Easy & Tasty, High Protein Veggie Nuggets

Easy..Tasty.High.Protein.Veggie.Nuggets.www.4hourbodygirl.com

Instead of over processed chicken nuggets that are made with who knows what, why not make these Easy & Tasty, High Protein Veggie Nuggets? The protein comes from the lentils, which are perfect for any low carb/slow carb diet. You can feel about eating these and giving them to your kids. My son loves them. He loves anything with dip mind you, and I usually make a cucumber, garlic & greek yogurt dip (for even more protein) for these, but you could dip them in any “traditional” nugget dip like BBQ sauce, honey mustard, ketchup or ranch. 

These cute little nuggets of fried goodness are bursting with flavor. Start out by sautéing some onions and carrots with tomato paste.

carrots and onion | www.4hourbodygirl.com

I was thinking about an episode I watched on Jamie Olivers Food Revolution show, where he went to the preschools and showed the kids how chicken nuggets from McDonalds were made. He took all of the the most disgusting pieces from the chicken….the fat, the bones, the organs and stuck them in the food processor, grinded them up into a paste then added a few dried herbs and spices and asked the kids if they’d eat it. They all let out a HUGE Noooooo!!!!. But then, he proceeded to form the paste into nuggets, fried them up and to my surprise they all wanted them! He was shocked too! It was an interesting experiment, but knowing (or more like, NOT knowing) what’s really in them got me thinking of alternatives that could be just as fun, look similar, but are full of nutrition for my child and came up with these Easy & Tasty, High Protein Veggie Nuggets.

I adapted this recipe from an favorite in Istanbul called küfte. As I was “adapting”, I thought to myself: who are you to be making adjustments to at traditional recipe from Istanbul? Annnd….welll…. I never really came up with a good answer to that. So enjoy my Canadian twist on this traditional dish!

Easy & Tasty, High Protein Veggie Nuggets | www.4hourbodygirl.com

 

Easy & Tasty, High Protein Veggie Nuggets | www.4hourbodygirl.com

Easy & Tasty, High Protein Veggie Nuggets | www.4hourbodygirl.com

 

For other healthy, easy and delicious snack ideas check out my Pinterest boards. You can follow my boards to make it easy for you to come up with healthy options for you and your kids. 

 Easy & Tasty, High Protein Veggie Nuggets www.4hourbodygirl.com

Easy & Tasty, High Protein Veggie Nuggets
Yields 10
A delicious snack the whole family can enjoy and feel good about.
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Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
1 min
Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
1 min
Ingredients
  1. 2 tblsp butter
  2. 1 medium white onion, finely chopped
  3. 1 carrot, finely chopped
  4. 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  5. 2 teaspoons paprika
  6. 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  7. 1 cup red lentils, picked over and rinsed
  8. 4 cups water
  9. 1 cup medium-quinoa
  10. Salt and freshly ground pepper
  11. Lentil flour, for dusting
  12. Avocado oil, for frying
Instructions
  1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the white onion and carrot and cook over medium heat, until soft, for 5 minutes or so. Stir in the tomato paste, paprika and cumin, then add the lentils and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer for about 8-10 minutes or until the lentils are tender and have absorbed about three-fourths of the liquid. Stir in the quinoa and remove from the heat. Let stand until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is softened, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet; spread in an even layer to cool.
  2. Put 1/2 cup of flour in a plate. Divide the lentil mixture into 16 portions; form into 3/4-inch-thick patties. Dredge the patties in the flour, shake off any excess and set on a floured baking sheet. In a large skillet, heat 1/4 inch of vegetable oil until shimmering. Working in batches, fry the patties over medium heat, turning once, until golden, for about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Add more oil to the skillet if needed.
Notes
  1. Double the batch and freeze for future quick snacks and to add to lunches.
4- HOUR BODY GIRL http://www.4hourbodygirl.com/
Easy & Tasty, High Protein Veggie Nuggets | www.4hourbodygirl.com

Easy, Quick, Healthy, Low Carb, Delicious Bean Dip

Easy, Quick, Healthy, Low Carb, Delicious Bean Dip | www.4hourbodygirl.com

My toddler is really into dip these days. When I ask, “Would you like some dip?” He shouts “Biiiiip!” and squeals with delight. I have to say, I take advantage of this and try to squeeze in as much nutrients as I can hide in that dip. Of course I still like things to be quick and easy and it still has to pass as delicious, especially to him, so I came up with this Easy, Quick, Healthy, Low Carb, Delicious Bean Dip.

Fresh kale | www.4hourbodygirl.com

First… hide the kale from your toddler! Just kidding! Well, maybe not. Yours may be more sensitive, than mine. As long as he can’t see it or pick it out of his dish, he’s okay eating the green stuff. I start off with a few leaves of fresh kale. It doesn’t matter which kind. I don’t usually de-stem the whole thing, I just clip of the ends. I find that they are tough and fibrous and don’t break down when processed, so it’s best just to discard them. Puree them in the processor or blender until as fine as possible. Then add everything else and you’re pretty much done!

Kale in food processor | www.4hourbodygirl.com

I usually make my own salsa. I find it’s easy to make and keeps well in the fridge for at least 2 weeks, but doesn’t usually last that long. I just throw an onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt, a dash of Tabasco and a can of tomatoes in the processor and I have fresh, homemade salsa in a matter of minutes that taste better than any store bought. I do however keep a couple of jars on hand just in case I’m felling too lazy to rinse out my food processor or if I’m out of any of those ingredients and I need salsa at that moment. I’ve shared some photos below of the brands I like to use because they have no additives, preservatives, and are low in sodium as well. 

Beans in food processor | www.4hourbodygirl.com

Experiment with different veggies for this recipe too. Peppers, carrots, spinach, etc. all work well. I usually just use regular canned beans or sometimes I buy cans of refried beans like the following.

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Easy & Tasty, High Protein Veggie Nuggets | www.4hourbodygirl.com
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