Do-it-yourself junk food: Chicken Nuggets

Do-it-yourself junk food: Chicken Nuggets

June 23, 2010 – 3:05 pm

One of my son’s -we will call him “Buddy” -is autistic. He is also an addict. He is addicted to processed foods. And I am not exaggerating. If he gets around the stuff he can’t control himself. He must eat it.

One of Buddy’s favorite places to dwell is Grandma’s house and partake of her chicken nuggets. To Grandma’s credit she has searched far and wide for the most natural chicken nuggets in the freezer section.

But at our house there are no chicken nuggets. For one thing, I cannot afford it. I would be destitute in about 4 days given the rate Buddy eats all that stuff. The other thing is, because he is autistic, I am trying to feed him as natural and healthy as possible. “Possible” being the operative word.

My geru, Michael Pollan, says you can make all the junk food you want as long as you make it yourself. That means from scratch, kids. Opening a box and putting it in the oven doesn’t count.

So in an effort to please my kid, I have been searching for a way to make nuggets from scratch that he will not turn his nose up at. I hit the jackpot last week. It wasn’t too hard so if he requests them in the future, I can probably force myself to do it again.

I actually made two versions of chicken nuggets and both were a hit. One is full of spices and a little more work. Buddy preferred these-of course. But he liked the blander, easier version too. The rest of the kids were split 50/50.

You can bake these, but Buddy wants his fried in oil. Seriously, I think the secret to these nuggets’ success is that I fried them in peanut oil. They were pretty tasty. And as long as deep frying is the exception and not the rule , peanut oil is a great oil for frying.

Herb Crusted Chicken Nuggets:

3-4 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts-partially thawed and cut into nugget shapes

Bowl #1:

1 cup flour

Bowl #2:

1/2 c milk

1 tbl lemon juice

1 egg, beaten

Bowl #3 (for the breading):

2 cups bread crumbs, finely processed in a blender

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp paprika

1 tsp celery salt

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic

1 tsp oregano

1/2 Tbl parsley

1 Tbl parmesan cheese

Here is what you do:

Heat 2 TBl of oil in a skillet.

Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour, then the egg mixture, then the breading. Place in single layer in the skillet. Cook until golden brown and then turn over. Cook until the chicken is done. Repeat until you have used all the chicken pieces.

Drain on a paper towel and enjoy this kiddelicious treat with some non high fructose corn syrup ketchup or BBQ sauce!

OR

Easy Chicken Nuggets:

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, partially thawed and cut into nugget shapes

Bowl #1:

1/2 c milk

1 tbl lemon juice

1 egg, beaten

Bowl #2:

2 cups flour

salt

pepper

Dip cut up chicken pieces in first bowl, then second bowl.

Heat about 2 Tbl of oil in a skillet. Place in a single layer and cook until golden brown. Turn over and cook until done.

Repeat process until you have cooked all the chicken.

Simple and way better for you than McDonald’s.