Gluten free chicken breast nuggets

Today I saw a horrible video about the chicken nuggets they sell in the US- you can watch it here. It looked at the nuggets under a microscope, and it was gut churning. If you were to take a photo of my face watching it I would have looked like I was smelling a rotten egg, inside a rotting chicken... you get my point.

I know many parents feed their children chicken nuggets (I try to avoid it, but I too am guilty of the easy Macca's dinner very occasionally) What is worse is when I try feed Pip healthy foods when she is surrounded by children eating unhealthy, sugar laden, processed junk. I feel like a bad mother (which is ridiculous!!!) when she is denied the same crap food as her peers. She doesn't want to be different. She sees it as deprivation. And the mother guilt sets in... Or when we go out for tea and all they offer children is chips and nuggets! Ah, I could go on forever about this!

So I decided to make my own chicken nuggets for her. So she doesn't feel like she's missing out. I will freeze a batch for her to eat when I'm in one of those 'cannot be bothered' moods.
These are gluten free and cooked in coconut oil (the only oil that doesn't change composition when heated) Read more about that here (strongly suggest- very interesting read)

Recipe-
1 chicken breast, diced (or however you want your nuggets to look)
2 table spoons of buckwheat flour
1 table spoon almond meal
1 table spoon quinoa flakes

1 egg, lightly beaten

salt and pepper to taste.

1 tablespoon of coconut oil

Method-
Heat coconut oil in heavy base pan.
Combine flour, meal and flakes in a bowl, season with salt and pepper (or any spices you like if making adult version)
dip chicken in egg wash, drain off excess.
Coat chicken in dry mix.
Cook chicken until golden and cooked through.

Try not to eat them all... ;)

Everybody love parfait...with home made, gluten free, sugar free granola... New recipe

I love parfait! Omnomnomnom. It's my favourite breakfast, it ticks all the boxes. Tangy fruit, smooth yoghurt, crunchy granola. Tick, tick tick.
This is the recipe for my yummy granola (toasted muesli) Full of protein, healthy fats and good carbohydrates to kick start your morning. Make it in bulk and store it in an air tight jar- sprinkle it on smoothies, yoghurt, icecream (my healthy version) or just eat it with a spoon straight from the jar!

Recipe
6 Hazelnuts
6 walnuts chopped
6 almonds chopped
6 cashews chopped
1 tablespoon pepita
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1/3 cup quinoa flakes or certified organic oats
1 teaspoon rice malt syrup

Method
Pre heat oven to 150 degrees C (less if fan forced).
Line oven tray with grease proof paper (I use silpat mats)
Toast hazelnuts for 5 min or until skin peels off. Rub off skins in tea towel.
Roughly chop.

Add all ingredients together in bowl and coat with rice malt syrup

Spread out on tray and toast in oven, stirring 2-3 time until every thing is golden.
Leave to cool and becomes deliciously crunchy.

Raw chocolate and hazelnut brownie tart

This is my first attempt at free styling a recipe. My cooking style is very much a 'chuck it in and see how it tastes' style, so putting together a recipe of my own takes restraint in holding back and measuring what I'm actually putting in my dish!

I love clean, raw, brownies. And I love choc avo mousse. So I thought I'd combine them into one decadent dessert.
This is so good, I had the husband asking for seconds.

This makes one small tart (about 15cm diameter tin)- it is rich enough that 1/4 of a piece will satisfy (although I ate a half..... oink oink)

Recipe
Base
6 Medjool dates (pitted)
2 tablespoons of raw cacao powder
1/4 cup walnuts
3/4 cup hazelnuts
1/4 teaspoon himalayan salt flakes
1/4 cup almonds

Chocolate mousse
1 avocado
2 tablespoons of raw cacao powder
3 tablespoons of agave syrup
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon himalayan salt flakes
1/4 teaspoon mesquite powder (optional)


Method
In food processor blitz walnuts and hazelnuts until finely ground.
Add in cacao power and salt, blitz until combined.
Add in medjool dates 1 at a time while food processor is still running
Add in almonds and blitz until broken down but still leaving them in little chunks.
Mixture should stick together when pressed.
Scoop out and press into tart tins then pop into freezer to set

Mousse
Blitz all ingredients in processor- add more sweetener if avocado taste is still present.

Fill tart case with mousse- pop back in freezer to set.
Cut right before serving.
Try to share and not eat it all yourself....like me...