Easy, quick and healthy low fat chicken recipes
If your doctor recommends that you reduce your fat intake due to health concerns, or you decide it's time to lose a few pounds, we've got some low fat chicken recipes to help you along the way. Chicken has some other virtues, too. It's still relatively inexpensive and the meat is lean. Most of the fat content is in the skin. Removing the skin – and fat – doesn't mean it needs to go to waste. Let's take a look at a few ideas for low fat chicken recipes, without waste.
Chicken breast meat is the leanest cut of the chicken. If you buy chicken breasts with the skin already removed, it may be more costly than buying the whole chicken breast. It's little work to remove the skin, so compare prices when you buy. By saving the skin in a freezer bag, adding to your stash each time you buy chicken, you'll soon have enough to make a flavorful chicken stock. Allow the stock to cool and then put it in the frig until it's cold. The fat will rise to the top, making it easy to lift it off with a large metal spoon. You can discard it if you wish, or save it to make gravies for other members of the family who don't need to restrict their fat intake – lucky them!
Chicken breasts are meaty and may be prepared in several ways, offering a variety of low fat chicken recipes. Here are some delicious ways to enjoy this low fat, high protein meat.
1.Slice the breast diagonally into strips about 1 ½ inches wide. Fry them over a medium high heat in a tablespoon or so of olive oil, turning with a fork or spatula frequently, until no pink remains. The chicken will cook in just minutes. You can serve the strips on a bed of rice and dress the dish with salsa, for a filling, tasty and nutritious meal.
2.Alternatively, you can cook the strips in the same manner, letting them brown slightly. Set aside to cool and then refrigerate until cold. This forms the basis for a great Chef's salad, combined with plenty of greens, tomato wedges, a hard boiled egg, slices of cucumber or whatever other veggies you prefer. Remember, in a Chef's salad, the chef decides! Serve with a low fat dressing of your choosing for a low fat chicken recipe that tastes delicious.
3.Marinate whole chicken breasts in a bottled or packaged marinade, or make your own favorite marinade. Grill or broil. This low fat chicken recipe goes well with brown, wild or white rice as well as pasta. This becomes an even tastier dish if you skewer some mushrooms and pineapple chunks and grill them with the chicken, to serve as a one-dish meal.
4.Cook your chicken breasts as described above, without the marinade. Skewer chunks of onion – or pearl onions – along with strips of red, orange and yellow sweet bell peppers. Steam some fresh snow peas on the stove top. Put all of these ingredients in a large bowl and stir in some teriyaki sauce for a sensational flavor and another low fat chicken recipe with a gourmet touch.
5.Slice each chicken breast lengthwise, without completely cutting through the meat, to form a pocket. Stuff with a mixture of fresh spinach, stems removed, sliced mushrooms, shaved Parmesan cheese and orzo (cooked according to package directions). Stuff each breast with a generous amount of this mixture. Wrap each breast in individual foil packets and bake at 375 degrees, for 30-45 minutes, depending on the size of the breasts.
You can see that a low fat chicken recipe does not have to be dull! Bon Appetit!
