Something Has Got to Give

I'm struggling a bit with my food. It's not a struggle with my actual eating, because that is on point. I feel at the moment like I am chained to my kitchen. I know of some who can prep everything for every meal, but man I just do not seem to have time for that. But then again, I really don't have time to be cooking every day for hours either so something has to give. Therefore I am going to make an effort to pre-prep things. I already plan our menu so I think I may be half way there! Maybe not. I am going to try...it can't hurt.

I started this afternoon by roasting some bone-in chicken breasts to use in two separate meals this week. (Thanks to my friend Melinda for that fabulous idea!) Unfortunately, in my excitement of pre-roasting my breasts, I neglected to think about the fact that I had planned to make chicken fingers for dinner tonight from:

allergyfreealaska

I then realized that I needed my rimmed baking sheet which was in the oven with my chicken breasts. Sadness...and my ADD had reared its ugly head yet again.

So, I improvised and made chicken fingers inspired by the above recipe, AND I recreated a broccoli salad reminiscent of one that I had eaten once at an Army function/pot luck that I am pretty sure actually came from a deli, because I've seen it at a couple on different occasions, lol. I digress. Our meal came out amazing, my kiddos loved it, and I think you should make it too.

Chicken Fingers

2 pounds of chicken breast tenderloins. You can sub chicken breasts cut into strips, or chunks if you want nuggets.

For the breading:

1 cup almond meal (I used Trader Joe's)

2TBS of coconut flour

1tsp of smoked paprika

1/4tsp chipotle powder

1tsp granulated garlic

1tsp dried parsley

1tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 eggs

1/2tsp of gluten free Dijon mustard**

Olive oil or Coconut Oil (I used coconut oil)

Equipment: you will need a large skillet. (I used cast iron)

Crack the eggs into a dish, add the Dijon mustard and scramble together.

**You could also use hot sauce in place of the Dijon for an extra kick!

In a separate dish (pie plates work awesome for this!) combine the almond meal, coconut flour, and spices, s & p. 

Starting with about 2 TBS of oil, heat in your skillet over medium heat. (You may need med-high if not using cast iron.) You will need to add more oil as you go along as the nut flours soak up the oil.

Coat the chicken tenderloins in the egg mixture, then hold over the bowl to let the excess drip, and then lightly dredge on all sides in the flour mixture. Immediately transfer to the hot pan, and fry for a few minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. This should not take too long because the tenderloins cook quickly. Place the cooked tenders on a plate lined with paper towels. 

NOW, at this point, if you want them to be crispy when you eat them, you need to eat them while they are hot. You can place them on a baking sheet in a warm oven to keep them crispier. Otherwise, they will lose their crispness as they cool, but they are still good. I'm not that nice, I waited too long so I could take photos, so my kids got them less than crispy, and they still ate them up! I served them with a paleo friendly BBQ sauce.

Now for the salad....

2 heads of fresh broccoli

1 large carrot, shredded

1 scallion, chopped

1/2 cup raisins

3 slices of uncured bacon, cooked crisp, and crumbled or chopped.

Dressing:

2TBS Cashew Butter

2tsp Raw, Organic Honey (try to use local for health benefits!)

1TBS extra virgin olive oil

2TBS white balsamic vinegar (I got this at Trader Joe's)

Sea salt to taste

Wash and cut broccoli into very small florets...tiny florets. Place into large bowl with carrot, scallion, and raisins. 

In a small bowl combine the dressing ingredients. Don't fear, it will look like a giant blob, but it will be okay once you add it to the salad. Plop the blob of dressing onto the salad and mix well. Don't do this gingerly, broccoli is sturdy. Really mix it in well, and as it mixes with the veggies they begin to release water and it thins out the dressing, and it will eventually be evenly coated, and delicious! Toss in the bacon, mix again, and it will look like this:

It was a perfect, healthy alternative to the deli salad that I had at that potluck. I will in fact be adding it to my potluck repertoire. So, if you end up in my husband's unit, expect to eat this at some point. 

OH, I forgot to say that this meal was a quickie, coming in at around 35 minutes from start to finish!