Happy Monday!  I am going to keep this short and simple and let the chicken wing do the talking.  If you didn’t already know – I love chicken wings!  I try them everywhere I go to see if I can find the best chicken wing on earth.  I love making them at home with different flavor combination to see what makes the best wing.  When I was in Boston last year for the Healthy Living Summit I tried some wings at a restaurant called Wings Over.  These were the best restaurant wings I have ever had in my 33 years of existence.  Simply amazing and plump with great flavor.

For today’s wing I opted for a simple technique but one that never fails… especially in the summer.  I cooked the wings dry both in the oven and on the grill and then coated them in the sauce to finish them off.

The sauce is killer.  A combination of sweet Thai chili and hoisin sauce toned down with a little brown sugar if needed.

Ingredients

• Chicken Wings
• 1 1/2 Cups sweet thai chili sauce ( you can buy the sauce or make it yourself )
• 2 Tbsp. Hoisin sauce
• 1 Tbsp. Brown sugar
• Salt
• Pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Line cookie sheet with parchment and place chicken wings in a single layer on pan
3. Roast for about 45 minutes until they start getting brown – remove from heat and place in a large bowl
4. Using  a saucepan, add sweet thai chili, hoisin and place over a low heat.  Continue stirring and let it warm through.  Perform a quick test for heat and add sugar if you feel it is too spicy.
5. Preheat grill to medium and place the chicken wings on the top grate to avoiding burning
6. Cook until they become crispy and then remove and let rest for 2 minutes
7. Toss the sauce over the chicken wings and coat evenly.
8. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: When making the sauce, use only a low heat because all ingredients contain sugar and they will burn very easily.  Just bring it up to a light simmer and let it stay there while the wings are cooking.  You will be happy.

The work week is upon us and June is coming.  For all the folks in the US, Happy Memorial Day to you.  I hope everyone has a great day and I will see you in June.  Oh and these wings are crazy good.  You should try them, if you don’t like chicken wings – at least try the sauce.

Take care

zesty

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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

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It’s Friday again!  Thursday was somewhat of a different day where I was completely snowed in.  It has been snowing for about 30 hours with wind gusts of over 60 MPH.  Needless to say, it would be entertaining to show you the snow drifts in front of the house but I was not able to get out to do that.  Stay tuned for those pictures!

For our New Year’s Eve gathering I tried a new recipe for some pork ribs.  As you all know by now, ribs are one of my favorite things to eat.  I love them!  Although this recipe did take a long time to prepare, it was well worth the wait.  These were fall off the bone and the flavor was amazing.

Ingredients

• 2 Racks of Pork Ribs
• 1/3 Cup Molasses
• 1/2 Cup Hoisin Sauce
• 2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
• 2 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
• 1/8 Cup Water
• 1/8 Cup Apple Juice
• Cracked Black Pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 250 Degrees.



2. Prepare ribs by cleaning the silver skin on the back if visible
3. Season with Cracked Black Pepper



4. Place ribs in a roasting pan.
5. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix together.
6. Pour sauce over the ribs and cover.  Cook for 3 hours.



7. Remove lid, baste ribs and cook for 40 minutes without lid



8. Let sit for 15 minutes, cut ribs.





9. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: To ensure tender ribs regardless of the method of cooking, cook them slowly.  Ribs are very fibrous so you need the slow temperature cooking to break the meat down.  In addition, always check the back of the ribs for the silver skin.  If visible make a small cut in the skin and pull it off with your hand.

The flavor of these ribs were very rich and dynamic.  They were not too sweet despite all the sugar in the sauce.  By cooking them for the last 40 minutes with no lid – the crust formed on the outside paired with the juicy tender inside was a match made in heaven.

I hope you have a great Friday!  Any big plans for the weekend? It looks like I will be shoveling for a while.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty