Chicken Nuggets for Babies and Toddlers with Parsnip Chips

I suddenly realised that meat recipes have been a bit thin on the ground of late.   It's not as if pumpkin doesn't eat meat; far from it, just perhaps I've been sticking to old favourites.

Anyway, after cooking some chicken breasts with soft cheese for my husband and I, I had a breast left so decided to prepare some chicken nuggets for the little one and me to have for lunch.  I'd never found a recipe for chicken nuggets for babies I liked the look of so I came up with one myself.

Chicken Nuggets and Parsnip Chips - serves 1 Mummy and 1 Toddler

I've been told that baby led weaners give home made chicken nuggets to their babies so I'm making the assumption that babies on finger foods who are starting to chew would be ok with these (they don't need their molars to chew) so probably 10 months or so plus.

Ingredients

1 skinless chicken breast
1 slice of bread
A few herbs, I used parsley and thyme
1/4 tsp smoked paprika (the not too spicy smokey, sweet kind or use normal sweet paprika or another spice of your choice, a pinch of chilli might be nice for older kids.)
1 egg
Spray oil
1 parsnip (optional) - see end of recipe for instructions for parsnip chips.
Olive oil (optional)

Method

Cut the chicken breast into approx 1 inch (2.5cm) cubes.  Break the bread into pieces and put into a food processor with the chopped herbs and paprika.  Process until in crumbs.

Crack and whisk the egg slightly.  Dip each piece of chicken into the egg then the breadcrumbs then chill until ready to cook.

Preheat the oven to 200oC (or if it's on already for the parsnips)  spray the nuggets with a little spray oil or drizzle a little oil over them and bake the nuggets for 20 minutes or until cooked through.

If cooking the parsnips, peel, cut into small wedges cutting out the centre if it's hard.  Toss with olive oil and put into an oven at 200oC for 30-35 minutes (I put them in as the oven is heating for the chicken nuggets).  Cook until softened and starting to crisp at the edges but not too crisp as it doesn't go down well with delicate teeth and sore gums.

Leave to cool until cool enough for little hands and mouths.

Unlike my turkey nugget recipe, this contains no cheese so will be slightly lower in salt.  No added sugar either and although I'm not totally anti any kind of processed food, having a look at some chicken nuggets available commercially this is what was in them:

Chicken (31%), Water, Breadcrumbs (17%) (Wheat Flour, Salt, Wheat Gluten, Yeast, Sunflower Oil, Flour Treatment Agent (Ascorbic Acid)), Wheat Flour, Vegetable Oil, Textured Soya Protein (5%), Modified Wheat and Potato Starch, Salt, Soya Protein Concentrate, Garlic Powder, Dextrose, Stabilisers (Guar Gum, Hydroxypropyl Methyl Cellulose), Flavouring, Mustard Flour, White Pepper, Black Pepper, Garlic Extract.

Mine contain chicken, breadcrumbs, egg, paprika and herbs, sprayed with a little oil.  I think I prefer mine...

Why not try the garlic and herb version?