Make Your Own: Chicken Nuggets

I have two great chicken nugget recipes to share with you. Once comes from our awesome reader, Jacki.  The second is from Jamie Oliver.



"Crispy Chicken Bites"
From The Eat-Clean Diet for Family and Kids: Simple Strategies for Lasting Health and Fitness

Ingredients:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 oz. each)
1/4 cup oat bran
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 Tbsp ground flax seed
1/4 cup ground almonds
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Pinch garlic powder
1/2 cup water or low-sodium chicken stock
1 large egg white, lightly beaten

Prep:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400
2. cut chicken into nugget-sized pieces (about 1 1/2 inch squares)
3. Combine all dry ingredients in a large container with a tight fitting lid (this is coating mixture)
4. Combine water/stock and egg in a medium bowl. Dip each chicken piece in water/stock/egg mixture then place in coating mixture
5. Be sure each piece is well coated
6. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden

Nutrition Info:

Calories: 100    Cals from fat: 32  Fat: 3.5 g   Saturated fat: 0.5 g
Trans fat: 0g      Protein: 12g            Carbs: 7g       Dietary Fiber: 2g
Sodium: 370mg      Cholesterol: 0mg



Though this recipe is called crunchy garlic chicken, it was presented on Oprah as homemade chicken nuggets.  Basically the only difference is, you slice chicken into 1cm wide slices.

I don't recall him specifically using crackers on Oprah- he presented them as bread crumbs, so you could make your own or use what's in your pantry.

Crunchy Garlic Chicken

• 1 clove garlic
• 1 lemon
• 6 cream or plain crackers , such as Jacob's
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 4 sprigs fresh Italian parsley
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 heaping Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg , preferably free-range or organic
• 2 skinless chicken breast fillets , preferably free-range or organic
• Olive oil

Directions:

To prepare your chicken: Peel the garlic and zest the lemon. Put your crackers into a food processor with the butter, garlic, parsley sprigs, lemon zest and a pinch of salt and pepper. Whiz until the mixture is very fine, then pour these crumbs on to a plate. Sprinkle the flour on to a second plate. Crack the egg into a small bowl and beat with a fork. Lightly score the underside of the chicken breasts. Put a square of plastic wrap over each one and bash a few times with the bottom of a pan until the breasts flatten out a bit. Dip the chicken into the flour until both sides are completely coated, then dip into the egg and finally into the flavored crumbs. Push the crumbs on to the chicken breasts so they stick—you want the meat to be totally coated.


To cook your chicken: You can either bake or fry the chicken. If baking, preheat your oven to its highest temperature (475°), place your chicken on a sheet pan and cook for 15 minutes. If frying, put a frying pan on a medium heat, add a few good lugs of olive oil and cook the chicken breasts for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until cooked through, golden and crisp.

To serve your chicken: Either serve the chicken breasts whole, or cut them into strips and pile them on a plate. Beautiful and simple served with a lemon wedge for squeezing over, and a tiny sprinkling of salt. Great with a lovely fresh salad or simply dressed veggies.

This recipe is taken from Jamie's Food Revolution: Rediscover How to Cook Simple, Delicious, Affordable Meals

Thanks Oprah.