Today I asked my little guys what they wanted for lunch and they responded with a request for chicken nuggets and onion rings. Rather than dig some frozen, over-processed junk from the freezer, I decided to do some experimenting.
I came up with a great lactose and grain-free lunch. Recipes still need a little tweaking (there was definitely a learning curve, as this was my first time using some of these healthy alternative ingredients) but I'll give you the initial recipe.
P.S. - I didn't add any salt to the recipes as I am currently restricting my sodium intake, but feel free to add it to either of the "breading" recipes below or add a sprinkle after they come out of the oven.
Fiesta Coconut Chicken Bites
Roughly 2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut (I used Bob's Red Mill)
1 lime (you'll be using the rind for zest and the rest for juice)
Coarse ground pepper (a couple shakes, sorry I didn't measure this part, just "eyeballed it")
1 tsp. - Cumin
3 tsp. - Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime (salt free) seasoning
Egg Whites (enough to coat all the chicken)
Boneless skinless chicken breast (I used about 2 lbs)
In a bowl, combine the coconut, cumin, lime zest, fiesta lime seasoning and pepper. Use a fork to mix well.
In a separate bowl, add egg whites and lime juice from the whole lime. I just hand squeezed it in, but if you have a juicer, that's great too.
There are two ways you can do the next step.
The traditional, dip chicken in egg white mixture then roll/shake/dip in the coconut mixture.
or
Sprinkle half the coconut mixture on a large plate or platter, dip the chicken in the egg white & lime juice, shake off excess liquid and set the chicken pieces on top of the plate of coconut mixture, sprinkle the rest of the mixture on top of the chicken.
I did it the "traditional" way first, but halfway through I noticed my coconut mixture was getting too wet and was sticking to itself instead of to the chicken. The next batch I made I used the second way and the chicken was more fully coated in the coconut. Use whichever way you prefer, the first is a faster process but I recommend the second myself.
Place on a greased baking sheet (I coated mine with coconut oil) and pop in the oven at 380 degrees F for about 15 minutes, turning halfway through. Keep an eye on these and try not to overcook them, the coconut gets really dry if you leave them in too long.
Crispy Veggie Sticks
1/2 large onion
1/2 green bell pepper
1/2 yellow bell pepper
1/2 green bell pepper
1 cup of cauliflower
2 cups almond meal (I used Bob's Red Mill)
3 tbsp dried parsley
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
Coarse ground black pepper (to taste)
Egg Whites (enough to coat all the veggies)
In a bowl, combine almond meal, pepper, parsley, garlic and onion powder.
Cut onion and bell peppers into strips and the cauliflower into bite size pieces.
I used the same process for the veggies that I used for my second batch of chicken. Sprinkled half the almond meal mixture on a platter, dipped all the veggies in egg white and placed them back down on the platter of almond meal mixture. I then sprinkled the top of them with the remaining mixture.
Place on a greased baking sheet (again, I coated mine with coconut oil) and put in the oven at 380 degrees F for about 20 minutes. Flip them at the 10 minute mark and put back in oven for the remaining 10 minutes.
My boys love sauces so I also made a "dip" for them. It was a mixture of stone ground mustard, raw wild honey and horseradish.
My boys gobbled these up, then asked for seconds... and thirds!
