I remember when McDonald’s introduced their Chicken McNuggets. I had just reached that magical double-digit, “mature” age of 11. I admit I was distressed that I still had to order from the kids’ menu. However, I happily traded in my Hamburglar hamburger for the 4-piece golden nugget selection that came paired with dipping sauce in my Happy Meal. I didn’t care how it was made, what nutritional value it held, or paid attention to the price of the Happy Meal. Instead, it was all about taste.
Fast forward to today. I now care about all those important food choice issues. Thanks to Corrin, my dietitian daughter, I can joyfully eat these crunchy wonders again…vegan style. She created a protein-packed recipe that is simple and easy to put on the table. I developed a quick barbecue sauce for dipping that comes together in minutes.
Yes, kids of all ages will enjoy these Chick’n Pea Nuggets. In fact, they might even mention how this dish makes dinnertime a happy meal!
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Chick'n Pea Nuggets
Ingredients
- 15 ounce can low-sodium chickpeas rinsed/drained
- 14 ounce firm tofu drained/pressed
- 1 cup vital wheat gluten
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Trader Joe's Vegan Chicken-less Seasoning Salt optional
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper optional
Instructions
Preheat Oven
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone non-stick baking mat.
Prepare Chickpea Nugget Mixture
- Place drained chickpeas, pressed tofu, vital wheat gluten, onion powder, garlic powder, vegan chicken-less seasoning salt, and salt inside a large bowl of a food processor. Blend until the mixture is smooth and forms a dough.
Prepare Chickpea Coating
- Place unsweetened almond milk in a small bowl and add lemon juice. Allow the liquid to sit for 5 minutes to curdle the milk.
- Add panko bread crumbs, nutritional yeast, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to a second small bowl and mix well.
- Soak each nugget in the curdled milk and then place each nugget in the bread crumb mixture, making sure it is fully covered on all sides.
Bake the Nuggets
- Place the nuggets on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and flip each nugget over. Bake for an additional 10 minutes. Nuggets should be golden and crunchy.
- Serve immediately with your favorite dip. (See dip recipe below.)
Notes
QUICK BBQ DIPPING SAUCE
Created by Chris Kalinich of Plant 2 Platter- 1 cup catsup (look for low sugar and low salt)
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes