That aside, here is my favorite recipe for the boy...
Veggie Chicken Nuggets (aka "Chicky Nuggets")
Ingredients:*
1 lb ground chicken
1 eggplant
1 small bunch spinach
1/2 onion
2 garlic cloves
1 tomato
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste
breadcrumbs
*These ingredients are all approximate. I try to regularly roast a whole chicken so I can use the bones to make chicken stock. When I do, I'll serve it for dinner, then remove all the extra bits of chicken and use that for nuggets. For veggies, I use whatever is on hand, but almost always try to include spinach. For breadcrumbs, I save the heels from our bread loaves.
Instructions:
Make breadcrumbs by pulsing heels or a couple slices of bread in the food processor. Put crumbs on a small plate.
If not using pre-cooked chicken, brown ground chicken in a pan, drain if necessary, and put chicken into food processor.
Saute onion, garlic, eggplant, and (briefly) spinach in a small amount of olive oil. Put in food processor. Add tomato, if using, egg, salt and pepper.
Process until a paste forms. If the paste is too sticky, add a tablespoon of breadcrumbs and pulse to combine. Repeat if necessary.
Take a spoonful of the paste, make a ball, roll it in the breadcrumbs, and smush into a small nugget patty. Place it on a baking sheet that has been lightly greased with olive oil. Repeat until the sheet is full, then spray all the nuggets with olive oil. Bake at 400F for about 10 minutes, or until the top is crispy.
Carefully flip the nuggets. Spray with olive oil and bake until this side is crispy. Let cool before serving. Since this makes such a large batch, I like to freeze the extras so I have them on hand for lunches.
The Boy says... yummies! (He's happier than he looks here. Something shiny popped up in the other room and took his attention.)
