Whose The Chicken Now?

My Sister-in-law(self-reliance guru, click here to see her FABulous blog) turned me on to this site called organic authority. And as I was researching around, I found an article about McDonald's chicken nuggets. I know I know we all love them and we all hate them at the same time. We all know they are deeply fried, highly unhealthy and fake. But oh so CONVENIENT! And as a Mom of two, I! LOVE!! CONVENIENT!!!
However, when I read this article, YIKES! I can't believe I ate that! Want to know what I found? Here is the list of the ingredients(taken from McDonald's website) from the famous chicken mcnuggets....bummer:(

White boneless chicken, water, food starch-modified, salt, seasoning [yeast extract, salt, wheat starch, natural flavoring (botanical source), safflower oil, dextrose, citric acid], sodium phosphate, natural flavor (botanical source). Battered and breaded with: water, enriched flour (bleached wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), yellow corn flour, bleached wheat flour, food starch-modified, salt, leavening (baking soda, sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate, calcium lactate), spices, wheat starch, dextrose, corn starch. Prepared in vegetable oil (Canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil(HO LOOK OUT! This is trans fat!)with TBHQ(From what I read on organic authority "[TBHQ] is a chemical preservative and a form of butane (AKA lighter fluid). One gram of TBHQ can cause 'nausea, vomiting, ringing in the ears, delirium, a sense of suffocation, and collapse,' according to A Consumer’s Dictionary of Food Additives. Five grams of TBHQ can kill you." Ok, that's it I am starting a petition to rid the world of these funny lookin' chickens.) and citric acid added to preserve freshness). Dimethylpolysiloxane added as an antifoaming agent( From what I read from organic authority this is made of silicone that is also used in Silly Putty and cosmetics. SERIOUSLY? I can't even IMAGINE what that would do to my 
insides!)


Convinced yet?  Well, I am for sure....
So, what do we do instead? How do you tell your kids they are never allowed to eat a Happy Meal again?(at least without the chicken nuggets).  I can only imagine what kind of water work display would take place. And I can't stand the idea that I would be the cause of that for you. So, here I come to rescue the day! A RECIPE! I honestly have never tried this but it sure looks YUMMY!  Have you ever heard of The Sneaky Chef? This lady has developed recipes to "hide" healthy stuff that kids don't want to eat.  Now, I do have to warn you that you have to look at the ingredients in the recipes because although some great veggies are added to the recipe, there still contains too much sugar, fat and salt in some of them.  Just because fries start out as vegitables doesn't make them healthy! So, I have an alternative recipe for chicken nuggets! YAY! If you make extra, just freeze 'em! Great for school lunches! You can also check out the nutritional value in these recipes too!


Here it is!  Drum Roll Please.......

Honey BBQ Chicken Nuggets
Nutrition Highlights: Protein Boost, Antioxidants 

Makes: 4 servings 

There's something about chicken nuggets that make them one of the most popular kid foods in America! Missy uses it to her sneaky advantage. She substitutes "oven-frying" for deep-frying, and upgrades the breading so it becomes a nutritious food instead of just a layer of simple carbs to hold the frying fat. The dipping sauce can also add delicious covert nutrition--especially when you add spinach and blueberries to it. 

- 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour 
- 2 large egg whites (about 6 tablespoons liquid egg whites)
- 1/2 cup Purple or Orange Puree 
(see Make-Ahead Recipe #1, p. 257 or #2, p. 258), divided
- 1/2 cup store-bought BBQ sauce, divided
- 2 tablespoons honey, divided
- 1/2 cup ground flax or wheat germ
- 1 cup crushed whole-grain cereal flakes (from about 2 cups of cereal)
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small nuggets 
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste 

> Place flour in a shallow dish or on a plate. In another shallow bowl, beat egg whites with 1/4 cup of the Purple or Orange Puree, 1/4 cup of the BBQ sauce, and 1 tablespoon of the honey and place next to the flour. In a third shallow dish or on a paper plate, combine the ground flax and crushed cereal. Place remaining puree, BBQ sauce, and honey in a clean bowl and set aside to use as dipping sauce. 

> Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour, shaking off excess, then dip in the egg mixture, followed by the cereal mixture. Press the breading evenly onto both sides of the chicken. Put on wax or parchment paper and store in the refrigerator for cooking tomorrow or proceed to cook immediately. 

Pan-fry method: (Higher fat and longer time standing at stove, but crispier) 

> Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Add several nuggets of chicken at a time, pan-frying on one side until the crumbs look golden, about 2 to 3 minutes. Watch for burning, and turn down heat if necessary. With tongs, turn the pieces over and cook until golden, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low until cooked through, about another 10 minutes. Blot cooked nuggets on paper towels to remove excess oil. 

Oven-bake method: (not as brown and crisp, but lower fat and less time standing at stove) 

> Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
Place breaded nuggets on a lightly sprayed cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Turn chicken nuggets over once with tongs, then return to oven for another 10 to 12 minutes until cooked through.

Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste. Serve with honey BBQ dipping sauce


Great stuff ya?  Hope you enjoy! Have a Healthy Day!