Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets

 

These gluten-free chicken nuggets have quickly become one of our favorite meals.  We serve them on salads, with sweet potato fries and with mashed cauliflower.  They are delicious!!  This recipe is loosely based on the one I found at oursmallhours.com.  I switched the flours because I found almond flour works better and tastes better.  I also use fresh garlic, flavor the oil and add the almond milk coating.  This recipe would also be great for chicken fingers!

1 cup almonds for homemade almond flour (directions in the recipe)

1 teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons onion powder

2 teaspoons paprika

2 cloves minced garlic + 1 clove for flavoring the oil

½ cup almond milk

2-3 boneless organic free-range chicken breasts (one package 1-1.5 ponds)

¾ cup coconut oil

Rinse the chicken and cut into nugget sized pieces.  I cut them into about 1 inch x 1 inch pieces.  In a large bowl mix the first 6 ingredients together.  Pour 1/2 cup of almond milk into a separate small bowl.  Dredge the chicken pieces in the almond milk then coat with the flour mixture.  Meanwhile in a cast-iron skillet heat the coconut oil.  Add one clove of garlic to the heating oil to flavor it.  (This is optional).  I leave the garlic in the oil for a couple of minutes until it is starts to brown.  Remove the garlic clove and add the coated chicken pieces.  Flip once while cooking and remove when golden brown and cooked through.  Place on paper towels to soak up excess oil.  Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce.  If you want some more spice and an extra health boost try adding a little Turmeric.  For more information about the benefits of turmeric click HERE.

Homemade Almond Flour: Take a cup of almonds and place into a high quality blender.  Grind on high speed until a flour consistency is reached.  It’s that easy!!

© Courtney Hillis

For more healthy recipes from Thrive click below:
Amazing Almond Butter Smoothie
Low Glycemic, Dairy Free Ice Cream
Healthy Homemade Cereal Recipe
Green Green Juice Recipe
Low GI Smoothie Recipe

Healthy, veggie-packed meatballs - gluten and dairy free

Healthy regards,

THRIVE

Benefits of Turmeric

I have been wanting to write this blog for a while.  Turmeric keeps coming up in conversations, and I have become very interested in discovering all there is to know about turmeric and its benefits.

Turmeric comes from the ginger family.  The active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin, which is not related to cumin.  It has a long history in ayurvedic and Chinese medicines.  Turmeric has been used as an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory remedy inside and outside the body for centuries.  However, the benefits do not end there.  Turmeric is also a powerful anti-oxidant, immune booster and cancer blocker.  It has also been shown to help with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) symptoms and the list continues from there.

We use this delicious spice often.  It is supposedly most beneficial raw.  We add it to smoothies, fresh green vegetable juice and dressings.  We also cook with it, adding it to our eggs, gluten-free pancakes, chicken, mashed cauliflower (our version of mashed potatoes) and more.  This healthy and all-around great spice can also be combined with a little bit of water, made into a paste and put on cuts, bruises and sore/inflamed joints.

UPDATE: (6.1.13)  I had my first bout of Mastitis, and I made a turmeric paste and let it sit on red area of my breast for a very long time.  (I used gauze and taped it over the paste so I could walk around).  My Mastitis cleared up without having to go on antibiotics.  (Warning: it will stain your clothes)

Turmeric has a beautiful saffron color so get out there and turn your food yellow!!  Remember, a little goes a long way.

For more information please go to: http://www.turmericinfo.com/

As always healthy regards!!