I’m full of hacks today, and this one concerns skinless, boneless chicken breasts, a.k.a. The Most Boring Meat Known to Humanity. They not only tend to taste boring but they also look like the dish where culinary enjoyment has gone to die. Of course, one could make them more fun by dredging them in flour and frying them on high heat, which would result in delicious moistness and a pretty crust. But that would kill the whole purpose of trying to eat healthy.
So instead, I pat them very dry and rub them with turmeric. Turmeric is orange and it gives a very pretty look to the baked chicken breast. It looks as if it had a crust, which is the best I can do without making it unhealthy.
Chicken thighs are so much tastier than breasts that it boggles my mind that breasts are so popular.
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A LOT tastier. I only got the breasts because there were no thighs when I got to the store.
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Yes. And the fat and calorie differences between boneless, skinless thighs and breasts are negligible.
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A small amount of tumeric is fine, but to much makes my mouth numb and gives everything a weird metalic taste.
I used to marinate chicken breasts in dried lemon grass (and a couple of other things) or in a mix of grapefruit juice (fresh squeezed), grated (to liquid) onions and a small amount of white rum.
Another option is to slice them in thin.. slices and free them on a seasoned metal surface with as little oil as possible till turn crispy and almost burnt.
Another thing is to say hell with healthy and chop them up in little cubes sautee them in butter with sliced mushrooms, add some flour then add milk or cream till a sauce appears and then poor a few drops of very dry vermouth (martini brand is the best). That tastes like the 1970s to me for some reason….
I also do the breaded version (flour, eggs with herbs, breadcrumbs in that order) but dump a bunch of sesame seeds in with the breadcrumbs.
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“I used to marinate chicken breasts in dried lemon grass (and a couple of other things) or in a mix of grapefruit juice (fresh squeezed), grated (to liquid) onions and a small amount of white rum.”
This sounds sensational. Thank you for sharing, I will definitely try it.
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Agreed, boneless and skinless chicken breasts are dry and boring. Spices and marinating helps, as does simple pan frying with a little oil (versus deep frying), or using them in a stir fry with random vegetables, and a tiny bit of sesame oil and soy sauce. Cooking them with some onions and mushrooms also adds moisture. I will even add cinnamon to certain dishes with lean pork and chicken, try it when feeling adventurous.
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