A healthy diet involves reducing your intake of red meat and fat. Instead, lean meats such as chicken are recommended, which is recommended in a balanced diet. However, cooking it improperly can be detrimental to our health, since not all forms of cooking maintain the hypocaloric and nutritional qualities of our food.
Chicken breast is a tasty meat that can be prepared in many ways ; for example baked or grilled, and accompanied by countless foods or sauces. It is ideal for those who do not have time for complex elaborations.
Additionally, chicken protein helps you feel full and helps your body retain more muscle mass while losing weight (Westerterp-Plantenga, Lemmens & Westerterp, 2012). Therefore, we show you how to do 3 healthy recipes with chicken breast , so you can enjoy with your friends and family in the healthiest way.
4 recipes with chicken breast
1. Asian chicken stir fry salad
If we want to make something quick, but we don’t want to repeat a salad, stir-fry is a simple and comfortable option. In addition, this way of cooking chicken allows us to add ingredients that provide a special and tastier flavor.
This recipe does exactly that, calling for a delicious coleslaw mix that includes cabbage, which is packed with vitamins K, C, and B-6. On the other hand, the glucosinolates in cabbage can help prevent certain types of cancer, including colon and prostate cancer (Hayes, Kelleher, & Eggleston, 2011).
1.1 Ingredients (for 4 people)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon of sesame oil and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon coconut water (or honey)
- 400 g coleslaw (shredded green cabbage and carrots)
- 300 g boneless chicken breast
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil (or grapeseed oil)
- 1 large red bell pepper; and 1/2 medium red onion
- 1/4 cup of peanuts roasted in oil, with salt
- 3 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves
1.2 Steps for preparation
- In a liquid measuring cup, mix the lemon juice, sesame oil, soy sauce, and coconut water, and set aside.
- Add the coleslaw mix to a serving bowl, then set it aside.
- Slice the chicken into thin strips and sprinkle with the salt.
- Heat the peanut oil in a large skillet over high heat.
- Add chicken, bell pepper and onion and sauté until chicken is cooked through; that is, approximately 4 minutes.
- Mix the coleslaw with the stir fry. Sprinkle with the sesame, lemon, peanut and cilantro vinaigrette.
- Mix to serve while the sauce is warm. If desired, serve with a hot sauce on the side.
2. Chicken capresa stew
It usually takes hours to prepare a stew, but this is not the case with this recipe. 20 minutes of cook time is all you need to enjoy this Capresa salad-inspired chicken stew .
Tomatoes are the main fruit in this stew and are an excellent source of vitamin C. They also get their red color from lycopene, a carotenoid that research shows may play a role in reducing the risk of heart disease (Harris, Story, Kopec and Schwartz, 2013).
2.1 Ingredients (for 1 person)
- 1 teaspoon and a half of extra virgin olive oil
- 150 grams of chicken breast without skin and without bone
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup of tomatoes
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup of cooked quinoa
- 50 grams of mozzarella
- 8 fresh basil leaves
2.1 Steps for preparation
- Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat.
- Add the chicken breast, sprinkle with salt, and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.
- Add the broth, tomatoes, garlic, and vinegar to the skillet. Cover with a lid, reduce heat to low, and simmer until chicken is fully cooked and tomatoes are tender, about 12 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the heat, and transfer the chicken to a cutting board.
- Break the tomatoes into the pan with a fork, and cut the chicken into thin slices.
- Stir the chicken and warm quinoa into the tomato mixture in the skillet. Afterward, transfer that mixture into a serving bowl, and sprinkle with the cheese and basil.
3. Chicken salad snack with blueberries
Sometimes the chicken salad contains fruits, such as grapes or raisins, but for this version there will simply be cranberry sauce with whole berries and pistachios mixed with an easy homemade chicken salad made with roasted chicken breast.
All nuts are healthy, but pistachios are unique. Its green hue comes from lutein, a phytonutrient that helps protect our health. In fact, researchers found an association between eating foods with lutein and a decreased risk of developing macular degeneration (Wu, Cho, Willett, Sastry, & Schaumberg, 2015).
3.1 Ingredients (for 10 people)
- 3 cups skinless chicken breast
- 1/2 cup of mayonnaise
- 3 medium chives
- 3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary (or tarragon)
- 10 slices of rye bread (or whole wheat rye bread)
- 3/4 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
- 1/4 cup shelled, roasted and salted pistachios (or sliced toasted almonds)
3.2 Steps for preparation
- In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, mayo, scallions, and rosemary. Season well with salt and pepper to taste.
- Separate the bread slices and fill them with cranberry sauce, pistachios and chicken salad.
- Serve on a tray and decorate to taste.
4. Chicken salad with parsnip and kale
Simple ingredients like kale, chicken breast, parsnips, and Parmesan cheese can make a delicious salad.
Parsnips are an often overlooked root vegetable, but they do deserve a bit of attention thanks to their stellar nutritional properties. Also, the olive oil used to cook chicken can help your body absorb more vitamin E , a fat-soluble nutrient. Plus, this hearty salad is packed with vitamin A and fiber to keep you feeling full.
4.1 Ingredients (for 1 person)
- 1 1 and a half parsnip
- 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil
- 4 kale leaves
- 1/4 lemon
- 170 g raw chicken breast, boneless and skinless
- 3 tablespoons fresh grated Parmesan cheese
4.2 Steps for preparation
- Mix the parsnips in a bowl with olive oil, and then roast them until they are soft, that is, about 15 minutes.
- Cook chicken in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, until browned on the outside and cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes per side.
- Squeeze the lemon juice and stir it with the kale and let it steep for 10 minutes.
- Top the kale with the roasted parsnips, chicken and top with Parmesan cheese.
References
- Harris, K, Story, E., Kopec, R. and Schwartz, S. (2013). An Update on the Health Effects of Tomato Lycopene. Annual Review of Food Science and Technology . doi: 10.1146 / annurev.food.102308.124120
- Hayes, JD, Kelleher, MO and Eggleston, IM (2011). Cruciferous Vegetables and Cancer Prevention. National Cancer Institute. doi: 10.333 / 788nne99
- Westerterp-Plantenga, M., Lemmens, S. and Westerterp, K. (2012). Dietary protein – its role in satiety, energetics, weight loss and health. Cambridge University Press . doi: 10.1017 / S0007114512002589
- Wu, J., Cho, E., Willett, W., Sastry, S. and Schaumberg, D. (2015). Intakes of Lutein, Zeaxanthin, and Other Carotenoids and Age Related Macular Degeneration During 2 Decades of Prospective. JAMA Ophthalmol . doi: 10.1001 / jamaophthalmol.2015.3590
