Sneaky Chef Parmesan Chicken Fries
This recipe for Chicken Fries features:
--cooking time under 14 minutes
--hidden veggies - carrots/sweet potatoes
--less than one-half the calories and fat of traditional fried chicken - these fries have 236 calories, 5g fat & 3.5g fiber per serving
INGREDIENTS - Makes 4 servings
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 2 tablespoons wheat germ
- 1 cup breadcrumbs, ideally whole grain
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 12 ounces uncooked boneless, skinless, thinly sliced chicken breasts
- Cooking spray oil
Dipping Sauce:
- 1⁄2 cup store-bought marinara sauce
- 1⁄4 cup Orange Puree (see Make-Ahead Recipe below) or baby food carrot or
sweet potato puree
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees and generously coat baking sheet with cooking spray oil.
Cut tenders into French fry-shaped strips, easily done using kitchen scissors.
Combine flax, wheat germ, breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese in zip-top plastic bag, seal, and shake to mix. Add chicken strips, seal, and shake to coat chicken evenly. Remove chicken pieces and place on prepared baking sheet. Generously coat top of chicken with more cooking spray and bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until browned and cooked through.
Combine marinara sauce with puree and serve as dip alongside the chicken fries.
Sneaky Chef Make-Ahead Recipe: Orange Puree
- 1 medium sweet potato or yam, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 3 medium to large carrots, peeled and sliced into thick chunks
- 2 to 3 tablespoons water
Place the carrots and sweet potatoes in a medium-sized pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 20 minutes, until carrots are very tender. Careful-if the carrots aren’t tender enough, they may leave telltale little nuggets of vegetables in recipes, which will reveal their presence to your kids-a gigantic no-no for the Sneaky Chef.
Drain the carrots and sweet potatoes and put them in the food processor with 2 tablespoons of water. Puree on high until smooth-no pieces of vegetables showing. Stop occasionally to push the contents to the bottom. If necessary, use another tablespoon of water to smooth out the puree, but the less water, the better.
This recipe makes about 2 cups of puree; double it if you want to store more. Orange Puree will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or you can freeze 1⁄4-cup portions in sealed plastic bags or small plastic containers.
INSTANT SUBSTITUTES FOR ORANGE PUREE:
• Carrot and/or sweet potato baby food, stage 1 or 2
