Information On Healthy Chicken Recipes
It is certainly fortunate that chicken remains one of the affordable and healthful meats. If you have been serving fried chicken once a week, your family may enjoy it for a while, but that same-old, same-old can lose its appeal! There are so many ways to prepare healthy chicken recipes to take the place of that old standby. Better yet, if you are trying to lose weight, chicken can launch your diet plan with a bang, with the rest of the family none the wiser. You may find you are getting requests for an encore of a dish that would please the most stringent dieter. Here are some ideas to give you a hand up on this economical entree.
If you can manage it, buy the ‘natural’ chicken. Chicken that has been raised as free ranging, with no antibiotics or hormones and on natural, pesticide free grains is the way to go. The price is a bit higher, but well worth it in terms of nutritional value and taste. Even people who smoke can discern a difference in the taste. i have also found that the ‘natural’ meats always seem to fill you up with a smaller portion! I have no explanation for this, but it is a fact. The healthy chicken recipe should begin with the healthiest chicken!
You can add value to your purchase by skinning the chicken pieces and saving the skin and fat for a big batch of flavorful chicken broth. Skim off the fat and freeze the broth for a rainy day, when someone’s down with the flu. Some scientists, trying to determine what makes chicken soup such an effective remedy, theorize that there is a component of the fat which is the magic ingredient. So do not shy away from using the fat, too. Good medicine.
To proceed along proper healthy chicken recipe guidelines, the manner of cooking matters. Baking, broiling, grilling and poaching require little, if any, fat. While the fat does add delicious flavor, you can do without the calories. There are literally dozens of marinades and glazes right on the supermarket shelf. If you have got the time, you can save by making these simple marinades yourself. Look online, where you will find plenty of recipes. Lively herb and spice rubs can more than make up for the forbidden fat and its flavor. If you’d also like to reduce your salt intake, try some of the herbal salt substitutes. These herbal mixtures, although not containing salt, bring out the flavor of the meat in much the same way as salt, without the salt!
Chicken, like mild flavored fish, is well adapted to sauces with a considerable amount of pizazz. The Chinese dish, lemon chicken, served over rice tastes like gourmet fare and is a dieter’s dream. While a plain, boneless, broiled chicken breast is certainly a healthy chicken recipe, it is lacking in the flavor worth savoring. Try ladling a few tablespoons of sweet and sour sauce over that chicken for a tasty and elegant entree. Serve on a bed of rice pilaf and garnish with fresh parsley. Your diet-conscious healthy chicken recipe becomes something you’d expect at an upscale restaurant.
Next time you are at the market, check out the aisle with dressings, sauces and marinades. Most large supermarkets now carry chutneys and other exotic vegetable-sauce combinations. Capers alone, with their piquant taste, make a great seasoning for chicken. Most vegetables go well with chicken, so dice or julienne your favorites and mix with a bottled glaze in your preferred flavor. Healthy chicken recipes do not need to be dull. Try a new way to prepare this menu staple, using the freshest and best ingredients. Dieters lose weight and everyone else is happy too!
