My Favorite Things-Chicken Breasts
As the holidays descend upon us, we are faced with a surplus of Christmas goose, ham and turkey, depending on your individual family tradition. While delightful for the day, the leftovers can be tiresome. Chicken breasts are a great way to break from the leftovers and have a healthy meal after all the excess that defines the holidays. There are several recipes that go from very easy to very complex. It all depends on how you like your chicken. For very easy and healthy, try a simple barbeque chicken breast sliced over salad with some low-fat Ranch dressing and your favorite vegetables, such as corn or black beans. For a more complex, but also easy to fix dish, try Chicken Fricassee with Cream. Taking only 35 minutes to prepare, it is comfort food at its finest.
One of the lovely things about chicken breasts is their health benefits. It is a great source of lean protein, and contains Niacin, which is a B-vitamin that protects the body against cancer. So, combining diced breast of chicken with steamed broccoli and mixing it with a low or non-fat sauce gives you the ultimate cancer and fat fighter! B6 is also present in chicken breasts, and is an important factor in metabolizing energy in the body.
Some cooking tips to consider when preparing chicken breasts are as follows…
• Ensure that raw chicken doesn’t come in contact with other foods, especially the ones that are to be served uncooked.
• Wash your hands with soapy water after handling chicken.
• Chicken, being very sensitive to heat, should always be marinated in the refrigerator, if your recipe so requires.
• It should also be defrosted in the refrigerator, not at room temperature.
Chicken breasts are light, healthy, nutritious and delightful when prepared with your favorite seasonings and fruits or vegetables. It is the perfect solution for the traditional Holiday leftover brigade.
