Homemade Chicken Nuggets

Why waste your money on manufactured chicken nuggets for your you and your kids when for approximately $5 you can make 2 dozen fresh homemade nuggets where you personally control the ingredients. A 10-piece chicken nugget at your local fast food restaurant has almost 500 cal and 30 grams of fat plus all those ingredients you can't pronounce. Here is what's in mine:

Ingredients:
1 - Pkg boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/2 cup - grated Parmesan cheese
1 - egg
1/4 cup - fresh parsley
1/4 cup - fresh chives
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 TBS - Dijon mustard
2 tsp - Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp - Soy sauce
1 tsp - black pepper
1 tsp - salt

Breading:
3 - eggs, beaten
2 - cups panko bread crumbs
1 - cup all purpose flour

Place all the nugget ingredients in a food processor and process till smooth or about 1-2 minutes depending on the power of your food processor. The texture will appear semi smooth and on the wet side.

In 3-separate bowls place the flour, egg, and panko. Take approximately 2-3 TBS of the chicken mixture and form into a nugget. Coat with the flour, then egg wash, then the panko. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. The nugget will feel very flimsy, but once your freeze it all will be good.  Continue the process until all the mixture is gone. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 2-4 hrs till frozen. Once frozen store nuggets in a freezer bag until ready to use.

You have several options when it comes to cooking these nuggets. You can bake, broil, pan fry or deep fry. Personally I always bake them to keep the calories down. Pre heat your oven to 350, place a frozen nugget on a baking sheet and cook for 15 min. Flip the nugget and cook for another 15 min. If the nuggets are not brown place them under the broiler for a couple minutes till brown.

Rosemary and Garlic Roasted Cornish Game Hen with Sweet Potatoes and Apples

Ever wonder what to do with those frozen game hens you see in your local grocery store freezer sections? Try this recipe for a simple flavorful meal.

Game Hen Ingredients
1 - game hen
4 - sprigs of rosemary
1/2 - small onion
10 - cloves of garlic
1/2 - lemon
1/2 cup - white wine
1/2 cup - chicken stock
1/2 cup - orange juice
1/2 tsp - corn starch
Oil (canola/olive oil blend) for coating hen
Salt and pepper for seasoning game hen

Pre heat oven to 450 degrees  

Coat the outside of the hen with enough oil so the spices will stick. Season the inside and outside of the hen with salt and pepper. Place 1/2 a lemon, 2 rosemary sprigs, and 1/2 a small onion inside the cavity of the bird. Tie up the legs and place the bird into a baking dish that will hold at least 2 cups of liquid. Scatter 10 cloves of garlic in the baking dish around the bird. Place the bird in the oven and cook for 25 minutes. When the time is up turn down the oven to 350 and pour in the wine, stock, and orange juice mixture. Place the remaining 2 sprigs of rosemary in the baking dish as well. Cook for another 25 minutes basting the bird every 8-10 minutes with the juices. When the 2nd 25 minutes is up remove the bird to a cutting board and let sit for 10 minutes. Pour about 2-3 TBS of the juice into a small mixing bowl and the rest of the juice into a sauce pan. Bring the sauce pan to a boil and reduce the liquid by 1/2 ( about 10 minutes). Whisk the juice in the mixing bowl with the 1/2 tsp of cornstarch to create a slurry. Add the slurry to the boiling pot about 7 minutes into the reduction. The sauce should coat a spoon but not be too thick. Taste for seasoning and serve along side the hen.

Use the roasted garlic cloves to smear on bread for a great simple garlic bread.

Sweet Potato and Apple Ingredients
1 - sweet potato, diced small
1 - red apple, diced small
1/2 - small onion, diced
2 - cloves of garlic, diced
1/4 cup - crasins, chopped
3 - sprigs of thyme
1/2 TBS - salt
1 tsp - pepper
1/4 tsp red chili flakes
2 TBS - canola/olive oil
1 TBS - balsamic vinegar

Start this recipe with about 12-15 minutes left in the cooking process of the bird. If you like your potatoes firmer with a crunch start at the 10 minute mark. Heat a pan over medium heat. When hot add about 1-2 TBS of oil and allow it to get hot. When hot add the onion, red chili flakes, 1/2 the salt and pepper and thyme sprigs. Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes until onions start to turn translucent then add the garlic. Cook for an additional minute. Add the potatoes, remaining salt and pepper. Cook for 8-10 minutes then add the apples and crasins and cook for and additional 5-7 mintues. When the dish is about 2 minutes out from being done add the balsamic vinegar.  Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. To speed the recipe up you can cook the potatoes covered which will steam them a bit and cook them quicker.  

Chicken Loaf

A lower calorie version of a favorite comfort food.

1 lb - ground chicken
3 - garlic cloves minced
1/2 cup - red onion diced (~ half a red onion)
1/2 cup - red onion diced (~ half a large pepper)
2 TBS - fresh oregano chopped (if using dry spices use 1TBS)
2 TBS - fresh basil chopped
2 TBS - fresh parsley chopped
1 TBS - Dijon mustard
2 tsp - Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp - salt
1 egg
1/2 tsp - black pepper
1/2 cup - bread crumbs
favorite tomato sauce or equivalent for topping the loaf

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

In a mixing bowl gently mix all the ingredients together using your hands. Place the mixture on a parchment covered baking sheet and form into an even loaf. It is important to ensure the size of your loaf stays consistent so it cooks evenly. Cover the top of your loaf with your tomato sauce.

Bake until the internal temperature of the loaf reaches 160 degrees, 45-50 minutes. Let rest for about 10 minutes before slicing. 

Finished chicken loaf prior to cutting.

Serve with your favorite mashed potatoes and green beans.

Butterflied Herb Marinated Cornish Game Hen

On Saturday I had the idea of trying to grill a Cornish Game Hen. The only way to cook it fast enough so it won't burn is to butterfly (flatten out) the bird to reduce the cooking time. For sides I made a savory white rice with a hint of clove and Steamed Sugar Snap Peas.

INGREDIENTS:
Cornish Game Hen
1- Hen (serves 2)
1- 1 gal plastic bag
1/4 cup - olive oil (not the good stuff)
1 - Lemon and its zest
1 TSP of each of the following Spices
Salt (I used a black Hawaiian Salt, but any kind will do)
Black Pepper
Tarragon
Basil
Oregano
Parsley
Thyme

Savory Rice
1 Cup - Long Grain White Rice
1 TBS - Olive Oil
1/2 Cup - Good White Wine
1/2 Cup - OJ (no pulp)
3/4 Cup - Chicken Broth
1/2 of a large onion or 1 small one
2 - Cloves of Garlic
1 - Bay Leave
Salt and Pepper
A dash of powder clove (a little goes a long long way)

THE HOW TO:
For the hen take your kitchen shears or a sharp chefs knife and cut along each side of the back bone to remove it. Once removed the bird should lay flat. In a bowl mix all the spices with the olive oil, lemon and lemon zest. Zest the lemon prior to squeezing out the juice. You want to develop a paste of sorts. Once done, thoroughly cover both sides of the hen. Place the bird in the zip lock bag and place in the fridge for at least an hour. Once marinaded pre-heat your grill to a medium heat. Place the hen on the grill skin side down. Close the lid and let cook for about 12-15 minutes depending on the size of the bird. Flip the hen and cook for another 12 minutes. Once done remove the hen from the grill and let sit for about 10 minutes so the juices reabsorb back into the meat. Once rested cut the bird down the middle to create two halves. Serve over top the rice.

For the rice place one cup of rice in a strainer and rinse thoroughly with cold water to remove excess starch. Soak rice for about 30 minutes then drain. Ensure you drain well as you don't want extra liquid in the rice. It will make it mushy. Finely dice the onion and garlic. Heat a large saute pan over medium low heat. Add the olive oil and let it come up to temperature. Place the onion and garlic in the pan and cook until translucent. Add a TSP of Salt, 10 grinds of black pepper (more if you like), and a dash of powdered clove. Once the onion is translucent place the rice in the pan and cook with the onion till it starts to turn translucent. Simultaneously while the onion is cooking place the OJ, chicken broth, wine and a bay leaf in a pot and bring it to a slow boil. Once the liquids are boiling and the rice is translucent pour the liquid into the pan. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a low simmer and cover. Let cook for 15 minutes. Once the time is up, remove the pan from the heat and let sit for an additional 10 minutes. DO NOT UNCOVER.

To serve place the the rice in the middle of a serving platter and surround it with the steamed snap peas. Place the split hen over top of the rice.

Bon Appetit

NEXT UP: Homemade Potatoe Chips !!!!