I have a few moms in my March challenge group who expressed to me that the biggest challenge they felt they would face as they tried to plan their meals to align with the clean eating standards of the 21 Day Fix was cooking for their families and children as well. They didn't want to make separate meals, and they needed to make sure what they were cooking was still something their kids would eat.
Kids... so demanding ;)
So off I set to find a chicken nugget recipe. Because kids and chicken nuggets is a huge DUH. And what I found I am sure will delight the young and young at heart (and super trendy). I present to you, Quinoa-Crusted Chicken Nuggets! Easy! Crispy! Tender! Full of flavor! And my favorite part-- the quinoa stayed firmly attached to the nuggets during the whole meal.
Sorry there aren't a lot of pictures today... technology wasn't cooperating!
Quinoa-Crusted Chicken Nuggets
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
3-4 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1-1.5 lbs)
2/3 cup of flour
3 eggs
1 Tbsp water
2 cups cooked quinoa
Spices of your choosing
Ingredients:3-4 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1-1.5 lbs)
2/3 cup of flour
3 eggs
1 Tbsp water
2 cups cooked quinoa
Spices of your choosing
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and lightly grease a cookie sheet with some cooking spray (coconut oil for us). Cut the chicken into small, "nugget-sized" pieces. It really doesn't matter what size they are, as long as you try to keep them the same size, so they all cook evenly. In a small bowl, whisk flour, and some spices of your choice. Salt? Pepper? Rosemary? Garlic powder? Mexican seasoning? Get interesting! Just not too much... we didn't say get crazy!
In a second bowl, whisk eggs and water. An assembly line works best for this next part, especially if there are children you can involve. I don't have any of those on hand, so Rachel had to step in. Dredge the chicken pieces first in the flour mixture, then the egg mixture, then the quinoa. Place the coated chicken on the prepared baking sheet. There doesn't need to be too much space between the nuggets, since they won't spread or get bigger (hopefully. If they do, you've done something terribly wrong... or terribly right? GIANT CHICKEN NUGGETS!).
Spray chicken nuggets generously with the cooking spray, which helps them get nice and crispy in the oven (who knew?!) and bake them for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
In a second bowl, whisk eggs and water. An assembly line works best for this next part, especially if there are children you can involve. I don't have any of those on hand, so Rachel had to step in. Dredge the chicken pieces first in the flour mixture, then the egg mixture, then the quinoa. Place the coated chicken on the prepared baking sheet. There doesn't need to be too much space between the nuggets, since they won't spread or get bigger (hopefully. If they do, you've done something terribly wrong... or terribly right? GIANT CHICKEN NUGGETS!).
Spray chicken nuggets generously with the cooking spray, which helps them get nice and crispy in the oven (who knew?!) and bake them for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
Always looking to improve ourselves, Rachel and I decided to try another baked zucchini recipe. This time, instead of slicing the zucchini like chips, we sliced them like fries. I would say Rachel found them more enjoyable than I did. Most likely this is because of my general distaste for veggies. BUT I did eat one, and the flavoring of the parmesan coating was delicious.
Baked Parmesan Zucchini
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
4 zucchini, quartered length-wise
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley leaves
Ingredients:
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley leaves
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a cooling with some cooking spray (coconut oil for us) and place on top of a cookie sheet. This is so that the zucchini doesn't get soggy sitting in it's our juices and olive oil. In a small bowl, combine the spices. Lay zucchini on the cooling rack, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with spices. Bake until tender, about 15 minutes, and then for fun, broil for about 3 minutes until crisp an golden. If you like parsley, throw a little on there for garnish.
Ta-da! A meal for champions!
Ta-da! A meal for champions!
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