According to research by nutritionists, chicken contains large amounts of albumin, fat, vitamins, calcium, phosphorus and iron needed for human’s body. Therefore, chicken is not only delicious but also very nutritious, often used in regular meals.
However, instead of the too-familiar-to-boring fried chicken recipe, there are still many ways to prepare dishes from chicken, in which, the processing of chicken dishes in the style of European cuisine is increasingly popular with new and unique flavors.
As I have explained to you the main difference between the American and the French diets, trying these recipes will not only help you and your family get better dishes every day to change your taste, but also to provide healthier nutrients.
Benefits of eating chicken
Aside from its flavorful taste, chicken does bring a lot of benefits that everyone should know.
High protein content: If you are looking for a great source of lean meat that is high in protein, low in fat, then choose chicken. Protein in chicken works to help you grow and develop muscles, maintain healthy weight and support weight loss.
Antipyretic: Chicken also contains large amounts of amino acids called tryptophan. It has a calming effect to stimulate your sleep. In fact, if you are feeling depressed, eat some chicken dishes to increase serotonin levels in your brain, improve your mood while reducing stress and, the depression you are suffering.
Good for the heart: Homocysteine is an amino acid that can cause cardiovascular disease if it is high in the body. Therefore, controlling the level of homocysteine is essential to protect the health of the heart. And the good news is that eating chicken breast can help prevent and control your homocysteine levels.
Supports teeth and bones: Chicken is also rich in phosphorus – a vital mineral that supports the growth and firmness of teeth and bones. In addition, phosphorus also contributes to the functioning of organs such as the kidneys, the liver, the central nervous system, and so on.
Support the activities of the glands in the body: Chicken is a rich source of selenium. This is an essential mineral that is involved in metabolism in the body, helping the thyroid gland, metabolism, and immune function to work well.
Promote Metabolism: Vitamin B6 found in chicken stimulates enzymes and metabolic reactions of cells in the body. This means that it will help keep blood vessels healthy, stabilize energy levels and promote metabolism of calories. So, you can manage healthy weight.
Chicken is also rich in niacin – a special vitamin B that works against cancer and prevents damage to the DNA.
Promoting eye health: High levels of retinol, alpha and beta-carotene and lycopene in chicken are all substances derived from vitamin A, which are beneficial for vision. So, eating chicken helps to keep your eyesight stable and healthy.
Healthy tissue growth: Many of us are now facing chapped lips, cracked lips, tongue ulcers, or dry skin in winter. However, if you eat chicken or chicken liver, these problems will be significantly reduced. This is because chicken and chicken liver contain riboflavin (a type of vitamin B2) to repel dry skin and repair damaged tissue in the body.
HOWEVER, not everyone can eat chicken.
In chicken skin and egg white, they contain a lot of fat, cholesterol so people with high blood pressure, heart disease should not eat them.
Also, the people after surgery should not eat chicken because it might cause skin itchiness.
When eating chicken, most people avoid eating chicken with marjoram because it is prone to cause bloating and indigestion.
In addition to taking medication for the treatment of chickenpox, the diet also plays a very important role to pay attention. People with chickenpox should not eat chicken, because it can cause itching in the pores and leave scars after cure.
When you have kidney stones, you should also avoid or abstain from this delicious meat because this is a very protein-rich food, it will increase the amount of oxalate in the urine and form the kidney stones.
From that point, before eating chicken, take a peek at such no-no cases to make sure you’re not on this unlucky group.
Now, I’m going to introduce to you the top favorite European recipes that are worth a try to vary your daily menu.
Chicken with Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- Chicken breast: 4 pieces. Cut the chicken into medium pieces, not too big but not too small.
- Butter: 50g
- Chicken bone: 300g
- Lime: 1 unit
- Fresh lemons: 2 – 3 units
- Parsley
- Olive oil
- Flour
- Pepper
- Salt
How-to
Step 1. Process raw materials
– Wash breast chicken, marinated with salt and pepper. Place the flour in a bowl with sufficient amount, rolling the chicken so that the flour sticking around the flesh.
– Wash chicken bones, boiled with 300ml of water in 40 minutes, take about 150ml of chicken liquid.
– With lemon, wash and cut in halves. Then, squeeze to get its juice. Place aside.
– Slice lime into thin pieces to decorate.
– With parsley, remove their root, wash and finely chop.
Step 2. Processing
Preheat the oven, add ½ amount of butter and olive oil into a hot pan. When the mixture is boiling, put the chicken breast into it for a few minutes and then remove. Remember to flip both sides of the chicken pieces to fry them evenly.
Add chicken broth and lemon juice into an oiled pan and boil. Season with seasoning and then, add chicken into it, cook in small heat, often turn over the flash to take all flavors and spices evenly. Cook in 10 minutes, then transfer them into a plate.
Put the remaining butter in the pan to make a sauce and paste on the chicken plate. Finally sprinkle with parsley on top and use lemon slices to beautifully decorate the dish.
Chicken Cacciatore (Hunter Style Chicken)
Ingredients
- 5 thighs of chicken
- 450g of cherry tomato
- 250ml of chicken broth
- 250ml of white wine
- 10 black olives without seeds
- 8 mushrooms
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced and shredded
- 4 laurel leaves
- 3 rosemary branches
- Olive oil, salt and pepper
- Chopped parsley
How-to
Chop 2 branches of rosemary and sprinkle them into the chicken thighs, marinate with garlic, sea salt, black pepper and olive oil for at least 1 hour.
Slice the mushrooms, spinach and onion. Combine tomatoes and olives into 2 halves and let aside.
Put the pressure cooker on the oven, the large lighters warm the olive oil. When the oil is hot, the chicken is marinated until fried until golden brown. Then transfer it into a plate.
Still use that pot, add the onion and mushrooms, cook to fragrant and then add white wine, chicken broth, half of the tomatoes, black olives, laurel leaves and rosemary into the pot, boil it up.
Stir gently the chicken thighs and then cover with a lid. After it’s boiled up, lower down to small heat and cook in 15 minutes more.
After releasing the pressure by removing the cooker lid, continue to cook until the sauce is dense a little bit, then, add the rest cherry tomatoes into it. Season with seasoning and sprinkle with pepper.
Last up, after transform the chicken into a plate, sprinkle with some minced parsley and ready to serve.
Chicken salad
Material
- 2 curly salad
- Some cherry tomatoes
- 1/3 onion
- 1/2 chicken breast (about 200-300gr)
- Olive oil, lemon, sugar
How-to
Dip the chicken breast about 1 minute in boiling water to filter dirt and then, rinse them with cool water. Marinate chicken with some pepper, salt and seasoning in 15 minutes. (Each spice takes about 1 teaspoon)
Add some olive oil to the pan, when it’s hot, add chicken into the pan. You needn’t let the chicken overcooked to be firm, just 70% or 80% cooked to retain its softness. Then, cover with a lid.
Once the chicken pieces turn into a bright yellow color, move them off and start baking in 3 or 5 minutes. Then, let aside to cool down. Meanwhile, wash the vegetables, remove their root, cut into 2.5cm thick pieces. With cherry tomatoes, cut in halves while the onion, cut into thin slices.
Next up is lemon, juice them and add olive oil into it in a ratio of 1:1. Then, add 1 teaspoon of sugar, whisk to combine. You can add some salt due to preference.
Now, with the chicken pieces, after they have already cooled down, cut into 0.5 cm thick slices.
I’d like to layer the vegetables as a based a nice bowl, drizzle with the lemon sauce and mix well. Next, arrange chopped chicken pieces on top and done.
Mushroom-Stuffed Chicken
Material:
Chicken breast: 4 large pieces
Mushrooms: 250g
Parsley: 15g
Chicken broth: 250ml
White wine: 130ml
Fresh lemon juice: 15ml
Onion: 1 bulb
Garlic: 2 large shrimps
Butter, cooking oil, mustard
Pepper, salt
How-to
Wash the chicken breast then, drain it out.
With mushroom, it’s best to soak in Salty water for 2-3 minutes before re-wash it with cool water. After that, drain them out and cut into thin slices.
Peel and chop onion and garlic.
Wash and chop parsley.
Divide the chicken into two but not cut it off entirely. Cover with the food wrapper, then use a hammer to soften it. Finely chop the chicken breast into square pieces and marinate with less salt and pepper on both sides.
Sliced mushrooms are marinated with little pepper and salt. Then heat up a pan, pour a little oil to heat and add mushrooms, stir to combine until they turn into yellow. Now, pour water, garlic, minced onion, less salt, add pepper, sauté in 5 minutes.
Add the excessed chicken into the blender with the fried mushrooms, parsley, ½ lemon juice, salt and pepper to puree.
Spread the chicken breast cut on top, put on each piece of chicken breast a little mixture of mushrooms, spread evenly, roll tight and tie back.
Place the pan on the stove, add a little oil to heat and then the rolled chicken into the frying pan. Remember to flip over the other side to fry it evenly. Then, pour in the white wine and the chicken broth to cook. After they have done, wrap with aluminum foil.
Next up, add a little mustard in the chicken broth in the pan, cook some more time to let the sauce denser. Then, add butter, the rest amount of lemon juice and the remaining parsley, stir to combine.
When enjoying, cut the rope on the chicken, cut into itty-bitty pieces and then sprinkle with the sauce.
Chicken Liver Pâté
Material
- 1/2 the chicken or choose the chicken thighs and wings … (depending on the preferences of the family).
- 250 grams of pate delicious
- 50 grams of light butter
- 1/2 tomato or ketchup
- Salt and pepper
- Garlic and red onion
- Carrots, potatoes and white onions (optional)
- 1/2 cup of fresh coconut
How-to
Cleanse the chicken, cut some lines on the flesh and marinate them with salt and pepper.
Peel carrots and cut into itty-bitty pieces. Chop and mince garlic and onion.
Peel the potatoes, cut cubes or slices, soak in cold water with a little salt. Prepare oiled pan, fried quickly the potatoes until they turn into a bright yellow color, drain them out.
Next, fry the chicken until they are dense a little bit. (About 5 minutes).
Add some water to the pate. Grate them for puree.
Add garlic and onion into a hot oiled pot until they fragrance, then add pate, stir to combine. Next is butter. Wait for the butter and pate mix together then add the ketchup.
Pour the fresh coconut water to the end, stirring evenly. Boil the mixture up then, add chicken into the pot.
Cook for 10 minutes and then continue adding potatoes and carrots to cook.
Finally add the onion, seasoning one last time, turn off the oven, transfer into a large bowl. Decorate with some chopped cilantro.
Here are some of the most favorite European dishes from the chicken that I’m pretty sure your family will love as well. Might some of them come in a little bit complicated steps but luckily, their ingredients are easy to find. In fact, it just takes some more time to cook the dish, nothing’s difficult here so, highly recommended!
