Love Chicken? 3 Quick Recipes Your Whole Family Will Enjoy
Nearly everyone who’s not a strict vegetarian loves chicken. It’s lean and filled with nutrients. A pound of roasted chicken has 114 grams of protein, no carbs, 99.7 milligrams of calcium, 9.50 mg of iron and 8.6 mg of magnesium. Chicken is famously versatile and can be fried, baked, broiled, roasted, fricasseed, grilled, or even ground to make chicken burgers. Here are three quick chicken recipes.
Coconut Curry Chicken
This meal not only has the health benefits of chicken, but also all the nutrient power of curry powder, which is used to bolster the immune system, ginger, an anti-inflammatory, cinnamon, which is both an antioxidant and an anti-inflammatory, and alliums in the form of red onion and garlic. Alliums support the cardiovascular system and have anti-cancer properties. Here is the recipe:
Ingredients:
2 lbs raw boneless/skinless chicken thighs (or breasts)
1 can coconut milk
5 ounces baby spinach
1 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp. coconut oil (or your choice of oil)
2 1/2 tbsp. curry powder
3 cloves garlic
1 2 inch length of grated ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. pink salt
1/4 medium red onion
Cilantro leaves
Directions:
Finely chop onion and garlic and grate ginger root. Chop chicken into 1-inch cubes. Add coconut oil to medium-high heat skillet or pot. (You will be simmering this for 30-60 minutes so you want a pot that can hold a good amount of liquid.) Add chicken and cook partially. Add onion, ginger, garlic, curry powder, and cinnamon to the pan with the chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes, careful not to burn the spices. Add coconut milk and broth and stir. Reduce for 40-60 minutes until desired consistency is achieved. If your sauce is not thick enough, let it cook longer to reduce. Fold spinach into mixture and cook until wilted, usually 1 minute. Top with cilantro and any other add ons you’d like. Tip: If you refrigerate your coconut milk overnight you can easily separate the cream from the water before adding it to the skillet.
Source: https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/chicken-coconut-curry-in-a-hurry
One Pan Balsamic Chicken and Broccoli
One pan meals can be a lifesaver for mid-week meals. This recipe can also be made before and then put in a bag and used whenever needed, so it’s perfect for those who do meal prep. This is also a good choice for any family that has picky eaters!
Ingredients:
4 boneless chicken breasts (cut into bite size pieces)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup. honey
2 tsp. minced garlic
salt and pepper (to taste)
2 cup shredded carrots (or matchstick)
5 cups broccoli florets
2 cups of rice (can be made the day of, or cooked before and heated up for serving)
Directions:
Cut the chicken and vegetables into bite size pieces. Add all ingredients to a large zipper bag (or bowl) and shake to mix well. You can store this overnight, if preparing in advance, or use immediately.
Spray baking sheet with non stick spray or brush to coat with olive oil. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pour mixture onto baking sheet. Cook for 20-25 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
Prepare rice in rice cooker or on the stove top. If you’ve made the rice in advance, you can microwave it with a little water.
Source: https://5dinners1hour.com/one-pan-balsamic-chicken/
Yakitori
Yakitori is a Japanese-based style of cooking chicken. Pieces of chicken are skewered and then grilled over charcoal or in a broiler. For fans of kabobs and other finger foods, yakitori is a simple, but fun spin on the dish.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb. skinned, boned chicken breast
6 green onions (or 1 bunch)
2 tbsp. sake (or mirin)
3 tbsp. soy sauce
1 2 inch piece of fresh ginger root (grated)
Directions:
Preheat the broiler. Cut the chicken into small cubes, and cut the green onions into 1/12-inch lengths, including the white and green parts. Alternate the chicken and green onions on skewers. Heat sake in a small saucepan, stir in the soy sauce and ginger root. Remove from the heat. Put the skewers in a broiler pan and brush the sake mixture over them. Broil, brushing the chicken and onions with the marinade and turning occasionally until the chicken is no longer pink in the center. This takes about six minutes. Serve hot.
Source: https://recipecenter.giantfoodstores.com/recipes/152679/chicken-yakitori
These meals are easy, quick, fun to make and best of all, fun to eat. For even more nutritious meals, make sure that the ingredients are organic.
If you and your family want to start eating a healthier diet but aren’t sure where to start, let Houston Family Nutrition help! We offer a Healthy Home Makeover as part of our packages, to ensure you can make lasting improvements to your cooking routine.
