I use to eat meat. A lot actually, breakfast lunch and dinner had meat in it (we are Italian so lol). The hardest thing for me to give up was chicken. Specifically chicken fingers and chicken nuggets. Now I haven’t had much vegan wise that replaced the taste of chicken, maybe a few of those ‘Beyond Chicken‘ products have come close, but this one reminded of the real deal. I say that, not because it tastes how chicken would, but because it is crunchy and crispy on the outside like how a real chicken nugget would be. And although they don’t taste like animal flesh, they have their own flavor to them that I enjoy.
Similar to meat, these nuggets are packed with protein from the chickpeas, and can be made gluten free (as I did with mine) or with whole wheat flour/bread crumbs.
Honestly I am so proud of how these turned out, I love eating them. They are Best when served with my favorite Chipotle Mayo sauce I recently discovered in health food stores. My pickier husband tried these and was happily impressed too, he kept eating them;) I bet even your kids would love this (just don’t lie and tell them it’s chicken because they will probably know the difference when they bite into them if they don’t drench it in ketchup). These are perfect for a snack or as a side meal. They look like something out of a package, but they are 100% home made and pretty easy to make too. I was inspired by Connoisseurus Veg‘s recipe, I followed it with a slight twist. I will most definitely be making these again for dinner.
Ingredients
- FILLING:
- 1 - Can artichoke hearts, drained (14oz)
- 1 - Can chickpeas (14oz)
- 1/2 - Onion (diced)
- 4 - Garlic cloves (chopped)
- 1/2 Cup - Gluten Free (or Whole Wheat) BreadCrumbs
- 1/2 Cup - Cornmeal
- 2 tsp - Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 tsp - Celery Seed
- 1/2 tsp - Cayanne Pepper (for added kick!)
- Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste
- ---
- BATTER:
- 1 Cup - Almond Milk
- 2 Tbsp - Gluten Free Flour (or Whole Wheat)
- 1/2 Cup - Freshly Ground Flax Seeds (or if your not vegan, 1 egg)
- ----
- CRUST:
- 2/3 Cup - Cornmeal (organic!)
- 2/3 Cup - Gluten Free (or Whole Wheat) Breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp - Paprika
- Sea Salt and Pepper to taste
- ---
- FRYING:
- 1-2 Cups - Coconut Oil (for frying)
Instructions
- Place artichoke hearts and your can of chickpeas (only drain half of the water out, throw in the other half) into a food processor or blender. Blend until chunky smooth.
- Scoop into a mixing bowl and add the remaining 'filling' ingredients. Mix very well, to combine everything together.
- Cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge for 30 minutes or until chilled (to help form patties better).
- In the mean time, make your batter and crust in separate bowls, mixing the ingredients together in each.
- Once the time is up, add 1/4" high of oil in a small frying pan and put over medium-high heat. Be careful not to burn the oil! If you see smoke, your heat is up too high.
- Start forming your patties immediately into small slightly flattened oval shapes. If your batter is too dry add a few Tbsps of water, if its too wet, add more corn meal.
- When the oil is hot, place as many as can fit in your pan, making sure the oil reaches the middle of the patty. Cook until golden brown on the bottom, then gently flip to cook the other side.
- When the patties are thoroughly cooked, place on a plate lined with paper towel (to soak up excess oil) and let cool before eating.
- Continue in batches until all of your patties are complete:)
Notes
Tastes great in ketchup, or mayo!