Gluten-Free Chicken Schnitzel with Apple Fennel Slaw
I woke up this morning and wrapped myself in my coziest sweater, slipped on my fuzziest slippers and padded down the stairs to make myself a hot cup of coffee. I used to think it was a literary trick to feel sad on a rainy day, but it turns out that real life is more poetic than I realized. Rainy days and rainy moods. Some days just feel sad, and I’ve learned to welcome sadness just as much as I welcome joy. As Henry would say, “Some days you just need a good cry to feel better!”
I’m not writing this to get your pity. Contrary to that, I think that most people have sad days. Days where the world seems too broken to be fixed, when watching your kids grow up rips your heart out, where you feel the depth of your pain or worries a little closer to the surface than other days. I kind of think a sad day is necessary to circle back to a happy one. Wow, this may take the cake as the most depressing intro to a recipe there is! #sorrynotsorry If you are having a sad day today, I’m with ya. Tomorrow’s a new day, and thank God for that!
But I’m still trucking through today, and on this rainy day, I reach out for all the comforting things. Warm blankets, and hot coffee and cozy sweaters, and the God-given goodness of comfort food. It’s the perfect day for salty schnitzel with that garlicky sauce and crunchy slaw. If you’re having a rainy day where you are, you might want to make this for dinner. And save that cheery peach pasta salad for tomorrow. There’s definitely a meal for every mood!
(The recipe for Gluten-Free Chicken Schnitzel with Apple Fennel Slaw was created in collaboration with Grey Arrow Farm, and their summer produce subscriptions are just what the doctor ordered for seasonal eating in the Edmonton area! Definitely head over to their website for delicious recipes made with local ingredients and gorgeous images of their farm!)
Recipe
Gluten-Free Chicken Schnitzel with Apple Fennel Slaw
Ingredients
For the schnitzel:
1 1/5 cups almond flour
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup cooking oil
For the dip:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Juice from half a lemon
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
For the slaw:
4 cups shredded cabbage (any colour is fine!)
1 cup shredded carrot
1 large fennel bulb, fronds and base removed, shredded
Large handful of fresh dill, stalks cut off and roughly chopped
2 apples, washed, cored and thinly sliced
1/8 cup olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tbsp sugar
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Directions
Start by pounding down the chicken: Place chicken as flat as possible in a sealed freezer bag. Make sure there is no air left in the bag! Use a meat tenderizer or the wide base of a jar (we used a peanut butter jar!) and gently pound the chicken until it’s fairly even, about 1/2 inch in depth. Remove chicken from the bag and pat dry with paper towel.
In a shallow dish, mix together almond flour, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. In another shallow dish, add eggs.
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. When skillet is hot, add half of the oil to the pan. While the oil heats up, dip a chicken breast in the egg, coating it fully. Then carefully pat the egg-coated chicken in the almond flour mixture, flipping over and fully coating with the dry mixture. Repeat with each chicken breast.
When oil is shimmering in the pan, add as many chicken breasts to the skillet as you can while keeping them from touching (2 batches usually works well with a 10” skillet) Allow the chicken to cook for about 2 minutes, or until there is a nice golden crust on the bottom of the chicken. Lower the heat to medium low, and flip the chicken, keeping a careful eye on it to keep it from burning, about 6-8 minutes. Remove from the skillet when the chicken is golden on the bottom and cooked through. Wipe the pan well and re-oil between batches.
Whisk together the dip ingredients. Set aside.
Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper in the bottom of a large bowl. Add the slaw ingredients and toss well.
Allow chicken to rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with slaw and dip.
