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How long to cook chicken breast

How long to cook chicken breast

Whether it’s tenders, tacos, breasts, or kabobs, everyone loves chicken. The average American eats a whopping 201 pounds of chicken every single year. Most people, especially those looking for a healthier diet, prefer chicken breast to other kinds of meat because it’s a great, lean source of protein, and it’s highly accessible. Yet, this dietary staple is surprisingly difficult to cook correctly and often times comes out dry and rubbery. So how long exactly should you cook a chicken breast? Chicken breast loses its juiciness and appetizing texture when it’s overcooked. How long you need to cook your chicken breast largely depends on the size and thickness of the breast and of course your method of cooking. Also, try this easy weeknight Chicken Parmesan recipe. how long to cook a chicken breast In the oven: Bake or roast chicken at 375ºF for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on thickness. In…

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Why you should always ‘rest’ meat after cooking

Why you should always 'rest' meat after cooking

When the smell of sizzling, charred steak is wafting through the air, it can be hard to delay any further gratification. You want to dive fork first into that juicy piece of meat and feast until you’re full. But before you make this backyard barbecue blunder, you should understand the importance of resting meat. Let’s explore. What happens to cooked meat? Cooking a piece of meat causes the proteins to ‘set’. The more cooked the meat, the more ‘set’ the proteins are, thus creating the variation in firmness between, say, a raw and well-done piece of meat. A meat thermometer can tell you exactly how cooked your piece of meat is, but most cooks pride themselves on being able to tell doneness using only the tong test. (Poke any steak with a pair of tongs and the amount of push-back will tell you its approximate doneness.) Why all meat should rest…

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Crave-Worthy Recipes

Brownie batter dessert hummus recipe

Brownie batter dessert hummus recipe_3

Yes, you read that right. This recipe calls for melted chocolate and chickpeas… together! When I learned about “dessert hummus” I couldn’t decide if it was some crazy gimmick or pure, culinary genius. You can now firmly file me in the latter category. If you’re all about the edible cookie dough trend, or if you can’t stop licking the brownie batter from the bowl, this recipe is definitely for you. No raw eggs here! Just protein-and fiber-packed garbanzos, chocolate, a pinch of flaky salt, and a splash of vanilla. It makes a thick and creamy spread, just like regular hummus, except it’s sweet, so it’s great for smearing on breakfast toast. Use it in place of those unhealthy hazelnut spreads. Dip fresh fruit, pretzels, pitas or eat by the spoonful for a healthier alternative to sweet snacking any time of day. And try easy Banana Dessert Hummus, too! 5-ingredient Chocolate…

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Crave-Worthy Recipes

Vegan Thai-inspired snow pea salad with peanut dressing

Vegan Thai-inspired snow pea salad with peanut dressing_4

Crunchy, colorful and full of flavor. This crisp Thai-inspired salad tossed in a mildly spicy peanut dressing is a total powerhouse of nutrition. Carrots, snow peas, cabbage, quinoa — it’s going to be your new salad obsession. You can instantly add more oomph with grilled chicken, beef, or shrimp, but it’s just as satisfying and filling without any animal protein added. Vegetarians might already know that quinoa and peanut butter are both excellent sources of plant-based protein. (Quinoa brings about 8 grams of protein per cup, and peanut butter brings about 8 grams per two tablespoons.) This superfood salad is addictive! The peanut sauce is similar to that served at your favorite Thai restaurant with chicken satay or with fresh spring rolls, but it’s easy to whip up with ingredients common at your everyday supermarket. You’ll want to put it on everything! Get creative with your salad. Add anything from…

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Seasonal

Cracking through 8 myths about eggs

Cracking through 8 myths about eggs

They’re cheap, nutritious, and an essential part in the diets of billions around the world. Still, there are a lot of myths surrounding the everyday egg. Get ready for a bit of shell shock. I’m about to scramble everything you think you know about eggs. Myth: Brown chickens lay brown eggs. Truth: The color of a chicken does determine what color eggs it lays, but it’s not the feathers that give it away — it’s the earlobes. (Yes, Earlobes!) Chickens with red earlobes lay brown eggs, while white eggs usually come from chickens with white earlobes. There are always exceptions, but if you’re wondering what color a hen’s eggs will be, this general rule is a good place to start. Myth: All eggs need to be refrigerated at all times. Truth: Whether or not you need to refrigerate your eggs depends on where you live. If you live in the United…

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Seasonal

What is the difference between white and dark turkey meat?

What is the difference between white and dark turkey meat?

It seems at Thanksgiving there are two distinct teams — those who dig deep on the serving platter for the white meat, and those who fight for the drumstick. It’s really a battle of white meat versus dark meat. But aside from the color, what really is the difference? It all comes down to what a particular muscle, aka meat, is used for. Turkeys aren’t known for their flying abilities. They typically only take off for short distances — say, from the ground to a perch (Fun fact: Wild turkeys spend the night in trees, preferably oak trees). This means they rely on their legs to get them around all day. All of that walking and running means the muscles in their legs and thighs are full of blood vessels. These blood vessels contain myoglobin (or muscle hemoglobin), which delivers tons of rich oxygen to the muscles. The more myoglobin…

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Crave-Worthy Recipes

Easy peaches and cream protein smoothie

With just a few ingredients, this smoothie will be your go-to breakfast throughout the whole peach season. There is nothing quite like the sweet taste of a delicious, juicy peach in the summertime. Add a pinch of cinnamon, some skim milk, and Greek yogurt for protein, and you have a healthy, nutritious peaches and cream-like smoothie to get your day started the right way. I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to share this recipe with you. I make it all the time. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! Peaches and Cream protein smoothie Serves 2 Ingredients 5 ounces low-fat greek yogurt 8-9 ounces frozen peaches (or use 1 large peach, pitted + 1 cup ice cubes) 3/4 cup skim milk 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (optional) Directions Combine all ingredients in a high-powered blender. Blend until smooth. Enjoy right away. ALSO…

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News Bites

You can lose weight twice as fast with this diet method, research shows

You can lose weight twice as fast with this diet method, research shows

When we want to shed some pounds, we typically look to dropping sugars and carbs from our diets. But a new study reveals that cutting back on sweeteners and breads might not be the most effective method after all. The most successful weight loss could come from ditching something more dieter-friendly at first glance — meat. The research published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition revels that dieters adopting vegetarian diets not only boost their metabolism but end up losing more weight overall — twice as much weight, in fact. A group of 74 participants with type 2 diabetes followed strict vegetarian diets of grains, vegetables, fruits and nuts. What researchers saw was that the vegetarian diet was twice as effective as the more common diet method at helping people shed pounds. Participants on the veggie diet lost on average 14 pounds vs. the typical 7 pounds. But the participants didn’t…

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Crave-Worthy Recipes

Creamy avocado, mango, smoothie with hemp hearts

Creamy avocado, mango, hemp heart smoothie

Hemp hearts have been on the health food scene for quite a while now, but, for whatever reason, many people still haven’t given these delicious nutty seeds a chance. If you wish you could add even more nutritional oomph to your smoothies, salads and yogurts, it might be hemp seeds that you’re looking for. Hemp hearts are the edible insides of hemp seeds. They are said to have many health benefits because of their rich and diverse nutritional content. For starters, hemp hearts are a complete protein, so for vegetarians, or those trying to eat less meat, hemp hearts are a easy dietary substitution. They also contain essential fatty acids omega 6 and omega 3 as well as soluble and insoluble fiber. They’re packed with vitamins A, B1, B2, D and E as well as the minerals calcium and iron. But wait. There’s more! The combination of complex carbohydrates, protein and calories in…

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Seasonal

Incredible facts about eggs you never knew

Incredible facts about eggs you never knew

Whether they’re Benedict, baked, or hard-boiled, Americans sure love eggs. In fact, just last year, we ate 2.7 TRILLION of them, according to the Incredible Egg. But our favorite breakfast protein is hiding some fun facts. Did you know that most eggs are laid between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m.? Or why some eggs float and others sink? Read on to discover more egg-citing facts and learn why eggs are all they’re cracked up to be. america’s egg basket According to the American Egg Board, Iowa is the leading producer of eggs in the United States with more than 54,000 hens and 8,000 employees hard at work. Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania are the next top three producers. According to the Incredible Egg, across the country, 251 million eggs are laid each day. inspiring chefs’ hats According to The Culinary Institute of America the folds in a chef’s hat — officially called a toque — supposedly…

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