By August 2020. I am 61 years old, retired from the Postal Service, my days now belong to me and the smoker and Rosetta and the slow unfolding of a life without a mailbag. The week arrived the way weeks arrive in Orange Mound — carried by the rhythm of morning coffee and evening porch-sitting and the steady, patient work of being present in a life that doesn\'t require grand gestures to feel meaningful. Adjusting to diabetes.
Rosetta beside me through all of it, as she has been for 36 years — steady, opinionated, correct about things I haven't admitted she's correct about yet. She is the constant. She is the foundation. She is the woman I married in a parking lot and have been trying to deserve every day since.
Rosetta's kitchen this week — the baked fish, the steamed vegetables, the meals that my diabetes and her nursing degree have conspired to make my new normal. I eat them without complaint, mostly, because Rosetta's cooking is good even when it's healthy, and because the alternative to eating healthy is not eating at all, which is not an option for a man whose relationship with food is the relationship with his own identity.
I sat in the lawn chair Saturday evening, next to Uncle Clyde\'s smoker, and watched the sky change colors the way it does in Memphis — slowly, generously, as if the sunset has nowhere else to be. The smoker was warm beside me, the ghost of the day\'s cook still in the metal, and I thought about what I always think about: family, fire, food, and the faith that binds them all together. Another week. Another smoke. Another chapter in the story that started when a man named Clyde handed me a mop and said, "Low and slow, nephew." Low and slow. Always.
Rosetta pulled these off the stovetop grill on a Saturday not long after I retired, right around the time the doctor’s orders started reshaping what showed up on our plates — and I’ll admit, I sat down at the table half-expecting to feel sorry for myself. I didn’t. The mango does something to the char on the chicken that no amount of grumbling could argue with, and the blue cheese is bold enough that you don’t miss what used to be on the plate. This is the kind of dish that reminded me what I keep forgetting: Rosetta has always known what she’s doing.
Grilled Chicken, Mango & Blue Cheese Tortillas
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 medium flour tortillas (8-inch)
- 1 large ripe mango, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
- 2 cups fresh arugula or mixed greens
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
- Season the chicken. Pat chicken breasts dry and brush with olive oil. Combine chili powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, black pepper, and salt in a small bowl, then rub evenly over both sides of each breast.
- Grill the chicken. Heat a grill pan or outdoor grill over medium-high heat. Cook chicken 6–7 minutes per side, or until internal temperature reaches 165°F. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes before slicing into thin strips.
- Make the lime dressing. Whisk together lime juice and honey in a small bowl until combined. Toss arugula and red onion with the dressing in a medium bowl just before assembling.
- Warm the tortillas. Place tortillas one at a time in a dry skillet over medium heat for 30–45 seconds per side, or wrap in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds until pliable.
- Assemble the tortillas. Lay each warm tortilla flat. Layer with dressed arugula, sliced grilled chicken, mango slices, and crumbled blue cheese. Fold or roll to close.
- Serve immediately. Cut in half on the diagonal and serve while the chicken is still warm. A wedge of lime on the side doesn’t hurt.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 375 | Protein: 31g | Fat: 11g | Carbs: 37g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 530mg