Happy Valentine’s Day!  Hopefully everyone had a fun weekend regardless of where you are in this world of ours.  We had a fun family weekend, including a spur of the moment trip to Halifax ( which means I get to go to Costco ), a trip to the pool for swimming lessons and of course a family outing to the grocery store.  So Mrs. Zesty and I are really caught up in the show Dexter.  Do you ever watch it?  It is very interesting, demented and overall disturbing however we keep watching the next episode on the dvd box sets.  We completed season oine Saturday night and rented season 2 last night.

On Saturday, I made a large batch of spicy chicken legs, cheese quesadillas and a large serving of sweet potato fries to relax on the couch and watch Dexter.  Sounds good right?  Well I must say the food was yummy but guess what?  You cannot relax when you watch Dexter.  It is too intense – I find myself propped up at full attention and usually in an ackward position for the entire 53 plus minutes of the episode.  I need to know if you watch Dexter and feel the same way as us.

For the chicken, I wanted something full of flavor with a little heat.  To do that, I combined a few tablespoons of Basil Pesto, and some homemade sweet chili sauce.  The results were very “WOW”.  We easily ate 4 chicken legs each and the only thing left were the bones.

Ingredients

• 10 Chicken Legs
• 3 Tbsp. Basil Pesto
• 1 Tsp. Hoisin Sauce
• 1/3 Cup Sweet Chili sauce
• 1 Tbsp. Mustard
• 2 Garlic cloves ( crushed)
• Black Pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
2. In a large roaster, place the chicken legs in pan after ensuring they are patted dry.
3. In a bowl, add remaining ingredients and mix together.
4. Pour over chicken rubbing it in gently with a spoon.
5. Cover pan and roast for 2 hours.
6. In the last 30 minutes, remove the cover and let the legs get crusty and brown.
7. Top with a slash of lime and a bit of ZEST.
8. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Normally I baste the chicken through out the process to add extra flavor but in this case the pesto has a high oil content so I avoided basting in this particular case.  I counted on the crust of the chicken to provide all the flavor.

Back to back spicy dishes in the winter really make me smile.  Not overly hot but the hint of heat help warm your insides.  The Spicy Pasta Shrimp from last week would go very well with some of this left over chicken as well.  Substituting chicken and shrimp is something I do all the time depending on what I have on hand.  I hope you have a great Valentine’s Day and I will definitely see you on Wednesday.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

Wow this week has flown by so fast.  Ever feel like there is not enough hours in the day to accomplish everything you need to do? I am definitely in that mode as of late. There are so many things I want to do with ZestyCook.com and so many ideas to share with you but my regular work/career keeps getting in the way. Oh but it’s OK, I will survive! It’s all about balance…right?

On the topic of balance, this recipe is a great example of utilizing the super flavors within food.  Inside this sauce you have sweet, sour, spicy and salty.  I really love this sauce and cannot get enough it.  When you take a bite you can feel the explosion of flavor.

The recipe for these legs could not get any easier… check it out below.

Ingredients

• 4-6 Full Chicken Legs
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 Tsp. Chili Powder
• 1/2 Cup Sweet Chili Sauce (I used bottled)
• 1 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
• 3 Cloves of Garlic ( Chopped)
• 1/2 Cup Hoisin Sauce
• 1 Tbsp. Spice Blend
• 2 Tbsp. Vinegar
• 1/4 Cup Water

Method

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (I opted for the low and slow method as I was in no rush and love when the meat falls off the bone).



2. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and place legs on Sheet Pan.



3. Top with salt, pepper and chili powder and place in the oven.



4. In a sauce pan combine remaining ingredients and cook over low heat (about 15-20 Minutes).









5. After 35 minutes in the oven  – turn the chicken and continue cooking until golden brown.



6. Transfer chicken to a large bowl and toss each piece with sauce.



7. Serve with your favorite side dish.
8. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: While cooking glazes and sauces especially ones with sugar in them, be careful about over heating.  I like to keep a low heat and if you notice that the sauce is becoming to thick just simple add a splash of water to thin it out.

So there you have it – a simple recipe for sweet and savory legs.  In my mind this is a really great flavor that will make you happy time and time again.

Have a great Thursday!

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty