The First “Official” Recipe

The first recipe I am highlighting from this month’s cookbook is: Crunchy Oven-Baked Chicken Toes. As I mentioned before this month’s book Classic 30 Minute Meals: The All Occasion Cookbook, by Rachael Ray, has a section just for “Kid Chefs”. I though this was neat because here was a cookbook that adults could buy for themselves but also share with their kids. Also a lot of the ‘kid’ cookbooks that I have seen are in (my opinion) kind of lame and don’t really have what I call ‘real’ recipes. The majority of the recipes in ‘kid’ cookbooks are just making dressed up peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or pigs in a blanket. Now, nothing against these foods, but I want ‘kid’ cookbooks to actually teach kids about food and cooking.

In the ‘kid’ section of Classic 30 Minute Meals: The All Occasion Cookbook the recipes are written for kids and are easy to understand but are also well balanced and will please the palates of both kids and adults. There are actually 3 or 4 recipes in this ‘kid’ section that I would like to try.

Below is the recipe. I left it in the wording that Rachael used (directed towards kids). I made the recipe pretty much exactly as written in the book, but did make some minor modifications (in orange). I thought these chicken tenders came out really well and like the fact that they were not fried: less greasy, less mess, and less of a chance for a fire! I accidentally grabbed ‘zesty’ breadcrumbs which made the chicken tenders pretty spicy and made it so that it was hard to taste the other spices in the breading (next time I will use plan), however Eric liked the extra ‘kick’. Also the title of the recipe is “Crunchy” Oven Baked Chicken Toes and even though there was and added crunch I wanted more; so next time I think I will use more corn flakes. Other than my changes I thought the recipe was easy, tasted great, and made me feel ‘healthier” because they were not deep fried. Crunchy Oven-Baked Chicken Toes
adapted from Rachael Ray’s Classic 30 Minute Meals: The All Occasion Cookbook

1 cup cornflakes cereal, any brand (I would add an additional 1/2 cup)
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt***
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper***
1/2 teaspoon allspice***
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast tenders, cut into 2-inch pieces by a grown-up helper (GH)
1/4 cup honey mustard
1/4 cup barbecue sauce

Have your GH turn the oven up to 375°F.

Make the breading: pour the cornflakes into a pie pan or other large, shallow dish. Crush the cereal up with your hands. Mix in bread crumbs, brown sugar, salt, pepper and allspice.

Drizzle the vegetable oil evenly over the breading. Have your GH pour the oil out slowly. Toss and turn it to mix the oil all through the bread crumbs and crushed up corn flakes.

Pour the flour into another shallow dish (***I added an additional 1/2 a teaspoon of salt, pepper, and all spice to the flour) and the beaten eggs into a third one. Turn the chicken in flour, then in the eggs and then in the special, crunchy breading. Arrange the chicken toes on a nonstick baking sheet.

YOU AND YOUR GH SHOULD GO WASH YOUR HANDS NOW.

Place the chicken toes in the oven and cook until crisp and brown all over, about 15 minutes.

When the toes come out of the oven, it’s time to stir up the sauce for dipping them. Mix together honey mustard and barbecue sauce in a small bowl. Dip your hot chicken toes into the honey mustard barbecue sauce. Yum-o!