Need easy recipes for protein sources, primarily chicken
christianteach
Posts: 595 Member
My husband does most of our cooking and has been very supportive of my efforts for the past few months. In fact, him and our son have been dieting with me, although my husband doesn't count calories or really even track what he's eating. It's made this pretty easy. However, they are both getting tired of eating the way I need to eat to be successful and I'm not much of cook. I do best when I eat a lot of grilled chicken. I don't know how to use either of our grills. (We have a gas grill and a primo, which is probably more difficult to use than I would want to mess with) I have asked him to teach me how to use our gas grill this weekend, but his reply was "Why can't you just use our George Foreman?" Yuk. Chicken doesn't taste near as good on that as it does on our grills. I want to eat like this the rest of my life so I need to learn how to cook the foods I need.
I would love some great idea's for easy ways to make chicken that taste good. Recipes where I could prep ahead of time and have leftovers would be great too, as long as it would taste good. That way he cook whatever they want and I could stick to my grilled chicken...or baked, or crock pot....I'm a little on the picky side...I won't eat mushrooms or rice...I prefer straight up chicken (although I do love spices and hot sauces) with separate sides like a salad or veggies, rather than all in one dishes. When my husband does grill chicken, I always ask him to cook extra for me so I can have it another day...I just microwave it and then add some Texas Pete.
I would love some great idea's for easy ways to make chicken that taste good. Recipes where I could prep ahead of time and have leftovers would be great too, as long as it would taste good. That way he cook whatever they want and I could stick to my grilled chicken...or baked, or crock pot....I'm a little on the picky side...I won't eat mushrooms or rice...I prefer straight up chicken (although I do love spices and hot sauces) with separate sides like a salad or veggies, rather than all in one dishes. When my husband does grill chicken, I always ask him to cook extra for me so I can have it another day...I just microwave it and then add some Texas Pete.
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Replies
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bump to see answers0
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I just throw a couple of skinless tenderloins on the skillet with some Pam spray, then cut them up and throw them in a leafy green salad w/ tomatoes and cucumbers. I let the salad dressing provide the flavor. No fuss.0
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I just throw a couple of skinless tenderloins on the skillet with some Pam spray, then cut them up and throw them in a leafy green salad w/ tomatoes and cucumbers. I let the salad dressing provide the flavor. No fuss.
I eat chicken on salad a lot, but I wouldn't know how long to cook it. I have seen my husband cook ours on the store before, primarily when he's going to add some hot sauce. How can you tell when chicken is done without checking the internal temp? It would be easy with red meat, based on color, but chicken I wouldn't have a clue.0 -
I give it 2 minutes on each side on medium heat. Covered so it cooks better and retains more moisture. This is for boneless skinless tenderloins. For bone-in chicken or something thicker than a tenderloin you'll have to give it more time.I just throw a couple of skinless tenderloins on the skillet with some Pam spray, then cut them up and throw them in a leafy green salad w/ tomatoes and cucumbers. I let the salad dressing provide the flavor. No fuss.
I eat chicken on salad a lot, but I wouldn't know how long to cook it. I have seen my husband cook ours on the store before, primarily when he's going to add some hot sauce. How can you tell when chicken is done without checking the internal temp? It would be easy with red meat, based on color, but chicken I wouldn't have a clue.0 -
A slow-cooker will be your best friend. Make whatever kind of sauce you're craving and drop some chicken breasts in, on high for 1-2 hours, or medium for 4-5 hours. Last week, I made a sesame sauce. So good!0
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chicken tenderloins, bash flat with meat mallet, sprinkle with garlic salt and fry.
Put between slices of bread with salad, tomato sauce, onions, mayonnaise for home-made 'burger'. Very delicious, very quick.
you say you don't like things mixed. This really limits your options. You want to learn how to use a grill.
If it's a gas grill, you simply turn the gas tank on, turn the gas dial on, and hit the ignition switch. It's not rocket science! A guy can do it!
If it's a charcoal grill you just set the charcoal on to burn, come back when it's red, fire your chicken on and cook it. Again, guys can do it. that's a sign.
(heh heh. sexism rulz, ok?)
Chicken stir fries are fantastic, flavour with ketjap manis for ease and thrill. I use a marinade consisting of ketjap manis, garlic and the chicken. Fry, put in bowl. Then do the vege, then pour the chicken in at the end, making the gravy with cornstarch/cornflour and water and stock and ketjap manis.0 -
I have a thing for wok right now. I just marinade strips of chicken in a little oil and spices and then throw it on a skillet, then I cook it and add veggies I have at hand and beans and whatnot.0
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HAHAHA, can't argue with that. My mom was always the one slaving over the stove, and my dad was always the one grilling things outside on the barbecue (he was amazing at it). After Mom passed on, Dad has been flabbergasted by any food that can't be cooked by burning it with fire, LOL. I had to teach him how to make scrambled eggs!! He mostly subsists on Lean Cuisine nowadays because he can just pop it in the microwave. Poor Dad... such a man...If it's a gas grill, you simply turn the gas tank on, turn the gas dial on, and hit the ignition switch. It's not rocket science! A guy can do it!
If it's a charcoal grill you just set the charcoal on to burn, come back when it's red, fire your chicken on and cook it. Again, guys can do it. that's a sign.
(heh heh. sexism rulz, ok?)0 -
I just put that goya lemon chicken powder on chicken breasts. Sometimes smoked paprika. It works.0
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One word (or two): crockpot! chicken, tomato sauce, onions and peppers. YUM! You can get tons of recipes off the internet and various sites. My fav is allrecipes.com. I take many recipes not meant for the crockpot and convert them (use less liquid than the original recipe calls for).
Good Luck!0 -
You said you like spicy?
me too!
I use skinless chicken drumsticks. Toss then in a bowl and add black pepper, red crushed pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, Montreal chicken seasoning, and chicken bullion powder. I don't measure any of the ingredients. Mix so all the drumsticks are coated with the seasonings. Place chicken in a large aluminum tray (for easy clean up) and make sure the pieces don't touch or overlap. Stick the tray in the oven for 30 minutes at 440 degrees. Then after 30 minutes, flip the drumsticks so they evenly cook and leave in the oven for another thirty minutes. Then you're all done! Enjoy!0 -
You can do a quick chicken sautée. Cut 1 lb of boneless, skinless chicken breast into bite-sized chunks, sautée in 1 tbsp. of olive oil. Add 1 tsp basil, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp thyme, salt and black pepper to taste.
During the cooking, the chicken will release the water and perhaps a little fat. Cook until the fat/water is mostly gone and it will be done. You can also easily pull out one of the chunks and check it out to make sure they are cooked through. I wish I could give you a time to cook, but I've never timed it. It's probably about 10 minutes total, roughly.
This sautee can then be eaten on its own, used with salads, mixed with tomato sauce for pasta, or a myriad of other things. It is pretty much just the calories from the chicken and oil.
Another thing I like to do is oven-fried chicken tenders. They are about 150 calories per tender the way I make them.
1 lb chicken tenders (usually about 10)
3 tbsp. oil* (neutral flavor like canola works best)
1 egg, beaten with an optional 1 tbsp hot sauce mixed in
1 cup bread crumbs (or a mix of bread crumbs and crushed corn flakes)
1 tsp each of various spices such as:Oregano, Garlic powder, celery seed, basil, thyme, parsley, etc.)
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375 F
Put the egg and hot sauce in a large, flat bowl and mix well
Put the dry ingredients in a second large, flat bowl and mix well
Add the oil to a 13X9 baking dish
Dip the tenders in the egg wash, then coat them in the dry mixture and place in the baking dish
Cook for 20-30 minutes, turning once (my oven cooks them completely in about 20 minutes)
Remove from oven and place on paper towel-lined plate. Serve hot.
* the chicken absorbs about 1/2 the oil while cooking (measured the leftover several times) so I only count 1-1/2 tbsp. of the oil for calorie-counting purposes.0 -
You say you don't like rice , have you tried cous cous or quinoa for a Change . They only need boiling water poured over them & you can pep them up with herbs & spices , fruits & veg .0
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I love my healthier version of chicken parmesan. I cook the chicken tenders in a couple tbsp of olive oil for couple min on each side, then pour on my favorite low-sodium pasta sauce before putting on the lid. After about 10 min, I add parmesan cheese and eat Up!0
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Slow cookers are excellent and practical.
I also recommend you check out this cookbook- http://www.amazon.com/The-Shredded-Chef-Recipes-Building/dp/1938895088/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380385885&sr=8-1&keywords=the+shredded+chef
In a nutshell, the recipes are easy, tasty and designed for people who want to build muscle, so lots of protein based recipes!0 -
I give it 2 minutes on each side on medium heat. Covered so it cooks better and retains more moisture. This is for boneless skinless tenderloins. For bone-in chicken or something thicker than a tenderloin you'll have to give it more time.I just throw a couple of skinless tenderloins on the skillet with some Pam spray, then cut them up and throw them in a leafy green salad w/ tomatoes and cucumbers. I let the salad dressing provide the flavor. No fuss.
I eat chicken on salad a lot, but I wouldn't know how long to cook it. I have seen my husband cook ours on the store before, primarily when he's going to add some hot sauce. How can you tell when chicken is done without checking the internal temp? It would be easy with red meat, based on color, but chicken I wouldn't have a clue.
We buy boneless, skinless breasts.0 -
A slow-cooker will be your best friend. Make whatever kind of sauce you're craving and drop some chicken breasts in, on high for 1-2 hours, or medium for 4-5 hours. Last week, I made a sesame sauce. So good!
I would love it cooked in there with BBQ, but that would add a ton of calories!0 -
chicken tenderloins, bash flat with meat mallet, sprinkle with garlic salt and fry.
Put between slices of bread with salad, tomato sauce, onions, mayonnaise for home-made 'burger'. Very delicious, very quick.
you say you don't like things mixed. This really limits your options. You want to learn how to use a grill.
If it's a gas grill, you simply turn the gas tank on, turn the gas dial on, and hit the ignition switch. It's not rocket science! A guy can do it!
If it's a charcoal grill you just set the charcoal on to burn, come back when it's red, fire your chicken on and cook it. Again, guys can do it. that's a sign.
(heh heh. sexism rulz, ok?)
Chicken stir fries are fantastic, flavour with ketjap manis for ease and thrill. I use a marinade consisting of ketjap manis, garlic and the chicken. Fry, put in bowl. Then do the vege, then pour the chicken in at the end, making the gravy with cornstarch/cornflour and water and stock and ketjap manis.
I know how to turn the grill on. lol Ours is really easy because we had them run a natural gas line from our house to it. I just don't have a clue about temp, when to turn it or how long to cook it. I finally got him to agree to teach me how to do it tonight. They are going to eat something else.0 -
You said you like spicy? me too!
I use skinless chicken drumsticks. Toss then in a bowl and add black pepper, red crushed pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, Montreal chicken seasoning, and chicken bullion powder. I don't measure any of the ingredients. Mix so all the drumsticks are coated with the seasonings. Place chicken in a large aluminum tray (for easy clean up) and make sure the pieces don't touch or overlap. Stick the tray in the oven for 30 minutes at 440 degrees. Then after 30 minutes, flip the drumsticks so they evenly cook and leave in the oven for another thirty minutes. Then you're all done! Enjoy!
That sounds really good!0 -
You can do a quick chicken sautée. Cut 1 lb of boneless, skinless chicken breast into bite-sized chunks, sautée in 1 tbsp. of olive oil. Add 1 tsp basil, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp thyme, salt and black pepper to taste.
During the cooking, the chicken will release the water and perhaps a little fat. Cook until the fat/water is mostly gone and it will be done. You can also easily pull out one of the chunks and check it out to make sure they are cooked through. I wish I could give you a time to cook, but I've never timed it. It's probably about 10 minutes total, roughly.
This sautee can then be eaten on its own, used with salads, mixed with tomato sauce for pasta, or a myriad of other things. It is pretty much just the calories from the chicken and oil.
Another thing I like to do is oven-fried chicken tenders. They are about 150 calories per tender the way I make them.
1 lb chicken tenders (usually about 10)
3 tbsp. oil* (neutral flavor like canola works best)
1 egg, beaten with an optional 1 tbsp hot sauce mixed in
1 cup bread crumbs (or a mix of bread crumbs and crushed corn flakes)
1 tsp each of various spices such as:Oregano, Garlic powder, celery seed, basil, thyme, parsley, etc.)
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375 F
Put the egg and hot sauce in a large, flat bowl and mix well
Put the dry ingredients in a second large, flat bowl and mix well
Add the oil to a 13X9 baking dish
Dip the tenders in the egg wash, then coat them in the dry mixture and place in the baking dish
Cook for 20-30 minutes, turning once (my oven cooks them completely in about 20 minutes)
Remove from oven and place on paper towel-lined plate. Serve hot.
* the chicken absorbs about 1/2 the oil while cooking (measured the leftover several times) so I only count 1-1/2 tbsp. of the oil for calorie-counting purposes.
Sounds delish and easy to make!0 -
You say you don't like rice , have you tried cous cous or quinoa for a Change . They only need boiling water poured over them & you can pep them up with herbs & spices , fruits & veg .
I don't like quinoa either, we tried it last week. The guys loved it and I about barfed. They are eating that tonight while I eat my grilled chicken. I've never tried cous cous but I doubt I will like it. I don't like to waste calories on carb heavy sides anyway. I'd rather save those calories for a chocolate dipped banana or something. :bigsmile:0 -
Slow cookers are excellent and practical.
I also recommend you check out this cookbook- http://www.amazon.com/The-Shredded-Chef-Recipes-Building/dp/1938895088/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380385885&sr=8-1&keywords=the+shredded+chef
In a nutshell, the recipes are easy, tasty and designed for people who want to build muscle, so lots of protein based recipes!
Perfect, thanks! My goal is about 150 grams of protein a day but I've been having trouble achieving that lately.0 -
Bump0
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I would love it cooked in there with BBQ, but that would add a ton of calories!
I actually have a recipe for some low-cal, low carb barbecue sauce at home. I'm at work currently. So I'll post it on here when I get home this morning. You'll love it.0 -
I would love it cooked in there with BBQ, but that would add a ton of calories!
I actually have a recipe for some low-cal, low carb barbecue sauce at home. I'm at work currently. So I'll post it on here when I get home this morning. You'll love it.
That would be great. Thanks!! BBQ chicken is one of the things I miss! My husband use to make spatchcock chicken on the primo grill and the next day would make pulled BBQ chicken with the leftovers...Oh how I miss those sandwiches!!! And I would use Curly Chips to scoop up the chicken that fell off of the sandwich. YUM! That reminds me though, it's been a long time since he's made a spatchcock chicken and it's one of my favs....I need to ask him to make one this week.0
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