baked chicken fingers with copycat raising cain's dipping sauce

 

This post is for my son.  After he personally and his team won state (tennis) they went to Raising Cane's, just as they did in 2025 when his team won state.  My son LOVES Raising Cane's.  He had never known of its existence before 2025.  Now I think he thinks about it every day.

I decided to try a healthier version for dinner and he loved it.  He was disappointed at first to see that the chicken wasn't deep fried but he quickly forgot about it.  The crunch of the chicken fingers is satisfying.

baked chicken fingers (healthy seasonal recipes)

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided (I think it needs more salt next time)

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

5 teaspoons oil

1 pound chicken tenders

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray or brush lightly with oil.

Mix flour with 1/4 teaspoon salt in a shallow dish.

Beat eggs in a second shallow dish.  Set next to the flour.

Stir panko breadcrumbs, paprika, garlic powder and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a third shallow dish.  Drizzle oil over the breadcrumb mixture and then mix thoroughly with a fork until all of the oil and spice coats the breadcrumbs.  Set to the side of the egg mixture.

Use one hand for dry ingredients and one for wet ingredients while dredging the tenders.  Dip a chicken tender in the flour mixture, turning to coat completely.  Dip into the eggs, coating completely.  Press into the breadcrumb mixture, turning to coat completely.  Set on the prepared baking sheet.  Continue with the remaining tenders one at a time.  Discard any left-over dredging mixtures.

Transfer the baking sheet of breaded tenders into the oven and bake until the chicken is cooked through, 22 to 25 minutes.

copycat raising cain's dipping sauce (allrecipes.com)

1/2 cup mayo

1/4 cup ketchup

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic

1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground fresh black pepper

Stir all ingredients together until combined.  Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to meld.

the best low FODMAP salsa recipe

 

Lucky me- I get to occasionally experiment with FODMAP diet recipes to accommodate one of my children.  I started with this recipe and it's SO good!  I finished making it just in time for my youngest and two friends to come home during the school day (I guess nothing is happening at school anymore??) so I invited them to have some and opened up a fresh bag of tortilla chips.  Grant's friend said it's the perfect amount of spice.  They ate every drop of what I had put out for them.  The onions and garlic are not missed at all!  It's a great salsa.

the best low FODMAP salsa recipe (slightly adapted from red sauce white apron)

1 (28 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

1 jalapeno, minced

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

2 scallions, sliced (greens only!)

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon lime juice, to taste

black pepper (I used 1/4 teaspoon)

Add all ingredients to a blender and pulse. until you get the desired consistency.

cream of celery soup

 

I got a big bunch of celery from my produce co-op and it was accumulating because I got a big bunch the time before so I made this easy, healthy celery soup (I lightened it up) and we all really liked it!  I'll make it again because how many ants on a log can one family eat?

cream of celery soup (adapted from allrecipes.com)

6 cups chicken stock

1 1/2 pounds celery, coarsely chopped

1/4 pound carrots, julienned

1/4 pound onions, chopped

1/2 cup all-purpose flour (I used a little less)

1/2 tablespoon salt

1/2 teaspoon white or black pepper

6 cups hot milk (I used about 4 cups)

1/2 cup butter (I used 2 tablespoons butter)

dill for serving

Pour chicken stock into a large pot and bring to a boil.  Add celery, carrots and onion to the pot.

Whisk flour, salt, pepper and milk together in a bowl; add to the pot along with butter.

Simmer until thickened, about 30 minutes. 

Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to puree the vegetables into the soup.

Serve and sprinkle a little dill on top.

stuffed mini peppers

 

A friend shared this recipe and it is SO good!  It's quite possibly my very favorite way to eat mini sweet peppers.

stuffed mini peppers (adapted from fifteenspatulas, suggested to me by my friend Tiffany)

1 pound mini sweet peppers

8 ounces light cream cheese

1/2 cup grated parmesan

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped (1/3 cup measured)

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

De-stem peppers then cut each in half. 

In a large bowl, stir to combine the cream cheese, parmesan, garlic, jalapeno and black pepper.

Fill the cut peppers with small spoonfuls of filling.

Roast the peppers for about 20-25 minutes, until the peppers are soft and the cheese is golden on the edges.

roasted zucchini with herbs and feta

 

I had a big zucchini to use that I got in a big box of produce from a co-op I just joined so looked for a recipe and this looked so good...and it was!!  Excellent recipe.

roasted zucchini with herbs and feta (love & lemons)

1 pound zucchini, about 3 medium, cut into 1-inch half-moons (my zucchini was big so I quartered it)

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 teaspoon italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

freshly ground black pepper

lemon wedges, for squeezing

crumbled feta cheese or parmesan cheese, grated

fresh herbs for serving

Preheat oven to 435 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.  In a large bowl, toss the zucchini with the olive oil, italian seasoning, salt, garlic powder, and several grinds of black pepper.  Spread it evenly on the prepared baking sheet and roast for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown around the edges.

Remove from the oven, transfer to a serving dish, and squeeze with lemon.  Sprinkle with cheese and herbs, if desired.

grilled lemon herb mediterranean chicken

 

Delicious!  I marinaded the chicken in half the marinade/dressing then drizzled a little bit over the chicken and it was delicious!!  Wonderful chicken for a bowl or salad.

grilled lemon herb mediterranean chicken (cafedelites.com)

marinade/dressing:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons fresh parsley

2 teaspoons dried basil

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon salt

cracked pepper to taste

1-2 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs

for a bowl:  rice, avocado, red onion, tzatziki sauce, hummus, pickled peppers, etc.

for a salad: romaine lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, avocado, kalamata olives, feta

Whisk together all of the marinade/dressing ingredients in a bowl.  Pour our half of the marinade into a large shallow dish.  Refrigerate the remaining dressing to use later.

Add the chicken to the marinade in the shallow dish.  Marinade for 15-30 minutes or up to 2 hours.

Once chicken is ready, grill on both sides until browned and completely cooked through.

Allow chicken to rest for 5 minutes.  Drizzle with remaining drizzle.

street cart grilled chicken

Excellent chicken!  It was a part of a recipe for street cart salad but honestly the chicken was the very best part.  I wasn't crazy about the dressing part of the recipe but definitely want to make the chicken again and again.  It would be great in a salad with your favorite dressing or in naan with hummus and tzatziki sauce and veggies.  I made pickled onions as part of our meal and those are great with this chicken in a salad or in naan.

street cart grilled chicken (adapted from skinnytaste)

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, fat trimmed

juice of 1/2 lemon

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon oregano

3/4 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

Season the chicken with lemon juice, garlic, cumin, oil, salt and spices.  Set aside at least 15 minutes or as long as over night.

Grill to perfection and enjoy!