Ninja Foodi Homemade Chicken Nuggets

Ingredients:

Chicken Mixture

1 lb ground chicken

3+ Tblsp. flour

1 slice white break

1/4 cup buttermilk

1 egg, whisked

1/2 tsp salt

Egg Wash

1 egg

4 Tblsp. milk

Coating

1 cup fine bread crumbs (not Panko)

1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

Avocado oil spray

Preparation:
1. Preheat Ninja Foodi to 350 degrees on Air Crisp setting. Insert the air crisp trivet/plate into the Foodi.

2. In a medium bowl, soak slice of bread in buttermilk for 5 minutes.

3. Using a fork, mash the soaked bread (and any remaining buttermilk) to make almost a paste.

4. To the bread, add the ground chicken, whisked egg and salt. Mix together well with the fork.

5. Sprinkle in some of the flour, a little at a time, until the chicken mix still looks wet, but can be scooped and hold its shape. You may not need all of the flour - keep the rest to add later, if the mixture gets too wet again.

6. In a second medium bowl, whisk the egg for the Egg Wash.

7. Add the milk to the egg, and whisk until fully incorporated.

8. In a third medium bowl, mix half of the bread crumbs for the Coating, along with 1/2 of the flour and half of the salt. Reserve the remaining half.

9. Line a large baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.

10. Set the bowls and baking sheet along the counter in this order: Chicken Mixture, Egg Wash, Coating, baking sheet. Put a spoon in the Coating bowl.

11. Scoop a rounded tablespoon of the chicken mixture, shape it lightly with your left hand, then dip it in the Egg Wash.

12. Remove the ball of chicken from the Egg Wash (with your left hand) and drop it gently into the Coating.

13. Using your right hand and the spoon, coat the ball of chicken with the bread crumb and flour mixture, then remove it and place it on the baking sheet.

14. Continue until all of the Chicken Mixture has been made into balls -- it should make about 20. If, during the process, the Chicken Mixture gets too wet, add more of the flour to get it back to a scoopable texture. About halfway through (or if/when your Coating starts to get clumpy, if that happens before), whisk in the remaining bread crumbs, flour and salt into the Coating bowl.

15. Gently press down on each ball to flatten it into a nugget. Nuggets should be about 1/3" thick after flattening.

16. Lightly spray 7-8 of the nuggets (or however many will fit in one layer in your Foodi) with the avocado oil spray on one side.

17. Gently place the sprayed nuggets, sprayed side down, into the Foodi.

18. Spray the other side of the nuggets lightly with the avocado oil spray once they have been placed on the Foodi trivet.

19. Close the lid, and cook for 3 minutes.

20. Open the Foodi, flip the nuggets, close, and cook for 3 more minutes.

21. Open the Foodi again, and lightly spray the top of the nuggets with one more coat of avocado oil spray. Close and cook for 3 more minutes.

22. Using a meat thermometer, after 9 minutes total of cooking, double check to make sure the internal temperature of the nuggets is greater than 165 degrees (it will likely be considerably higher).

23. Remove the nuggets, and let them sit for at least 2 minutes before serving.

24. Repeat cooking process with remaining nuggets.

NOTE: These can be made and frozen. If freezing, stop after step 15. Place entire tray (parchment paper with nuggets on top) into freezer. Freeze for at least 4 hours, then remove from tray and put into a freezer-safe plastic bag. They can be cooked from frozen in the Foodi. After 9 total minutes of cooking, assess if they need to cook a bit longer, based on the internal temperature.

Ninja Foodi Fiesta Lime Chicken

Ingredients: 

1 cup chicken broth
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (frozen or thawed)
1 cup uncooked white rice 
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup picante sauce or salsa
1 tsp Cajun seasoning
1 tsp Tajin
1 Tblsp. taco seasoning
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/8 tsp dried dill weed
1/8 tsp cumin
1 fresh lime, cut into wedges
 
Preparation:
1. Pour the broth into the Ninja Foodi. 

2. Add chicken to the pot in an even layer.

3. Cover the pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealed.

4. Set the pressure cook button to 12 minutes for thawed chicken or 15 minutes for frozen chicken.

5. When the time is up, let the pot sit for another 5 minutes, then vent.

6. Remove the chicken from the pot and place on a cutting board.

7. The rice can be cooked on the stovetop or in the Foodi. If using the Foodi to make the rice, measure the remaining broth in the pot, then add enough water to total 1 ½ cup of liquid. Place the rice in the Foodi, and set the pressure cook button to 2 minutes. When the time is up, let the pot sit for 10 minutes, then vent and remove the rice from the Foodi pot. Rinse the pot.

8. Shred or cut up the chicken.

9. Put the chicken back into the Foodi pot, and set pot to “Keep Warm.”

10. Stir together the mayonnaise, sour cream, picante and all seasonings.

11. Stir the sauce into the chicken.

12. Serve chicken over rice, in buns, or as lettuce wraps. Squeeze lime over each serving.

Buffalo Chicken Pasta

Ingredients:

2 lb. chicken breast, diced
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 Tblsp. oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 Tblsp. minced garlic
1 oz. tomato paste
1 ¾ cup chicken stock
7 oz. cream cheese
2 Tblsp. unsalted butter
¼ cup buffalo sauce
12 oz. penne pasta
¼ cup reserved pasta water
¼ cup grated cheddar cheese
¼ cup grated mozzarella
Drizzle of ranch dressing
Drizzle of buffalo sauce
 
Preparation:
1. Boil pasta, reserving ¼ cup of pasta water when done.
 
2. While pasta is cooking, toss chicken in garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper.
 
3. Cook chicken in olive oil in skillet until a little over halfway done.
 
4. Add onion and garlic to skillet and continue cooking until onion is almost clear.
 
5. Add tomato paste and chicken stock, then bring to a bubble/low boil.
 
6. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
 
7. Add cream cheese, butter and buffalo sauce. Stir until creamy.
 
8. Add pasta and pasta water, and mix thoroughly.
 
9. Mix in grated cheese.
 
10. Top with drizzles of ranch and buffalo sauce, as desired.

Steph's Lebanese Dip

Ingredients:
1 large container hummus
½ cup finely chopped cucumbers
½ cup finely chopped tomatoes
 
Lebanese Spice Mix: 
3/4 Tblsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp allspice
¼ tsp marjarom
1/8 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
 
Meat mixture:
2 Tblsp ghee        
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 lb lean ground chuck
1 onion, chopped fine
2 Tblsp Lebanese Spice Mix
 
Tzatziki:
2 cups sour cream (can use 3 cups Greek yogurt or sour cream strained in cheesecloth overnight, for a thicker, creamier spread)
1/2 cucumber, grated or processed in a food processor
2 tablespoons dillweed (or to taste)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Juice of 1 lemon 
Salt, to taste
 
Preparation:
1. Mix all ingredients for Lebanese Spice Mix and set aside to cool.
 
2. Make meat mixture by putting ghee in skillet and heat.
 
3. Add meat filling ingredients of ground chuck, onion, pine nuts and spices.
 
4. Chop meat up while cooking, until it is crumbly. Cook until meat is done, then test to make sure there is enough salt in meat. Add salt if needed. Drain meat, then set aside to cool. 
 
5. Make tzatziki by grating or processing the cucumber. 
 
6. Put cucumber on a paper towel, sprinkle with salt, and let it sit for 10 minutes to remove some of the moisture. You can wring it out and blot it to get it as "dry" as possible.
 
7. Mix all remaining tzatziki ingredients together with a whisk.
 
8. Spread hummus in bottom of casserole dish.
 
9. Spread cooled meat over hummus.
 
10. Top meat with tzatziki, spreading carefully to avoid mixing meat into tzatziki.
 
11. Sprinkle tzatziki layer with cucumbers and tomatoes.
 
12. Serve with pita chips, bagel crisps or another sturdy chip.

 

Baked Feta Pasta

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
4 Tblsp. Italian herb seasoning (NOT spaghetti seasoning), divided
½ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
4 Tblsp. butter
16 ounces cavatappi pasta or pasta of choice
2 pints cherry tomatoes
8-oz. block of feta cheese
1 Tblsp. salt, divided
½ tsp black or red pepper
2 garlic cloves minced
¼ cup packed chopped fresh basil, if desired
½ cup shredded parmesan cheese, if desired for topping
 
Preparation:
1. Mix yogurt and 2 Tblsp. Italian herb seasoning and ¼ Tblsp. salt.
 
2. Put chicken pieces into yogurt mixture, then place in fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
 
3. Once chicken is finished marinating, heat 2 Tblsp. olive oil and 2 Tblsp. butter in large skillet.
 
4. Add half of the chicken pieces, and cook until browned on all sides and cooked throughout.
 
5. Remove cooked chicken from skillet, and keep warm.
 
6. Repeat with remaining chicken.
 
7. While chicken is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to boil, then cook pasta until al dente stage.
 
8. Also while chicken is cooking, heat oven to 400 degrees.
 
9. Mix 4 Tblsp. olive oil with 2 Tblsp. Italian herb seasoning, ¾ Tblsp. salt and pepper.
 
10. Dip feta block in olive oil mixture on both sides, then place in the middle of a 9x13” baking dish.
 
11. Mix tomatoes and garlic in olive oil mixture, then pout over feta. Add more olive oil and seasonings, if needed.
 
12. Bake feta and tomatoes, covered, in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, then remove foil and cook for 10 minutes longer, or until the tomatoes burst and the feta cheese melts.
 
13. When the pasta is al dente, drain, reserving ½ cup of the cooking liquid.
 
14. When feta and tomatoes are done, add fresh basil and toss to combine.
 
15. Gently fold feta, tomatoes and basil, chicken and pasta together in a large bowl. If more “sauce” is needed, add cooking liquid slowly, until desired sauce level is reached.
 
16. Top with parmesean before serving, if desired.
 
 

Seven-Layer Dip

Ingredients:
1 ¼ cups salsa
16 oz. canned refried beans 
2 Tblsp. milk
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
½ cup sour cream
2 Tblsp. taco seasoning
1 cup guacamole, prepared
1 ½ cups cheddar cheese
½ cup black olives 
½ cup tomatoes
Green onions, for garnish
 
Preparation:
1. Place salsa in a sieve to drain any liquid, to keep your dip from getting runny. Set aside.

2. Combine refried beans and milk until smooth. 

3. Spread beans in the bottom of a 9x13 pan.

4. Combine cream cheese, sour cream and taco seasoning with a mixer on medium speed. 

5. Spread cream cheese mixture over refried beans and gently spread.

6. Spoon guacamole over cream cheese and gently spread. 

7. Spread drained salsa over guacamole mixture.

8. Top salsa with cheese.

9. Add olives and tomatoes on top, along with green onions, if desired.

10. Chill one hour before serving. 

Shrimp Scampi

Ingredients:
2 Tblsp. olive oil
4 Tblsp. butter
1 ½ Tblsp. minced garlic
1 lb. large shrimp, shelled, with tails on or off
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
½ cup dry white wine or chicken broth
½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste (optional)
Juice of 2 lemons, or ¼ cup bottled lemon juice
3 Tblsp. dried parsley (can use fresh, if desired)
8 oz. angel hair pasta
(Optional) Fresh parmesan cheese can be used as a topping before serving. 
 
 
Preparation:
1. Cook angel hair pasta, then drain, reserving 1 to 2 cups of the pasta water.
 
2. Heat olive oil and 2 Tblsp. of butter in a large pan or skillet. 
 
3. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds to one minute. 
 
4. Add the shrimp, season with salt and pepper to taste, and sauté for 1-2 minutes on one side (until just beginning to turn pink), then flip. 
 
5. Pour in wine (or broth) and add red pepper flakes (if using).
 
6. Bring to a simmer for 1-2 minutes, or until wine reduces by about half and the shrimp is cooked through (don't overcook the shrimp, or it will get tough).
 
7. Stir in the remaining butter, lemon juice and parsley, and remove from heat immediately.
 
8. Put the pasta in the skillet and toss with the sauce and shrimp, adding a splash of reserved pasta water if it needs to be thinned.
 
9. Top with grated parmesan cheese, if desired.