Category: Meat & Poultry

French Fried Chicken Nuggets

I would imagine there are about as many Pesach minhagim as there are recipes. Each family has their own book of standards and mine is no different. Thankfully, my husband’s family grew up similar to mine so I don’t have to go eating shmaltz or anything! I always considered myself lucky that my family wasn’t that strict, but I guess compared to some people they are. Basically, we use nut oil, peel all fruits & veggies, use liquid sugar and salt (no other spices). The only processed foods that we buy are orange juice, chocolate, potato chips and lady fingers.

On the days leading up to Pesach, once the kitchen has already been cleaned, my mom likes to use many of the processed kosher for Pesach (non-gebroks) products in her cooking. This way, we don’t feel like we are eating Pesach food too early, and we don’t have to eat pizza out of a plastic bag on the front stoop. The following recipe is great for those who use processed ingredients on Pesach, and for those who only eat it before. The instant mashed potato flakes form a crust on the chicken that tastes similar to french fries. It also reminds me of tater tots.

 

French Fried Chicken Nuggets

1 pkg chicken breasts
2 cups instant mashed potato flakes
2 eggs
onion powder, to taste
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
oil, for frying

Method:

Trim chicken cutlets and cut into bite sized pieces. Set up a dredging station with separate plates of chicken, whisked eggs and potato flakes. Season the potato flakes with onion powder, salt and pepper. With tongs, dip the chicken into the eggs and then the flakes. Place in a pan of sizzling hot oil. Fry on each side until golden. Place on paper towels to absorb excess oil.

1 year ago: breaded gefilte fish patties

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Baked Chicken Meatballs

Because I have little kids, I find myself making meatballs quite often. These chicken meatballs are a refreshing change from the typical meatball and spaghetti dinner. You can make them small and serve as an appetizer or mix into marinara sauce and serve a’ la classique.

PS I ran out of cocktail picks so that’s why I used matchsticks, just in case you were wondering!

Baked Chicken Meatballs

2 lbs ground chicken
1 cup soft bread crumbs (from about 3 pieces of bread)
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp basil
2 tbsp minced onion flakes
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup water
2 eggs
2 heaping tbsp tomato paste
chili sauce, for dipping

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine bread, oregano, basil, onion, garlic, salt and pepper.  Add water and let it sit for a few minutes to soak up the liquid. (If using dry bread crumbs, increase the water by another 1/2 cup). Mix bread crumbs mixture with ground chicken, eggs and tomato paste. Form balls (if you find the mixture too sticky to handle, put it in the fridge to set) and place in a greased pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.

NOTE: You can easily halve this recipe to make a smaller amount.

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Nut Crusted Shnitzel

One of the most important dieting tips I can give you is to eat well. Most of us can’t survive on bowls of salad. It gets boring, it’s rarely filling, and it will only lead you to dream about the foods you really want, which, inevitably ends in binging. So as not to feel deprived, I like to come up with recipes that make my favorite foods accessible. Panko-crusted shnitzel is one of my favorites, so I had to come up with a recipe to suit my dietary needs. I’m not suggesting that this recipe is healthy, its fried after all. However, for those who are strictly watching their carbs, this recipe is a good alternative to breading.

In general, if you like to eat gluten free, it’s always a good idea to look up Passover recipes. My mom makes this shnitzel for Pesach (although she dips it into potato starch first)  so I figured I’d give it a try. I used both ground and chopped walnuts to crust the chicken. The ground nuts turned out similar to a bread crumb coating, while the chopped nuts turned out a bit more crunchy. Overall, this turned out to be a great alternative to the traditional. Serve with a side of baked vegetable fries such as kohlrabi, turnips, celery root or rutabaga.

Nut-Crusted Shnitzel

chopped or ground walnuts (or both!)
1 egg
chicken cutlets, trimmed thin
salt and pepper, to taste
canola oil, fry frying

Method:

Clean chicken and trim of fat. Pat dry and add to a bowl. Prepare a second bowl with an egg, season with salt and pepper. Add nuts to a third bowl. Now that you’ve set up your “dredging station”, you’re ready to start. Heat up a frying pan with oil (you can test to see if it’s ready by putting a drop of the egg into the oil to see if it sizzles) Using tongs, dip chicken into egg, and then nuts. Add to the pan and fry on each side until golden. Remove to paper towels to absorb excess oil.

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Spaghetti Squash Bolognese


Bolognese is a meat-based sauce for pasta originating in Bologna, Italy. Traditional Bolognese includes a mirepoix of onions, celery and carrots but it can be adapted to suit your taste and dietary needs. In my house, we call Bolognese “smashed meatballs” because that’s what gets my kids to eat it :) I love to make this recipe because unlike meatballs and burgers, this meaty pasta sauce requires no ‘fillers” such as bread crumbs and does not contain any sugar. Serve it up on a bed of spaghetti squash, or, with its traditional accompaniment, tagliatelle pasta.

Spaghetti Squash Bolognese

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 container mushrooms, sliced
1.5 lbs. extra lean ground beef
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 1/2 tsp basil
salt and pepper, to taste
spaghetti squash (click on the link for how to prepare)

Method:
Saute onion and garlic till translucent. Add celery, carrots and mushrooms and continue to saute until golden. Remove from pot. Add ground beef and saute until no longer pink. Drain meat. Return meat and veggies back to the pot and add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer on low for 30 minutes-1 hour.

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{Leftover} Turkey Pot Pie

With the weather turning cold and rainy, pot pie is the perfect comfort food to usher in the fall. It’s also a great dish to make when you’ve got lots of leftover chicken or turkey, and other root vegetables that are on their way out. With a large chunk of turkey roast leftover from the chag, I knew I had to come up with something light and tasty to turn it from “leftovers, again!”, into something fresh and exciting.

Chock full of healthy veggies and low fat turkey, this “litened up” version of a chicken pot pie is even better than the classic. Sweet parsnips, carrots and squash are the perfect accompaniment to the turkey, while the filo dough makes for a rustic, flaky crust.

Visit my guest post on Cookkosher.com for the recipe!

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