Basil Chicken & Strawberry Blue Cheese Waffles Hors d’oeuvres {Gluten-Free}
By admin
Next week I am heading out of town once again! I am hosting my very first women’s fitness retreat in Lake Keowee, SC.
I couldn’t be more excited to hang out with amazing women for a weekend of hiking, paddleboarding/kayaking, food talk, girl time and of course relaxation.
I’m extremely lucky that I have several companies sponsoring the event, one being my favorite local vineyards, Victoria Valley Vineyards.
Located less than an hour from our amazing house for the weekend, Ashton and I are heading up a day early to pick up wine. Brittany (the manager) has been wonderful and requested that I share a few of the ideas of what I’ll be serving so she can pick out the perfect wines.
Well, okay then!
My mind has been going wild with ideas for summer inspired hor’dourves that will go perfectly with a cool, crisp glass of white wine.
As I was brainstorming, chicken and waffles kept coming to mind… a southern speciality. Like most southern foods, it’s not exactly known for being friendly to the waistline.
Once I settled on the main idea, summer flavors began popping into my brain. My favorite being basil and strawberries. God bless strawberry season, it’s the best!
To be honest, I think all of this clicked in my head at 2:30 am, it was like a “Ah ha!” moment during sleep. I’m weird, it’s cool.
But seriously, these are not only delicious, but look how pretty they are. Perfect to really wow friends at a pool-side party or during a BBQ to have a little something to munch on.
But of course, brunch is always a good idea too! ← For more of a “meal” simply keep the waffles whole and use ½ of a chicken breast instead of a “nugget”.
Basil Chicken And Strawberry Blue Cheese Waffles
Makes 10-12 Mini Chicken And Waffles
Basil Chicken
- 1 Chicken Breast
- 2 Tbsp Unsweetened Coconut
- 1 Cup Basil, Fresh
- 4 Tbsp Pepita Seeds
- Dash of Garlic Powder, Salt & Pepper
- 2 Tbsp Hemp Hearts*
- 2 Egg Whites
Strawberry Blue Cheese Waffles
- 1 Large Green Plantain
- 1 Egg + 1 Egg White
- ¼ Tsp Baking Soda
- 1 Scoop Vanilla Protein**
- ½ Cup Strawberries, Diced
- 1 Tbsp Blue Cheese
*If you don’t have hemp seeds, you can sub an extra 2 tbsp of pepita seeds or replace with oats.
**I used Gnarly Vanilla Slim, but any vanilla protein should work.
Basil Chicken
- Preheat oven to 350-degrees and line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut chicken breast into chunks, should make 10-12 pieces.
- In a food processor or small blender, blend together coconut, seeds, hemp, garlic, salt and pepper until flour like. Pour into a bowl. Place losely chopped basil into blender and pulse until chopped fine. Add to bowl and mix.
- In a separate bowl, place chicken and egg whites, stir together to coat chicken. Add chicken to bowl with basil mix and coat evenly.
- Place chicken on baking sheet and cook 10-15 minutes until cooked through and lightly browned.
While chicken cooks, this is the perfect opportunity for waffles…
Strawberry Blue Cheese Waffles
- Plug in waffle maker
- In a blender place eggs, plantain, protein, and baking soda. Blend until smooth.
- Pour into a bowl and fold in blue cheese and strawberries.
- Pour batter into waffle maker, close and cook until waffle maker is done. Use a fork or spatula to remove the waffle safely and in one piece!
- Repeat until all batter is used up.
Put It All Together
- Use a knife to cut each waffle into 4s. Place a piece of chicken on top, a piece of basil and a strawberry… use a toothpick to secure.
- Drizzle with honey, balsamic glaze or maple syrup. And serve!
And that’s it my friends. Seriously, this was very simply to throw together. And the waffles freeze for later use!
Oh, one last piece of advice…
Don’t use an egg slicer for strawberries.
I thought I came up with a genius method for slicing berries FAST…
Turns out it wasn’t so smart and now I have to buy a new egg slicer. #FAIL
Like this recipe?