Healthified Chick-Fil-A Nuggets

Photo: Unsplash

Everyone’s favorite nuggets done right.

For the Paleo Chicken Nuggets:

• 2 chicken breasts

• ½ cup pickle juice

• ½ cup almond flour

• ¼ cup tapioca starch (can also be subbed for arrowroot for a similar outcome)

• 2 tbsp coconut flour

• 2 eggs

• 1 tbsp water

• 2-4 tbsps avocado oil (or one with a similar smoke point)

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• ½ tsp smoked paprika

• ½ tsp black pepper

• ½ tsp salt

For the Chick-fil-A Inspired Dipping Sauce:

• ½ cup mayo

• 3 tbsp yellow mustard

• ¼ cup barbecue sauce

• ¼ cup honey (omit or sub with date paste for Whole30)

• Small pinch of salt

Directions:

For the Healthy Chick-fil-A Nuggets:

• Cut chicken breast into 1” nuggets and add to a Ziploc bag with the pickle juice. Let marinate in the fridge for 2 hours or up to overnight (If you’re in a pinch, 30 minutes will work too)

• While the chicken is marinating, work on the dipping sauce. Mix together the mayonnaise, yellow mustard, barbecue sauce, and honey. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Store in an airtight jar and refrigerate until using.

• Set up a dredging station for your chicken.

• In a shallow bowl, whisk together the egg and water until frothy.

• In a separate shallow bowl, whisk together the almond flour, tapioca starch, coconut flour, garlic powder, pepper, smoked paprika, and ¼ tsp salt.

• Dip the chicken pieces individually into the beaten eggs.

• Transfer to the flour mixture to coat. Squeeze the nuggets a bit to get the breading to stick, then coat in the flour mixture again.

• Place the coated chicken pieces onto a plate and set aside until all chicken has been coated.

• Heat 2-4 tbsps of oil to a large skillet on medium. It should be enough to coat the bottom of the pan.

• Add the chicken nuggets to the pan in batches to ensure not to crowd the pan.

• Cook for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Set aside and season immediately with a pinch of salt.

• Continue cooking in batches until all chicken is done.

• Serve with the dipping sauce and enjoy!

The recipe is courtesy of Rockin’ Meals. We’re not trying to claim we came up with it (like we’re that talented)! We’re simply sharing her good work. There are great tips (like buying the right flour, adjusting serving sizes) and tricks (like paleo-friendly flour burns faster than regular flour), etc. on the original recipe if you’d like to check that out.

Big Mac Tacos

Photo: Instagram/moribyan

With more than 1M likes, this high protein favorite is going to be your newest favorite addition to the dinner rotation.

Ingredients

BIG MAC SAUCE

• 1 cup mayonnaise

• 4 tablespoons pickle relish, drained

• 3 tablespoons ketchup

• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 1/2 tablespoon white vinegar

• 1 1/2 teaspoon paprika

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper

FOR ASSEMBLY

• 12 mini flour tortillas

• 1 pound 80/20 ground beef

• salt, to taste

• black pepper, to taste

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, split in half

• 12 slices American Cheese

• 1 white onion, diced

• dill pickle chips

• shredded iceberg lettuce

MAKE THE BIG MAC SAUCE

1. In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, relish, ketchup, mustard, sugar, vinegar, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder. Set aside.

PREPARE THE TACOS

1. To each tortilla, add about 1/4 cup of ground beef and flatten out to completely cover the surface to the edges. Add more meat if you prefer a thicker patty. Sprinkle with salt and pepper on top.

COOK THE TACOS

1. Over medium-high heat in a skillet or pan, add a small drop of vegetable oil.

2. Add the tacos in, meat face down, two to three at a time or more if you have a large grill/skillet. It will take about 2-3 minutes for the patty to get a nice brown crust.

3. Flip over, lower the heat, and add a slice of American cheese on top of the patties.

4. Cover and let it cook for about 2 to 3 more minutes for the cheese to melt and the tortilla to get golden and crispy. Then, take off the heat and cook the rest of the tacos.

ASSEMBLE THE BIG MAC TACOS

1. To the taco, add lettuce, onion, pickles, and Big Mac sauce on top.

2. Enjoy warm!

If you liked this recipe from Hajar at Moribyan, you should definitely check out her website with other amazing recipes like honey hot fried chicken waffles. Destined to be crowd favorites in any house!

Healthy Greek Pasta

Photo: Unsplash

It’s the perfect side dish for your Labor Day weekend.

Ingredients

Pasta Salad:

• 8 oz bowtie pasta, cooked to al dente

• 1 english cucumber, sliced into half moons

• 10 oz cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1 green pepper, chopped

• 1/2 red onion, chopped

• 5 oz kalamata olives, halved

• 3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

• 8 oz feta, cubed

Zesty Vinaigrette:

• 1/3 cup olive oil

• 1/3 cup water

• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar

• 1/2 lemon, juiced

• 2 tbsp honey

• 2 tsp dijon mustard

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

• 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

Prepare Pasta & Veggies:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Cook pasta according to package instructions, to al dente. Drain cooked pasta and rinse with cold water.

• Slice english cucumber into half moons, halve tomatoes, chop bell pepper, chop red onion, halve kalamata olives, and chop fresh parsley. Cut feta into small cubes.

Prepare Zesty Vinaigrette:

• In a separate bowl or mason jar, add olive oil, water, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, honey, dijon mustard, minced garlic, fresh parsley, fresh dill, salt, and pepper. Whisk together well.

Combine:

• In a large bowl, add cooked pasta, chopped veggies, and pour in the zesty vinaigrette. Gently toss to combine all ingredients.

• Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking by adding more salt, pepper, lemon, or herbs. Refrigerate for up to 4 days!

Notes

• Keep refrigerated, lasts up to 4 days.

• Don’t forget to salt the pasta water.

• Run cold water over the cooked pasta to stop it from overcooking.

• Use 2 tsp dried herbs if you don’t have fresh. 

We LOVE Spoonful of Si around here and this is another one of our favorites to serve.

Viral Tiktok One Pot Lemon Pasta

Photo: Unsplash

Hello summertime goodness.

Ingredients

• Salted boiling water

• ¼ cup Olive Oil

• 2 tablespoon Salted Butter

• 5 cloves Garlic roughly chopped

• ¼ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

• 1 lb Angel Hair Pasta uncooked (use gluten free pasta to make recipe gluten free)

• 3 Lemons zested

• ⅓ cup Lemon Juice

• ½ cup Fresh Basil

Instructions

1. Get a small pot of salted water boiling.

2. Meanwhile, add olive oil to a large pan over medium heat. Then add butter, garlic, and red pepper flakes.

3. Cook for 3 minutes or so or until the garlic is starting to turn golden.

4. Add the uncooked angel hair pasta to the garlic oil pan and add two ladles of boiling salted water.

5. Gently shake the pan so the water can absorb into the noodles. As it dries out, add another 2 ladles of the boiling salted water (or about 1 cup of water) at a time, moving the pasta continuously until the pasta is al dente.

6. Once it’s al dente, turn the heat off and add the lemon zest, the lemon juice and the fresh basil. Toss everything together and season with salt and pepper if needed.

7. Serve immediately.

The original recipe from our new favorite find (thanks to Katie Couric’s Instagram post), Grilled Cheese Social.

Pizza Garlic Bread

Photo: Unsplash

All of our favorite things in one bite.

Ingredients

• One loaf of crusty Italian bread (use a loaf of gluten-free bread to make this gluten-free)

• One cup/150g butter, softened

• 3-4 garlic cloves, minced

• ½ cup parmesan, grated

• Small handful of parsley, chopped

• ½-1 cup marinara sauce

• Mozzarella cheese, low-moisture

• Pepperoni

• 4 tbsp honey (use hot honey if you have it)

Instructions

1. Divide your loaf in half, and set aside.

2. In a bowl, combine butter, garlic, parmesan, parsley, salt and pepper. Divide the garlic butter mixture evenly between the two halves of bread and spread it on evenly. Broil at 180C/350F for 15-25 minutes or until golden brown (keep an eye on it!)

3. Spread on marinara sauce, top with mozzarella and pepperoni, and place into the oven until the cheese is melted and the pepperoni is crispy (roughly another 15 minutes)

4. Top with more parsley for garnish and drizzle generously with honey.

The original recipe from Butterhand, and thank goodness they’ve graced our lives with this.

Honey Lime Salmon WIth Strawberry Jalapeño Salsa

Photo: Unsplash

This dish is more summer than sunscreen and sunburns. Besides, who can resist an air fryer recipe?

Ingredients

• Salmon

  • 1 lb salmon

  • 1/4 cup honey

  • Juice of 1 lime

  • 1/2 tsp lime zest
    

• Strawberry jalapeño salsa:

  • 1 pound fresh strawberries, diced

  • 1 jalapeño ( I recommend seeding this so it isn’t super spicy but do whatever works!), diced

  • 1/3 cup red onion, diced

  • Juice of a lime

  • 1/2 tsp lime zest

  • Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, lime juice, & lime zest

2. Add to the salmon

3. Preheat your air fryer to 400F and air fry for 10-12 minutes

4. While the salmon cooks, assemble the strawberry salsa. Add all of the salsa ingredients to a bowl and mix together with a spatula

5. When the salmon is done, slice and top with the salsa.

This makes about 4 servings.

The recipes from Choosing Balance are healthy and so delicious. Thank you for this recipe and so many of our favorites.

Greek Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner

Photo: Spoonful of Si/Instagram

Great flavor and less mess.

Ingredients

• Six bone-in skin-on chicken thighs

• 1 zucchini, sliced into half moons

• 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

• 1 red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces

• 2/3 cup cherry tomatoes

• 1/2 cup Kalamata olives

• 1/2 cup feta, crumbled

• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

  Marinade

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 1 lemon, juiced

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• 2 tsp dried oregano

• 1 tsp dried thyme

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp pepper

Instructions

1. Prepare marinade. Pour 1/2 the marinade over the chicken thighs and marinate in the fridge for 15 minutes or up to an hour.

2. Slice zucchini, bell pepper, and red onion. Add veggies to a lightly oiled baking sheet. Pour reserved 1/2 of the marinade over veggies. Toss to coat.

3. Place marinated chicken thighs on top. Transfer the baking sheet to a 425 F oven for 30 minutes.

4. Remove the pan and add cherry tomatoes, Kalamata olives, and feta. Return to the oven to cook for 15 minutes more.

5. Top with 2 tbsp fresh parsley and serve.

We are currently loving all things Spoonful of Si, including this recipe. Make sure to check Si out for more fabulous Greek dishes.

Greek Fries With Feta

Photo: Unsplash

This week's Tailgate Treat is everything you've dreamed of and more

Ingredients

• 3 russet potatoes skin-on, washed

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 1/2 lemon, zested and juiced

• 4 oz feta crumbles

• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

• Prep potatoes. Wash potatoes and pat dry. Slice potatoes lengthwise into disks about 1/4” thick. Then slice those into evenly sized fries (try to make them all uniform in size).

• Soak potatoes. Transfer fries to a large bowl of ice water and soak for at least 20 minutes or up to 1 hour for best results. Drain fries and pat dry completely with a clean towel.

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

• Season fries. Place cut fries into a large dry bowl and add 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Toss to coat the fries evenly in seasonings.

• Transfer fries to baking sheet. Lightly coat a nonstick baking sheet with olive oil (you might need two pans). Arrange fries in an even layer, making sure to leave space between each fry.

• Bake at 400 F. Place baking sheet(s) in the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until golden and crispy on the outside. After the first 20 minutes, remove the baking sheet(s) and flip each fry over to ensure even cooking on all sides. Return to oven for 10-20 minutes more.

• Prepare garlic oil while the fries bake. In a small bowl, combine 2 tbsp olive oil, 4 cloves minced garlic, 1 tsp dried oregano and juice from ½ a lemon.

• Prepare the toppings. Chop fresh parsley, crumble feta and zest ½ a lemon.

• Add toppings and serve. Transfer fries to a serving plate. Spoon garlic oil all over the hot fries. Top with lemon zest, crumbled feta, and fresh parsley. Serve immediately.

We are currently loving all things Spoonful of Si, including this recipe. Make sure to check Si out for more fabulous Greek dishes.