Did you know that gently simmering or stewing meat protein makes it easier to digest than searing on a grill or frying in a pan?
The process of grilling meat, releases water, and tightens the proteins. You would need a strong digestive fire to break those proteins down.
When animal proteins are cooked in a liquid base (think chicken soup here) it’s easier to digest because the proteins and muscle fibers have been softened.
If you find that you feel bloated, constipated, or that food isn’t digesting well, try simmering in liquid instead of frying or grilling.
Both ways of cooking are good, but your system may need a little tweaking so you can get the most out of your meals.
This Stewed Chicken recipe uses BOTH pan-searing (for flavor) and then simmering in a tomato base to soften the proteins.
Try it and see if you notice a difference in digestion.
- 12-16 ounces skinless chicken parts (pastured or organic chicken)
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 large onion, peeled and cut into thick wedges
- 4-5 garlic scapes, diced (can use 2 garlic cloves instead)
- 2-3 large tomatoes, chopped (with juice), or 1 15 ounce can stewed tomatoes
- 5-6 olives, sliced thin
- 1 tsp. dried oregano or 1 tbsp. fresh oregano
- Sea salt and black pepper
- Parsley, minced
- Combine olive oil and lemon juice and marinate chicken pieces 1-2 hours or overnight inside the refrigerator.
- Heat a skillet and saute chicken with marinade for 4-5 minutes.
- In a separate pan, saute onion, garlic scape, tomatoes, olives and oregano in a little bit of olive oil, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Combine the sautéed chicken and juices with the sauteed veggies.
- Cover and cook on medium heat for 20-25 minutes.
If you want to use food to support your body in the most delicious ways, and help you get the most out of your meals, check my FREE Guide: Using Food and Herbs as Medicine:
Andrea Beaman is an internationally renowned Holistic Health Coach, Natural Foods Chef, Speaker, Herbalist and best-selling author who helps people feel happier, healthier and in control of their health. She was named one of the top 100 Most Influential Health and Fitness Experts, is the recipient of the Natural Gourmet Institute’s Award for Excellence in Health-Supportive Education and a Health Leadership award from The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Since 1999, Andrea has been teaching people how to harness their body’s own preventative and healing powers using food, herbal remedies and alternative medicine.
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