Pan fried chicken breast
This is an easy way to have dinner on the table fast.
Cook chicken in a simple way, such as searing the meat on a skillet, then add a sauce, a couple of quick side dishes, and you are done.
How to cook chicken breast
You could consider boneless, skinless chicken breasts, low in fat and cholesterol, one of your best solutions for cooking dinner. Just pan fried, served with a sauce, a clever finishing touch and some quick sides become healthy fast food for family or guests. Some simple skillet sauce will take under five minutes to prepare, some no more than ten.
Follow the recipe for skillet chicken breast. Have the ingredients ready by your side so you can prepare the sauce right after the chicken breasts are cooked.
Sauces
Mix the ingredients in the skillet, once the chicken breasts are removed, and simmer until the sauce thickens a little.
How to make the sauces healthy? It will depend on the ingredients. Reduced fat cream, low fat and low sodium chicken broth and minimum amount of salt will make sauces that little bit healthier.
Creamy mustard
Ingredients: 1/3 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup chicken broth, 1 tsp smooth mustard, 1/4 cup light cream, season to taste - just 1 pinch pepper and probably no need for salt
Procedure: Add chicken broth, sour cream and mustard to the skillet. Simmer 1 minute, add light cream, heat without allowing it to boil and remove.
Garnish and quick sides: Sprinkle a little dill and serve with couscous or egg noodles, and steamed broccoli.
Gremolata
Ingredients: 1/2 to 1 tsp minced garlic, 1 tsp grated fresh lemon zest, 1 Tbs chopped fresh parsley, 1/2cup chicken broth, salt and pepper to taste, 1 tsp butter.
Procedure: Add garlic, lemon zest, parsley and broth to the pan. Simmer 1-2 minutes. Stir butter off heat. If you find the taste too strong, sauté garlic, parsley and lemon zest for 1 minute before adding the broth. If you prefer a smoother texture, omit the lemon zest and stir 2 Tbs lemon juice together with the butter.
Garnish and quick sides: Add capers, if desired, and serve with rice and sliced tomatoes. Brown rice is a much healthier option and frozen pre-cooked brown rice is ready in minutes.
Quick mushroom supreme
Ingredients: 1/2to 1 cup sliced white mushrooms, 2 tsp lemon juice, ¾ cup chicken broth mixed with 1 tsp cornstarch, 2 Tbs heavy cream, 1 tsp butter, salt and pepper to taste.
Procedure: Add mushrooms and sauté briefly. Add lemon juice before they turn brown and sauté 1 minute more. Add broth and simmer until it thickens. Off heat, add butter and heavy cream Season with salt and pepper.
Garnish and quick sides: Sprinkle chopped parsley. Serve with microwave jacket potatoes and steamed carrot slices.
Moroccan orange and rosemary
Ingredients: 3/4 cup orange juice; 1/4 cup chicken broth; 1 tsp dried rosemary.
Procedure: Add ingredients to and simmer for 2 minutes; simple.
Garnish and quick sides: Sprinkle chopped fresh coriander or heat some peeled orange segments with the sauce. Serve with a raisin and nut couscous and a salad.
Thai delight
Ingredients: 1 1-2-inch long piece lemon grass stalk; bell pepper cut into thin strips 2 Tbs green, read and yellow; 1 tsp minced garlic, 1 Tbs finely sliced green onions; 1 tsp grated peeled ginger root; 1 tsp finely chopped coriander; 1/2tsp dry mustard; 3/4 cup chicken broth; 1-2 Tbs smooth peanut butter; 1 tsp peanut or sesame oil.
Procedure: Sauté peppers briefly. Add garlic, onion, ginger, coriander and lemon grass and sauté for 2 minutes or until garlic and onion are soft but not brown. Add chicken broth, cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Strain vegetables, reserving vegetables and discarding lemon grass, and blend cooking liquid with peanut butter and peanut oil, add just enough to get the desired consistency then season peanut sauce with salt and pepper - a few drops of Tabasco will make it really hot.
Garnish and quick sides: Sprinkle chopped coriander. Serve with the reserved vegetables, white rice and peas.
Some of the sauces will take longer to simmer and you may prefer to prepare them in a separate pan while you cook the chicken breasts. Good candidates would be the mushroom supreme or Thai delight sauces. You will need to heat some extra oil in the second pan then follow the instructions.