Herby Seeded Baked Chicken Fingers

Serves 2 adults & 2 children

I’m sure that my fellow mammas (and daddas!) out there will be all too familiar with the struggles of trying to cajole fussy kids into eating the same meal as their parents. I’ve had far too many turned up noses to even bother trying to get them to try kale crisps or smashed avocado! But having said that, I am too time poor and far too exhausted at the end of the day to always cook completely separate meals from scratch. So, I learnt the hard way that I needed to be sneaky. I needed to put on my secret mum-ninja clothes and find clever hidden ways to turn my kid’s favourite dishes into their healthier super cousins! All of the traditional kiddie classics made with a healthy twist, all equally enjoyed by kids and parents alike! Phew! Now pass the wine.

Today I am sharing with you my recipe for Herbed Seedy Baked Chicken Fingers. Not only does it provide good quality protein, but it has the extra benefit of the antioxidants, vitamins and minerals in the coating too. The chia and flaxseeds provide anti-inflammatory Omega 3s, the sunflower seeds provide a nice dose of Vitamin E and the pumpkins seeds are full of a range of micronutrients including iron, zinc and magnesium.

I keep the recipe very plain for the kids, but I like to jazz up our marinade by adding some mustard, garlic granules, smoked paprika and chilli flakes into it to give it a tasty kick. But obviously you can customise the flavours yourself!

Top Tip - I like to toast some seeded wholemeal or sourdough toast and whizz it up in the blender to make some super speedy wholegrain breadcrumbs. They keep for ages in an airtight jar and are great to use to coat chicken or fish strips like this instead of making the coating from scratch.

INGREDIENTS

350-400g Skinless Chicken Breast Strips - preferably Organic

For the coating

· 1 tbsp Sunflower Seeds
· 1 tbsp Pumpkin Seeds
· 1 tbsp Chia Seeds
· 3 tbsp Milled Flaxseeds (I use Linwoods)
· 2 tsp Dried Herbs (I like to use 1tsp Rosemary and 1 tsp Thyme)
· Optional but recommended - 2 tbsp of finely grated Parmesan
· Salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

For the marinade

· 1 egg (NOTE - this is all I do for my kids, no extra ingredients)
· 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
· 1-2 tsp Dijon Mustard
· 1/2 tsp Garlic Granules

NOTE — You can switch up the seeds each time you make it and add hemp seeds and sesame seeds for a greater variety.

METHOD

· Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees.
· Mix the coating ingredients together in a shallow bowl. Set aside.
· In a separate bowl, crack the egg and whisk gently with a fork.
· If just making for the kids, go to the next step. If for adults, add the mustard, paprika and garlic powder.
· Cut the chicken breast into strips and dip into the egg.
· Then immediately coat in the herby seed mixture and place on a lined baking tray.
· Spray with some olive oil.
· Place in the oven for 10–12 minutes depending on how small you cut the chicken. Make sure to check that the chicken is fully cooked through.

NOTE — I like the coating to be chunky, but if you have fussy kids, then it might help to blitz the seeds together in a blender before you dip the chicken to make a sort of seed flour.

Nutritional Information

Macros for one adult serving

Calories — 259
Fat — 11g
Carbohydrate — 5g
Fibre — 4g
Protein — 35g
Iron — 14%