fEEd me frEEly: My Own Quinoa Chicken Nuggets

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

My Own Quinoa Chicken Nuggets

So I realized the very first time I went to the store for Sam, when I bought a box of 10 allergen-free chicken nuggets for $7, that I would be making my own.

My first batch was good, but fell apart when you touched them. My second batch, I think is perfect. I must say I was pretty impressed with myself on this one. And they are so much healthier than any chicken nugget in the store!

Quinoa Chicken Nuggets

5-6 chicken thighs or 2-3 chicken breasts
1/2 to 2/3 c cooked quinoa
1 tbsp egg replacer mixed with 1/4 c water til frothy (two eggs)
1/2 c brown rice flour

Mix all ingredients in a food processor for a couple minutes until smooth. Using a small cookie scoop, drop balls onto plate of crushed Rice Chex. Coat with cereal, and pat down into shape of nugget. Heat skillet with canola oil and cook nuggets for a few minutes on each side until firm and golden. Store in freezer in ziplock freezer bag, and just reheat to serve.

Makes 36.

Notes: To be honest, I did not exactly measure everything, besides the egg replacer. This recipe is very versatile and can be altered according to what you have on hand. I have not tried it, but I'm sure you could use pork instead of chicken, or rice instead of quinoa. I actually used a quinoa pilaf with carrots and mushrooms that I had leftover. By all means, add some vegetables to boost the nutrients! And if you try something different that works, please let me know. I would love to hear!

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He is the sunshine of our home, a sweet, smiley, cuddly little guy who stopped growing at about 9 months. He has gained about 2 pounds in the last year, has gone through a lot of testing, and finally at almost 20 months we are getting some answers.Sam had his scope today, and the doctor said it looks like classic eosinophilic esophagitis. He has ridges in his esophagus with white plaques (which is the actual eosinophils you see). I asked if we could keep the adorable get-up. They kindly said no.

I was prepared for this, our primary doctor and the two GI doctors and allergist and new-found friend up the street had told me about it, said he looked like he had it, and wouldn't be surprised if he did. I did my research (which there's not much out there), and kind of knew going in what we were facing. In fact, I think I would have been disappointed if it came back showing everything was normal. This is something we can deal with, get under control, and help Sam live a normal happy life once we figure out what he can eat safely. It's an answer, and I am grateful for it, whatever it is. Now I won't say that answer didn't come with some emotion, anxiety, tears, and feelings of inadequacy. Following an allergen-free diet is overwhelming, even with a background in dietetics, and it was hard to decide where to even begin. Sam might eat a lot of food, but not a lot of types of food. He is picky. All of Sam's favorites are out: chicken nuggets, fish sticks, salmon burgers, noodles, sugar cereals, cookies, ice cream, yogurt, and my homemade wheat bread. And all of his dislikes were in: chicken, hamburger, potatoes, and veges. He does like rice and fruit, but after the first day he is already sick of it. He is DONE with rice chex. And I have not found any allergen-free sweet cereals.So I've been scouring the web. That was even more overwhelming, so I decided to dedicate a blog to all my favorite recipes, tips, and blogs I have found, so I don't have to try and remember where I found this or that. I hope this compilation can help others who are diagnosed with EE, as well, because there's not a lot out there on this disease. And it's hard to find recipes that are gluten, dairy, egg, soy, and nut free. Hopefully we will soon be able to cut that list down, but for now that's what we're doing.It's a roller coaster ride, and I'm sad and happy all at the same time. Sad for my poor little Sammy that's been suffering and can't have the foods that make him smile, and happy that we now know what's wrong and {kind of} what to do, and Sam will soon be a healthy little boy!