Gluten-Free Oven-Fried Frito Chicken Fingers

So. In the weeks since Will was diagnosed as wheat- and dairy-intolerant I’ve been learning as much as I can about what this means. I’m pretty cautious by nature, but when I read or hear story after story about people’s lives improving by eliminating gluten it’s hard not to sit up and pay attention. Will has many of the symptoms typical for wheat-intolerance sufferers, so I’m watching him like a hawk for improvements. I won’t go into details about his symptoms here, but if you have any questions please feel free to contact me and we can talk.

Will has been a trooper. He’s accepted this new part of his life with grace and patience. I’m transitioning the entire family to gluten-free because it’s “all for one, one for all.” Plus I have a feeling the rest of us will benefit from being (mostly) gluten-free, too. I often feel sleepy after eating bread. In fact, I slept for three days once after eating an entire loaf of homemade whole wheat cheddar bread. In one day. Maybe that was just a normal reaction to gluttony, but one wonders.

One of the reasons the transition is going so well is that I discovered a wonderful book called Cooking for Isaiah by Silvana Nardone. I had actually read a magazine article a while back that featured the book. I thought the food looked amazing—doughnuts and waffles and other goodies—but didn’t pay much attention because I didn’t think I had to. Needless to say, I bought a copy the day after Will’s visit to the doctor. Honestly, we’d eat nearly everything Silvana presents anyway, so the fact that it’s gluten- (and dairy-) free is just a happy coincidence.

If something seems “off” to you, whether it’s mood swings or eczema or brain fog, it might be worth finding out if food allergies are involved. As Hippocrates, the father of medical science, said, “Let food be your medicine.” There’s a little boy in a classroom I’ve been helping out in this week who is always acting out and seems really angry. I can’t help but wonder if food allergies or intolerances might be involved. They might not be, but it sure seems worth looking into for the little guy’s sake.

Anyway, I’m sharing this recipe from Cooking for Isaiah because it’s kid- (and Tim-friendly) and very easy to make.

Oven-Fried Frito Chicken Fingers with Honey-Mustard Dip

Ingredients:
Extra-virgin olive oil, for greasing
6 cups corn chips, such as Fritos, coarsely crushed (or tortilla chips)
Salt and pepper
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1-1/2 pounds (750 g) chicken tenders
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet with olive oil. In a shallow bowl, combine the corn chips, 1-1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. In another shallow bowl, beat the eggs. Coat a chicken tender with the corn chip mixture, dip into the eggs, then coat again with the corn chip mixture; place on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Bake until golden and cooked throughout, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, honey, and lemon juice; season with about 1/4 teaspoon salt. Serve with the chicken fingers.