Ah…protein. It’s such a powerful debate in the nutrition world. To go lean or fatty? To eat meat or to not eat meat?
Either way, we need protein to survive. It’s made up of something called amino acids – building blocks of our bodies, that also provide energy. Naturally we can produce some amino acids, but the rest we get from food sources.
Chicken breast is a great example of a protein that you can prepare quickly and receive all of the nutritional benefits, but unfortunately not all home-cooked chicken is delicious AND healthy.
So here’s what you need to know:
- It’s lean, which can mean “bland” if you don’t flavor it correctly. At minimum, salt and pepper is necessary. Check out the recipe below.
- It can be loaded with anti-biotics (yes drugs) – something quite common for animals raised on large farms. Choose organic, antibiotic-free whenever possible.
- The average person really only needs 4-5oz. in one meal (think the size of an iPhone).
- It tastes great with lemon, salt and pepper for those days when there’s nothing else in the fridge.
- You can keep chicken breast moist by “tenting” it with a piece of tin-foil when doing a simple stove-top skillet-grill.
Ingredients
2 chicken breasts
4 tablespoons Kale & Basil Pesto
1 tablespoon coconut oil or ghee
water
Steps:
- Rinse chicken breast and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Lightly salt and pepper each side, massaging the grains into the muscle fiber of the chicken.
- Using the backside of a spoon, press 1 tablespoon of the Kale & Basil Pesto on each side.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of coconut oil or ghee. Shake the skillet to disperse the oil.
- Using a pair of tongs, add the chicken breast and cook for 2-3 minutes until you see slight charring. Reduce the heat to medium and place a piece of tin-foil over the chicken breast in a tent shape, so steam can escape. Cook for another 3-5 minutes until the first side has cooked through half way. Add water to the pan if it becomes too dry.
- Flip it over and re-tent until thoroughly cooked (roughly 5 minutes).
Serves 2 – 4 (depending on the size of the chicken breast)
