spaghetti squash puree

Chicken Nugget Rewind

I had faith that my son, the white eater, would eat the chicken nuggets if made with the right ingredients. With my broccoli and spaghetti squash purees ready to go, I made this dinner again, with the hopes that he would not protest.

Following the same recipe, this time I dipped half of our chicken in the broccoli puree and the other half in the spaghetti squash puree. The spaghetti squash was undetectable…

Not only did he eat these Spaghetti Squash Chicken Nuggets, he asked for more (careful not to choose one made with broccoli). Served with fresh baby carrots and some fruit, this meal was easy. My hubby and I took the chicken and put it over a spinach salad. Yummy for the entire family.

Chicken Nuggets with Mac’n Cheese

October 16, 2007 at 1:44 am | Posted in broccoli puree, Family Meals, flaxseed meal, spaghetti squash puree | 3 Comments
Tags: Family Meals

My dear hubby is playing in a golf tournament today and will be home late, so it’s the just kids and I for dinner. My game plan: Deceptively Delicious Chicken Nuggets with Macaroni and Cheese and veggies on the side.

The Macaroni and Cheese is easy…I open up a box mix from Trader Joes (Shells and Cheese with White Chedder) and cook the noodles as instructed. After draining the noodles, I add 1/2 cup of spaghetti squash puree and the cheese packet. I mix well and notice the puree has left, “texture”, so I pop the lid on it and let it sit a bit. In just five minutes, it’s perfect. I absolutely cannot taste the spaghetti squash, this one will be easy, I think naively.

The Chicken Nuggets are a bit more involved.

1 cup italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup flaxseed meal
2 T grated parmesan
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 cup broccoli puree
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 T milk
1 pound chicken breast tenders cut into chunks
salt and pepper
2-3 T olive oil

In a bowl, combine breadcrumbs, flaxseed meal, parmesan, garlic and mix well
In a shallow bowl, mix the egg with a fork, add in the vegetable puree, milk and mix
sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Dip the chicken into the puree mixture and then gently toss them in the breadcrumbs, careful to coat completely.
Preheat a large nonstick skillet. Pour in olive oil. Place the chicken in the skillet in a single layer, careful not to crowd and cook until crisp and golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. Then turn the chicken over and finish cooking the chicken through, about 4 to 5 minutes more. Adapted from Deceptively Delicious

And the verdict? Well, my daughter loved the chicken nuggets. She ate 5 of them in fact.

My son, on the other hand, balked at both the mac’n cheese AND chicken nuggets. I had to resort to my old trick of threatening no dessert if he did not eat at least one piece of chicken. Well, he did manage to get down one piece, but when I offered him a second, he said he didn’t like the green stuff in that one.

So, what do I think…he will happily eat plain chicken cooked with just salt and pepper, a great source of lean protein. But that still doesn’t help with the veggie part. I’ll make these again, what’s that rule for kids and food, 10 tried times…better go make more puree.

My first Butternut Squash

October 15, 2007 at 9:06 pm | Posted in butternut squash puree, how to puree, spaghetti squash puree | 2 Comments
Tags: Family Meals

So many of the recipes from Deceptively Delicious call for Butternut Squash. Having never bought a butternut squash before, I wasn’t even sure what I was looking for. For the other butternut squash virgins out there, here’s a photo. I also picked up one of my favorites, spaghetti squash. Even though there is not a recipe using spaghetti squash in Deceptively Delicious, knowing that it is a mild tasting vegetable, I thought it might work.

My challenge for today was to cook, puree and package these vegetables.

How to puree Butternut Squash:

Cut off the stem, cut the squash in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds.
Roast the halves on a cookie sheet, flesh-side down, at 400 Degrees for 50-60 minutes
When the squash is cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh and puree in a food processor until smooth.

How to puree Spaghetti Squash:

Leaving the squash whole, pierce the outside with a fork about 8 to 10 times
Roast the squash in a baking pan at 400 degrees for 50-60 minutes. It is done when it can be pierced with the tip of a sharp knife.
When the squash is cool enough to handle, cut the squash in half lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, scoop the flesh into a food processor and puree.