Kids and adults alike love chicken nuggets. My lighter-than-usual version is coated with a crispy cornflake crust instead of a thick batter, and pan-fried rather than deep-fried. The nuggets are accompanied by potato salad rather than French fries, plus lots of crunchy vegetables with an almost no-calorie dipping sauce.
Ingredients
- 4 oz (120 g) boneless, skinless chicken breast
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 Tbsp reduced-fat mayonnaise
- ½ cup (30 g) crushed cornflakes
- 2 tsp vegetable oil
Potato Salad
- small piece cucumber
- salt, for sprinkling
- 1 medium potato
- 1 inch (2.5 cm) length carrot
- 2 Tbsp reduced-fat mayonnaise
- salt and pepper, to taste
Vegetable Crudites with Citrus-herb Sauce
- ¼ cup (60 ml) chicken or vegetable stock
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- pinch each dried thyme and oregano
- ¼ tsp sea salt, or to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- Raw vegetables of your choice, cut into sticks or bite-sized pieces for the vegetable sticks
How to Make It
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Season with the salt and pepper.
- In a small bowl, coat the chicken thoroughly with the mayonnaise. Put the crushed cornflakes in a plastic bag, and then put in the mayonnaise-coated chicken. Shake the bag to coat the chicken with the cornflakes.
- Heat the oil in a small nonstick frying pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the chicken. Fry on both sides until the chicken feels firm when pressed. Put the chicken pieces on paper towels to drain away excess oil. Let cool completely before packing. Potato Salad
- De-seed and thinly slice the cucumber. Sprinkle with a little salt, and massage with your hands until the cucumber is limp. Squeeze out the excess moisture.
- Wash the potato. With a knife, score a line around the middle of the potato. Wrap the potato in a paper towel, then in plastic wrap. Wrap the carrot in plastic wrap.
- Microwave the potato and carrot on high for 3 minutes. Unwrap the potato and, using the paper towel to protect your hands, pull the skin off gently.
- If you don’t have a microwave, boil the potato and carrot until tender in salted water.
- Cut the potato into ½ inch (1 cm) cubes. Cut the carrot in half and slice into thin half-rounds. Place in a small bowl and mix with the mayonnaise and a little salt and pepper. Fold in the sliced cucumber. Let cool, and pack into a cupcake liner or bento divider cup. Vegetable Crudités with Citrus-herb Sauce
- Put all the sauce ingredients into a jar or shaker, and shake well until combined. Store any leftover sauce in the refrigerator in a nonreactive (glass or ceramic, never metal) container with a tight-fitting lid, where it will keep for up to a week.
