Theme Recipe: Homemade Chicken Fingers

Since it's my kid's birthday this Friday, the recipe HAS to be chicken fingers, or nuggets as some people call them.  Now I do not make these nearly as often as I should!  Mostly it's because he eats chicken fingers of some sort twice a day, and the ground chicken needed to make the kind that he will actually eat made from scratch has become very expensive due to commodity prices soaring...so he gets the kind that are bought bagged and baked most days.  But I have had success with this particular recipe when they do get made at home.  The last time I made them, I made extra as there were guests coming for a special occasion and needed appetizers for a munchy table.  I served them with a couple of dipping sauces (something "The Peanut" wouldn't touch in a million years!) and they are quite tasty--went over well.

The recipe that he like the best comes from a book that I purchased before he started actually eating solid food entitled The Baby Bistro Cookbook by food writer Joohee Muromcew.  Now, I am aware that there are much more famous cookbooks out there for kids, I actually purchased the book written by Jerry Seinfeld's wife when I discovered that my kid was such a picky eaters and was concerned about his vitamin intake--it is in no way a practical book unless you are a wealthy mom with loads of time on your hands--anyone other than a wealthy home maker need not apply (note that I did not use the word "wife"--could be a wealthy single mother with a trust fund....).  Muromcew's book is worth the price of purchase because there are recipes in the book that anyone would like.  Example: there are at least two recipes that my father really liked that my kid would not touch, one of which my dad requested a couple of the times later.   The recipe is easily multiplied. 

1 cup bread crumbs

1/8 to 1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. sweet paprika (optional)

1 lb. ground chicken

2 tbsp. vegetable oil (my note:  I find that more oil is needed, not a lot more but more than 2 tbsp., even in an ultra slick no-stick pan)

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

1.  In a mixing bowl combine that breadcrumbs, salt and paprika if using.  

2.  With your hands, shape the ground chicken into thirty 2 to 3 inch nuggets.  Toss the nuggets into the breadcrumbs until evenly coated (my note:  I don't count, I just make as many as will come out with the particular batch).

3.  In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.  In batches, cook the nuggets for 3 minutes on each side (or) until golden.  Keep the nuggets warm in the heated oven as you cook them.