Poaching Chicken

I'm generally not a huge fan of chicken breast - grilled, pan fried or baked, it usually turns out dry even if it is cooked perfectly. That was before I discovered poaching! It is so easy and the meat always turns out moist. All you need is poaching liquid (water with seasonings or stock), a pot, and to remember 5-5-15 (minutes).

A medium stockpot will do - place rinsed chicken breasts and add enough liquid to cover and turn to high.  For maximum flavor, use chicken stock with a shot of salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika. If using water, be sure to salt generously. Bring to a rolling boil and turn down to a simmer, start timing 5 minutes now. Flip breasts over and simmer another 5 minutes. Turn off heat, put a lid on it, and wait another 15 minutes. After a total of 25 minutes, the breasts should be perfectly poached. If they are larger pieces, you can wait another 5 minutes until the juices run clear.

Here I poached one chicken breast in water (for my dog's week of meals) and one chicken breast in stock and seasonings. So simple, healthy and tasty. The possibilities are endless - chicken tacos, chicken salad, chicken on salad, etc. You can even use the poaching liquid to make a soup by boiling again, removing any scum and adding vegetables. Or, you can make a low fat alfredo sauce, such as this one.