas, and certain grains (e.g. breads and pastas-like the wheat buns on our Salt Lake hamburger).  Of these, the greens (spinach mostly) are close to our normal diet.  Gina loves to prepare a spinach salad to enjoy before dinner.  Folic acid will play an important role in our baby’s development and will be featured in several of the recipes you see in this blog.  

We also try and eat as organically (or hormone-free) as possible, although, with organic food prices being high it can be hard to accomplish. 

Recipe for the day:  BBQ’d chicken and sautéed spinach with garlic

Servings: 2

1.  Two  six ounce chicken breasts

2.  1 16 oz. bag of frozen spinach

3.  6 cloves garlic, minced

4.  1 shallot, minced

5.  Olive oil (2 Tbsps)

6.  Kosher salt and pepper, to taste

7.  Marinade, consisting of the following:

-1/2 cup soy sauce, mixed with 1/2 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce, and 2 Tbsps of white wine vinegar

8.  One very hot grill (Make sure the coals are grey-white hot before you cook.  If using a gas grill, ensure the grill is, likewise, hot).

 **If you don’t have a grill then use an oven, pre-heated to 400 degrees. 

Preparation:

Marinate the chicken breasts up to 6 hours (3-6 hours should be fine). 

Timing is paramount.   You’ll want the chicken and the spinach to be finished at the same time.  

To the hot grill, lay the plump side of you chicken breasts down, first.  Leave the chicken alone until you are ready to turn them over.  They will be ready when the meat pulls off, easily, from the grill.  Turn the chicken over and continue to cook until finished.  When the chicken is finished transfer it to a plate and cover with aluminum foil. 

In a low-medium hot skillet, sweat the shallot and garlic in olive oil.   When the shallot is translucent (about 5 minutes) add the frozen spinach and cover.  Cook the spinach until it is hot, and then season with salt and pepper.

It is completely possible to cook the chicken, remove and cover, and then start on the spinach.  The most important thing is to have all of your ingredients ready to go.  If you wait to mince the garlic and shallot until the last minute, the cooked chicken will get cold.  Make sure all of your ingredients are prepped before you begin cooking! 

**If using an oven, then ensure it is pre-heated to 400 degrees.  In a hot olive oil coated skillet, lay the chicken breasts down.  Like the grill, when they pull away easily from the pan, turn them over and transfer to the oven.  Cook for 15-20 minutes or until done. 

For a fun presentation, lay the spinach in the middle of the plate.  Then, slice the chicken and, carefully, lay it on top of the spinach.  If done correctly, it will look restaurant quality.