Chicken Nuggets

This is a deceptively delicious recipe. I've made it many times. It really makes a great chicken nugget. They're a little soft (from the puree, and not in a bad way) but have a great flavor. The smaller you make the pieces, the better they cook. You're better off having long strands of chicken, versus small, thick chunks. Just a tip. Even if you don't use the puree, the breading is really yummy.

Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat, white or panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup flaxseed meal
1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 cup broccoli or spinach or sweet potato or beet puree (for the first time, I highly recommend sweet potato)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast or chicken tenders, rinsed, dried and cut into small chunks (tenders are easer to keep them from being too thick. That's the key, not too thick!)
1/2 tsp salt
Nonstick cooking spray
1 tbsp olive oil

In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, flaxseed meal, Parmesan, paprika, garlic, and onion powder and mix well . In a shallow bowl, mix the vegetable puree and egg with a fork and set the bowl next to the breadcrumb mixture. Sprinkle the chicken with salt. Dip the chunks into the egg mixture and then toss them in the breadcrumbs until completely coated.

Coat a large nonstick skillet cooking spray and set over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the oil. Place the chicken nuggets in the skillet in a single layer, being careful not to crowd the pan, and cook until crisp and golden on one side, 3 to 4 minutes. Then turn and cook until the chicken is cooked through, golden brown and crisp all over, 4 to 5 minutes longer. Check the centers for any pink (of the biggest pieces anyway).

The key really is making them thin. Then they cook fast, and don't get too dark. Mine always end up being a tad dark. And they never fit in the skillet in one shot, so I do them in waves. I don't feel like I've perfected the cooking part, but in the end they always taste great anyhow. I do find that as long as you have a small layer of oil in the pan, you can usually shake the skillet and the chicken will be able to move around on its own. This is good because that means the breading won't come off. I've made the mistake multiple times of thinking I can turn then with tongs or something similar. Don't make this mistake. It only squishes the breading and puree and you end up losing breading. Just keep them loose on the skillet (the oil and shaking mentioned before) and use a spatula to turn them. These are a great recipe we all enjoy. If it takes multiple waves to cook them all, it can be quite time consuming. But in the end I always find it's worth it when there are none left for leftovers.