Chicken Nuggets were a huge treat back in the day when they first emerged at the famous fast food joint. They seem to have continued as a favourite snack, especially for children. So, how nice for all of us that there is a kinder, healthier, and, I think, tastier vegan/vegetarian alternative.
If you go to Pinterest, you will find that there are MANY veggie versions of chick'n nuggets, with main ingredients ranging from chick peas to jackfruit to pumpkin to jackfruit and several other versatile plants. Some people seem intent on replicating the original chicken-like texture and flavour in their nuggets, while many of the other recipe creators simply look for new ways to create a savoury chunk of yumminess with the capability of holding together for a dip.
If you have fond memories of the nugget, and/or your child or other loved one has a craving, one of the following recipes will satisfy I am pretty darn sure. If you are looking for another creative recipe for Meat-free Monday/Meatless Monday, the same is true.
1. ChickPea Nuggets (as in the picture above). This recipe uses actual chickpeas, canned or home-cooked. In the picture above, you see that the baked batter on the nugget is maybe a little paler than you would expect-- that is because I used ground Soda Crackers as my coating. Looks pale, but is a nice light battering and something a lot of folks have on hand. Otherwise, these nuggets taste not unlike falafal, if you are familiar with the lovely Middle Eastern savory chickpea balls. Indeed, these particular nuggets make a great insert into wraps with lots of fresh salad greens, some red pepper slices, tomato, and a lovely Lemon-Sesame Dressing. But they are also super-great as a dippable Nugget. The original delightful recipe for these ChickPea Nuggets can be found HEREat Vegan Heaven.
2. Cauliflower Chick'n Nuggets
The recipe for these mouth-watering looking morsels can be found HERE at the Healthier Steps site. They are vegan and gluten-free, so a healthy match for anyone who is looking for those criteria. What I appreciate about this recipe is that it uses a shorter list of ingredients than many of the nugget recipes. If you have cauliflower florets and a few other ingredients on hand, you have the makings of a great, quickly-put-together snack!
3. Actual VEGGIE Nuggets
The following video is an example of not being so much hung-up on the "chick'n" part of the nuggets but really digging the little dip-worthy nuggets for themselves. As you can see in the video, an egg is used in the recipe (the actual recipe is right under the video HERE) but you can sub with a tablespoon or two of chia or flax seed added to the blender/processor, or you can use one of the many egg-substitutes available commercially. Definitely worth a try!
4. Tofu Chick'n Popcorn Nuggets
This recipe (shown just above) offers a pretty good take-off on the more common commercial vegan small-sized nuggets, or "popcorn". The real benefit of using tofu is that it is a high plant protein binder with the same gripping quality as egg would add to your recipe. Be sure to use ORGANIC, NON-GMO Tofu though. You don't want to be suffering from the chemicals that go with GMO agro-industrial growing, and the ORGANIC labeling is generally the way to ensure that you don't have a GMO product. In fact, be sure to buy ORGANIC-grown and NON-GMO in general. Grow your own if you have the opportunity. You can find this recipe HEREat the Under A Lemon Tree site.
5. Gourmet No-Chicken Nuggets
This final recipe is definitely the more time-consuming and ingredient-diverse of the nugget recipes listed above, but has a very good response from people who have made and eaten it. I don't think it is a mistake that the website's name is Connoisseur us Veg-- pretty witty if you say it aloud and think about it. So, yes, the recipe not only contains chickpeas, but also artichoke heart, red wine vinegar, and liquid smoke. The nuggets are also both breaded and coated. I am thinking that these are the nuggets that you serve to an adult dinnah pawtay and not to your kiddos at lunchtime! hehe. They sure do look luscious and I am sure the gourmet vegan chefs out there are drooling to try these! Find the recipe HERE.
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