Healthy Family Dinners

If your kids are as picky as mine, you know how tough it can be to keep meals both healthy and family-approved. I’m always on the lookout for nutritious recipes that I can tweak to fit our active lifestyle — and still get a thumbs up at the dinner table. These two were a hit, so I’m excited to share them with you!

Homemade air fried chicken nuggets with kale crunch salad. 

For ultimate flavor let the chicken tenders, sliced chicken breasts, or thighs marinate in pickle or artichoke juice overnight, or at least an hour. It will make it much more tender. 

I started by massaging the kale with 1 tbsp oil, then I made the dressing and started the chicken nuggets while the kale was softening.

Homemade Kale Crunch Salad:
This kale crunch salad with toasted almonds, feta, and crisp apples is a hit, even for the biggest kale skeptics. It’s my go-to homemade version of the popular Chick-fil-A kale salad — only fresher, more flavorful, and packed with wholesome goodness.

Prep Time: 20 minutes, Cook Time 5 min 
Total Time: 25 mins
Servings: 6

Ingredients

​Dijon apple cider vinaigrette:

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 3 ½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 ½ tablespoon maple syrup (I used 2
• 1 ½ tablespoon dijon mustard (used whole grain)
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

 
Kale salad:

• 6 cups curly kale thinly sliced -about 1 large bunch. 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 cups green cabbage, thinly sliced (about ½ of a medium head of cabbage) I doubled this as well 4 cups
• 1 cup almonds, I used 1/2 cups
• ½ teaspoon salt

Optional:

• 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 2 apples, diced

Instructions

• In a large mixing bowl, add kale and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Use your hands to massage the oil into the kale. Continue until kale is soft and tender (about 3-4 minutes). Add cabbage to the bowl and set aside.
• Add 1 tbsp olive oil to a small pan over medium heat. Once hot, add almonds and salt. Toast the almonds, stirring frequently for 3-5 minutes. Once almonds are cool, use a sharp knife to chop them up into small pieces. 
• Top kale and cabbage with almonds, feta cheese and diced apples (if using).
• Combine all vinaigrette ingredients in a mason jar or container with a lid. Close the lid and shake to combine. Adjust spices to meet desired taste preferences!
• Drizzle with vinaigrette and toss to combine.

Notes
For an easier option: green cabbage can be replaced with an equal amount of coleslaw mix or kale-slaw mix!
I doubled the amount of kale and cabbage and did not use more dressing. Adjust to suit your taste.
nourishedbynic.com/homemade-kale-crunch-salad-chick-fil-a/

Homemade Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time 10 minutes Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Rachel Kochlin

Equipment

• air fryer

Ingredients

• 1 pound chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch pieces (I used tenders)
• 2 cups panko breadcrumbs (I used trader joes brand)
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour (I used gluten free)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup milk
• olive oil cooking spray (I used a mister with avocado oil)
  
  

Instructions

• In a small bowl, combine the panko, flour, salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Set aside.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Set aside.
• Working with one piece of chicken at a time, dip a piece of chicken in the egg mixture until coated. Use a fork to transfer to the breadcrumb mixture and toss until coated, pressing to adhere. For thicker breading, dip the piece of chicken back into the egg mixture, then toss again in the breadcrumb mixture.
• Spray the air fryer tray with olive oil, and as you bread each piece of chicken, place into the air fryer. Don't overcrowd the air fryer or overlap the chicken pieces. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you'll likely need to cook the chicken in two batches. Once the air fryer is full, spray the tops of the chicken with olive oil.
• Air fry at 400 degrees F for 8-10 minutes, or until fully cooked through. Flip the chicken halfway through the cook time.

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https://www.modernfarmhouseeats.com/homemade-air-fryer-chicken-nuggets/#recipe