Sunday night rolls along & am drinking a warm cup of apple cider as I start up on this post. It’s almost as if am celebrating that I just wrapped up folding an astronomical pile of laundry. The weekend was packed with wonder-FULL-ness & lots of activities & tomorrow is another glorious Monday. The temperature dipped & it rained all weekend long here in Toronto; so it was the perfect excuse to get my “fall groove” on. I made a huge batch of apple cider from scratch, some cashew chicken noodle bowls for my crew, & am working on something sweet that involves… pumpkins, maple syrup & raw cheesecake. Enough said. You’ll see it coming soon! I was pleasantly surprised to see quite a few e-mails asking for last week’s chicken strips recipe because truth be told; my posts on meal ideas don’t generally garner nearly as much buzz as smoothies or desserts. But hey, I welcome the surprise & as promised… here’s the recipe & happy eating!
Chicken makes the #LittleHand’s world go-round. I could write a book alone on “101 Ways To Dress Up Chicken Differently For Kids”. Judging by how quickly the chicken always disappears from their little plates & their eagerness to finish their meal, I think the book would enjoy moderate success. This recipe however, is intended for Big Hands alike, I promise. It’s healthier than most breaded chicken recipes because instead of using bread crumbs, you’re using almond flour & crushed pecans. The crunch factor is unbelievable, but flavor-wise; we’re also at a win. In terms of nutrition; bread crumbs could never compete with ground almonds & pecans. Nuts are packed with calcium, healthy fats & protein. Need I say more?
I try to keep my marinades simple & I also like to plan-ahead for family meals. I love to marinate chicken cubes inside a ziplock bag or tupperware container & I usually do it overnight for best results.
Ingredients (Serves 4-5 people)
- 3 large chicken breasts cut into long strips
- 2 tbsp of tamari sauce (gluten free soya sauce) OR 1/2 tsp of sea salt
- 1 tsp of cumin
- 1 tsp of paprika
- 1 tsp of garlic powder or freshly minced garlic (I purchase a jar of crushed, organic garlic)
- 1/2 cup of almond flour (almond meal)
- 1/2 cup of crushed pecans
- 1 large egg
Preparation
- Place the sliced chicken strips into a tupperware or ziplock bag in the fridge with the tamari sauce, paprika, cumin, & garlic. If you can’t marinate overnight; then marinate for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees & line a baking sheet with parchment paper
- In a small bowl, beat the egg & place the almond flour & crushed pecans in a baking dish
- Dip each chicken strip in the egg mixture first, & then roll on the almond flour & crushed pecans
- Bake for 20-25 minutes. I always flip them over at the 10 minute mark & check them at the 20 min mark.
Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
An easy, even-ratio of these wonderful 2 ingredients mixed together & far healthier than ketchup! 🙂
- 1 tbsp of yellow mustard
- 1 tbsp of raw honey
