How to Cook Your Protein Sources

If you are anything like most people, eating the same boring boiled chicken day in & day out is just not your idea of what you wanted for your lifestyle. There are so many options for making meals fun. You can have your cake and eat it too, as I like to say. In my house, we have SO MANY cooking methods, that way we don’t eat the same style all the time or we will get burnt out too. Here are some of the methods we cook our protein sources.

Outside Grills

Now let me begin by stating, everyone who comes over to our house makes a comment on how we have three grills out back. Yes, you read that right we have three grills. Now let me explain before you skip to the next one. I have only learned to use the propane grill. Click Here. I grill chicken breast and make wraps, or sandwiches out of them. Sometimes it is just a great way to enjoy a different variety of chicken. The other two grills are my husband’s favorite. The charcoal grill (find it here), brings a smokey delicious BBQ flavor to every meat we grill on it. We also have done chicken breast, steaks, and pork on this style grill. Each one is just mouth-watering and savory. The third option is the electric smoker which is Bluetooth to his phone to adjust the temperature. Find it here. This one we do more of our bulk meat options on it. For instance, we trialed ran a brisket before we cooked it for the holiday season and had leftovers to meal prep with. The flavors and options are endless when outside cooking.

Air Fryer

AWWWWH, the good ol’ method that is sweeping worldwide for health. Frying without the oil, and calories. This truly is BRILLIANT! There are two air fryers I personally love using the single-bucket one (click here), or the double bucket fryer (click here). When I say I have air-fried everything. I literally mean I have air-fried everything. One, I was genuinely curious about some items. Two, truly the flavor and way the food comes out, is just waaayy better. I am obsessed with the air fryer. I would have to say I air fry 85% of everything I cook. I suggest making sure to utilize a cooking spray to ensure nothing sticks when cooking. I also tend to spritz the top of whatever I decide to air fry, to have a nice golden texture to the top of the course.

Oven

This is more of a traditional style that most people are used to using. Now, don’t get hung up on this is boring. On the contrary. It all depends on how you set your oven. I love to broil my fish in the oven. I am someone who loves crispy fish, so if I am using the air frier for another food source. I choose to broil my fish or other protein option. I very rarely put my oven on a lower setting unless baking. And we all know this article is not for baking. I also utilize certain pans to help get the right texture of protein. (Click Here). I find that when you use the right cookware it makes a huge difference in how the protein source turns out. However, for my fish, I do use this pan instead of a normal one (Click Here).

Skillet

This method is kind of like the above and can be taken as more of a traditional, old fashion style. However, again like the above paragraph, it is all in the cookware you use (Click Here). Back in the day, when I was living with roommates, they would put the burner so high on the stovetop that it would ruin the pans and wear them down faster. I love the copper finish to the pans. The non-stick texture, and the way it cooks the food is like getting food off a commercial.

Crock Pot

This is a great method for making dinners or meal prep ahead of time. I love the recipe for Mississippi Mud Chicken that my sister introduced me to. I was never a fan of boiled chicken, until this recipe. It made a few weeks of eating chicken, cold or warm worth it. I prefer my crock pot (CLICK HERE) to have a time limit and switch to a warm setting so it doesn’t keep cooking if I lose track of time. Or sometimes I would have it on low to cook overnight and then it would switch to warm before I woke up and not overcooked. This is the crock pot I got and has been going strong for 6 years now.

Instant-Pot

AH the newest, fastest way to cook meals. I like to think if a microwave and a crock pot made a baby you would get an instant-pot. I have done a few good meal preps into my insta-pot. Great way to cook your starches the fastest. It is a great method for bulk protein too. This would be a faster way to make your chicken breast without having to use a crock pot. I haven’t used any other protein source other than my chicken in the instant-pot.

Those are just the options my household does to make different variations of meals. Now you do not have to have all of these. Pick two to three for now. Try it out to see how you like it. Keep switching it up that way you aren’t eating the same style meal. You will feel like you are being creative with as little effort as possible. If you need recipe ideas make sure to check out the seasonal recipe book. CLICK HERE.