Since my diagnosis of Eosinophilic Esophagitis I’ve had to go on some pretty strict elimination diets, with varying degrees of success. Despite my gastroenterologist and immunologist believing my allergies are at least partially environmental, my immunologist told me to go back on the Top 8 to try and eliminate my symptoms (difficulty swallowing, food impactions, stomach pain, poor appetite, nausea).
The Top 8 allergens diet is very strict, removing dairy, wheat, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, fish and shellfish. I’m anaphalactically allergic to seafood, so that’s not a big deal. Originally I also had to avoid meat and corn as well, so this is actually easier this time around. But it does mean a lot more planning. There is no grabbing a quick sandwich. Everything takes prep.
I function better on a higher protein diet, as opposed to a high carb diet. So I need to keep protein snacks in the fridge. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, and I overdosed on protein balls a few years ago. So I keep lots of fruit and cooked chicken in the fridge.
I found this recipe online, it was supposed to be a KFC chicken spice recipe. The original recipe was a little different, and it contained a MSG based flavour enhancer, which obviously I don’t want, so this isn’t the same. You’re supposed to mix the spice mixture with flour and coat the chicken, but that isn’t Top 8 allergen friendly, so I just use the mix straight up, and more sparingly. And it doesn’t taste at all like KFC. It does, however, taste good, so I make up a big batch of the spice mix and keep it in my spice cupboard.
And I make up a batch of chicken every few days, usually in little nugget sized chunks, until I can’t stand the flavour anymore.
It’s a quick, simple snack. Here’s the recipe.
| Servings |
- 500 gram chicken thighs You can use breasts, but I prefer thighs.
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp chili powder I like more chili so I usually add a teaspoon
- 1 tsp ground sage
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried margoram
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tblsp paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Ingredients Chicken
Spice Mix
| |
- Measure out all of the spices, onto a plate or into a container.
- Mix them together thoroughly.
- Chop the chicken into strips or nuggets or whatever you like. Add a tablespoon of the spice mixture and coat the chicken thoroughly.
- Grill or cook in the oven, at 200 degrees C for 20 minutes.
- Serve! And put the leftovers in the chicken, to be eaten cold as a snack. Put the leftover spice mix in an airtight container and keep in the pantry.
