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Coming at you guys with another recipe.

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You know that age old question about desert islands and a single food? The one that goes “If you could only choose one food to live off of on a desert Island for the rest of your life, what would it be?”

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So I get the point of it, a fancy way of deciding what your favorite food is, but I’ve always felt this question was still too vague. I mean, I like specifics. Are there any other people on the Island? And does the island have anything edible on it already? Like, if we’ve got some coconuts and pineapple then we’ll make some spears, catch some fish, and be all set right? I’m just saying, details would be nice people.

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Whatever the case, I’m a very indecisive person so this question has always been a real toughy for me. Now if I had to make this decision on other’s behalf, like for my family, I think it would be easier. I’d go for chicken nuggets. Yes, they are probably one of the most popular foods in my family, if not the healthiest. The boys are especially huge fans of any form of fried chicken and that’s why coming up with a slightly healthier version seemed like a great idea.

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I recently made some new friends that have some pretty restrictive allergies with certain foods, and as you guys know, I love a culinary challenge. That’s why recently I’ve been playing around a little bit with more alternative ingredients just to get some fresh inspiration.

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This version of chicken can either be baked or pan-fried, depending on your preference. I wanted to try coating them in a simple coating that would be gluten free without needing any hard-to-find ingredients so I used almond flour and unsweetened shredded coconut. These still aren’t the most common ingredients, but I’ve noticed them both becoming more popular on the shelves at more than one local grocery so I’m hopeful you can find them as well.

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If you can’t find them the almond flour it can be made at home using raw almonds and if you can only

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Coconut Almond Ranch Fried Chicken Bites

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 6 - 8 servings

Need a change from your typical chicken nuggets? They're crispy, delicious, easy, and gluten free.

Ingredients

Chicken:

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken tenders or breasts
1 1/2 cups flour
1 egg
1 cup ranch dressing (recipe follows or store-bought)
1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
1 1/3 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cornstarch
peanut oil for frying (or preferred oil)

Ranch:

1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dill
1 teaspoon fresh chives
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon onion powder

Instructions

If making the ranch homemade, mix ingredients for the ranch in a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.
Mix almond flour, coconut, pepper, and salt; pour into pie plate. Pour cornstarch into a separate pie plate and whisk egg and ranch in a small bowl.
Cut chicken into bite-size pieces and dip first into flour, then egg/ranch, then breading and place on parchment lined tray.
Fill a large saucepan or deep fryer with a few inches of oil and heat to medium high. Fry chicken in batches for 1 to 2 minutes per side until done through. I like to test by cutting the largest piece to make sure it is completely cooked. Remove to paper towel lined plate to absorb excess oil.
Serve immediately with hot sauce or extra ranch..

For more great food ideas, please do not forget to look at my other recent food posts

ALL CONTENT IS MINE AND ORIGINAL! All of these food photos were taken with my Nikon D750 and my favorite Lens, the Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G. You can find out more in my INTRO POST.

And, by the way, to all the minnows out there, my intro post did a huge $0.21. The key to success on Steemit is to be consistent and persistent. Click on the link below for some great tutorials on how you can also succeed on the steem blockchain: