When I made the transition to a gluten free lifestyle, one of the things I really missed was breaded chicken. (It reminds me of my grandma.) But, this recipe filled that void.

This is also the salad that made me believe that kale wasn’t the most disgusting leafy green on earth. 😆 I’m definitely not a kale fan (can you tell?), but I share this recipe with anyone who will listen. It actually comes from Liana Werner Gray’s 10 Minute Meals cookbook and has been shared with her permission. I don’t receive any kick-back for sharing this resource, but it literally saved my sanity last year. If you have very little time and cooking healthy meals sounds overwhelming, her book is a great place to start — especially if you are new to gluten or dairy free eating.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

For The Chicken:

• ¾ c coconut oil
• ½ c almond flour
• 1-2 tbsp turmeric powder
• 1-2 tsp salt
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
  

For The Salad:

• 1 bunch kale, center ribs and stems removed (reserve these for juicing or using for soup later)
• 1 avocado
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1.5 tbsp flaxseed or olive oil (flaxseed oil is great for clearing skin!)
• ¼ c nutritional yeast
• 5 tbsp sunflower seeds
• Salt to taste
  

Preparation:

1. Add oil to large pan on medium high heat.
2. Mix the almond flour, turmeric, and salt in a bowl or plate.
3. Wet chicken with water (I personally skip this step without issue) then dip them in almond flour mixture until well coated. 
4. Drop the tenders into the hot pan, and cook for 4 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. Set to cool while you assemble the salad.
5. Tear the kale leaves into small pieces, and place in a large bowl
6. Massage the avocado into kale with fingers, covering the kale with avocado
7. Add remaining ingredients to the bowl and stir, or continue to massage the mixture with your fingers until everything is well combined.
8. Top with almond crusted chicken tenders and enjoy!

How we’ve enjoyed this meal:

• Make the salad as listed above but add pumpkin seeds; serve as a side salad with your favorite protein.
• Almond crusted chicken, kale superfood salad, and pumpkin-carrot puree.
• Almond crusted chicken with sweet potato fries and kale chips.

These are a favorite in our house and the chicken tenders are kid-friendly too. I’d love to hear what you think of this dish, so drop a comment below!