Siracha Honey Hot Wings

We like food that makes us lick our fingers. Right?  Most of us love a good hot wing. Whether savory, fiery or sweet n spicy, they are always delicious. I am a big fan of Siracha hot sauce and use it as a condiment and an ingredient I use to flavor many of my favorite dishes like my infamous sweet n spicy shrimp tacos.

 Siracha adds that perfect balance of sweet and heat for hot wings and they are flavorful without being over powering. These delectable wings were  improvised in my kitchen like most of my recipes, so you can tweak the ratio of ingredients to your liking.  I often add other ingredients to increase the dimension of flavor to this sauce and it is a great blueprint to add your own personal touches.

 I have many flavor combinations that start off with this simple base of honey and Siracha. You can roast your wings in the over at high eat or throw them on the grill to add a nice smoky flavor.

Start with fresh chicken wings that you have thoroughly rinsed clean.

Get all of your seasonings ready

Add a generous squeeze of fresh lime, and season with garlic powder and Himalayan sea salt 

 

 

The finished product is fingerlickin good, so go ahead..I won't tell anyone and if you lick the plate, It'll be our little secret:-)

Ingredients

 

1 lime

Himalayan sea salt

garlic powder

1/3 cup Siracha

1/3 cup honey

1-2 teaspoons soy sauce

 

Directions:  Squeeze lime juice all over the wings and then sprinkle with sea salt and garlic powder. Let your wings marinate for about 30 minutes to an hour.

 

Combine the Siracha, honey and soy sauce

Oil your grilling rack and then light your grill and let it preheat for 5 minutes. Grill wings 20-30 minutes until skin is crispy and slightly charred. Brush wings with sauce and return to grill for a couple of minutes. Remove wings and brush with more sauce.

 

 Bon Appetit!

 

 

 

The best Mexican restaurant style salsa!

 There is something about great salsa and chips. Have you ever had  salsa that was so good the server had to refill your salsa bowl a few times before your food arrived? I was really stunned at how deceptively simple it is to make a great salsa at home. This recipe was given to me by a restaurant I used to frequent in my old neighborhood.  The great thing about this recipe is that you probably already have most of the ingredients in your pantry or refrigerator. This can be prepared and in your mouth in less than 15 minutes, unless you have to run to the store and get the ingredients:-)

This also makes a great topping for seafood, chicken, or your eggs in the morning. This is the perfect condiment and this recipe makes a large amount, so it is great for parties or putting in cute little mason jars and giving to your friends.

This is bright and fragrant and full of flavor. Try not to drink it.. It is that good.

Ingredients

28-ounce can whole tomatoes (peeled) with juice
2 10-ounce cans Rotel (diced tomatoes with green chilies)
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 jalapeño, quartered and sliced thin
1 cup cilantro
Juice from ½ a fresh lime
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender. Pulse until you get desired consistency and make sure you don't pulse too much or you will get liquid, especially if you are using a blender. Refrigerate for at least one hour, and then serve with your favorite tortilla chips.

Now is the perfect time to whip up a batch of margaritas to enjoy with your chips and salsa. Bon Appetit!

Chicken Salad Cucumber Cups

 Sometimes it is hard to eat a clean diet when you want something delicious and satisfying and you don't want rabbit food. These delicious chicken salad cucumber cups satisfy that desire for something crunchy and is perfect for a low carb diet,or those times when you want to fill satisfied without being overstuffed.  The dill adds a nice depth of flavor and the pickle relish adds a hint of sweetness.

These cucumber cups also make great appetizers and are a perfect party food. If you are not watching your carbs, the chicken salad is delicious on squaw bread and makes a great sandwich!

 Start with fresh cucumber. Wash and cut the cucumber into 1 1/2 to 2 inch rounds. Use a spoon to hollow out some of the cucumber without touching the bottom. Fill the small hollowed out space with chicken salad and top with more chicken salad.

Ingredients

1 Rotisserie Chicken Shredded or chopped in small pieces

2 Celery Stalks finely chopped

2 green onions chopped

1 tablespoon minced dillweed

1/4to 1/2 cup sweet pickle relish (depending on your taste)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup unsweetened plain yogurt

1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar 

Salt and pepper to taste

1-2 cucumbers washed and cut into hollowed out rounds

Set the chicken aside and chop the celery, green onions, relish and dillweed and add to the chicken. Add the relish, mayonnaise, yogurt and vinegar to a medium bowl and mix. Taste to make sure the mixture has enough seasoning and then combine with chicken mixture and mix thoroughly. Chill the chicken salad for a couple of hours.

Fill each cucumber round with the chicken salad mixture and serve.

Loaded Potato Springrolls

I am a potato lover and I can never get enough of them.  When I go to a steakhouse I love to get a loaded baked potato overflowing with sour cream and chives. Can you imagine that in a spring roll? These potato spring rolls capture the great flavor of a baked potato with all the fixings and the addition of the spring roll wrapper turns them into a fun appetizer. These spring rolls make an amazing side with steak or your choice of meat, or if you are vegetarian, just add a nice green salad.

This is a very versatile recipe and a great blueprint for you to add other delicious ingredients. You can bake these or you can deep fry them and I guarantee that they are delicious both ways. What makes them really pop with flavor is a simple dipping sauce with sour cream and a hint of horseradish. If you like a little more spice, add a bit of wasabi powder or more cayenne.

 Start with a pound of  potatoes peeled and cut into large chunks

After they are fork tender mash and add the seasonings (complete instructions are  at end of post)

Add 1 1/2 tablespoons potato to each spring roll wrapper

rolling the spring rolls is easy once you get started

And what you end up with is these tasty little morsels

Ingredients

1 Pound Potatoes peeled into large chunks

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup chopped chives

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 package spring roll or egg roll wrappers

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon cider vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 

1/4 teaspoon red pepper

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish

1/2 cup chopped green onion

Directions:

Place potatoes in saucepan or pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes until fork tender. Drain water and mash with a fork or potato masher. Add heavy cream and mix until smooth. Add butter, salt, chopped chives and cheddar cheese. 

Add 1 1/2 tablespoons potato to each spring roll wrapper. Use water to seal spring rolls after they have been wrapped.

Baking Instructions

Preheat oven to 400. Generously spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Spray the spring rolls with cooking spray and bake for 20-25 minutes. turn over halfway through cooking.

Frying Instructions

In a frying pan, add enough oil to cover the bottom 3-4 inches of the pan. Heat oil to 350 degrees. Cook in small batches for 1-2 minutes per side,or until light golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

When the spring rolls are done. Garnish them by sprinkling the chopped green onion over them.

For Sour Cream Horseradish Dipping Sauce

In a small bowl combine sour cream, vinegar, mustard, pepper and horseradish

Try these the next time you have steak. Seriously. Together they are perfection. Not a meat eater? No problem. These are good with just about anything. Just get them in your mouth...

Bon Appetit!

Teriyaki Chicken Sliders

 Sliders are all the rage these days and rightfully so. They are small and pack a lot of punch. These are perfect appetizers or a great meal when served with delicious sides and a nice icy drink:-) These are great when entertaining too. Just put on a nice platter and pass around to your guests. These Teriyaki sliders have a hint of sweetness and if you cook them on the grill, a hint of smokiness.

I have tried these sliders with lettuce and tomato, and I have experimented by putting a cabbage slaw on them.  They are absolutely delicious either way. I really love sliders and who can resist something so tiny and cute? 

Ingredients 

4 medium chicken breasts 

1 bottle Teriyaki marinade

1 Tablespoon honey

1 Tablespoon red pepper flakes

fresh pineapple chunks or rings

Cherry tomatoes

1/4 cup canola oil

Green leaf lettuce washed and dryed

Red Onion

Kings Hawaiian Dinner Rolls

Pound chicken breasts until 1/2 inch thick. Cut Chicken breasts in half. Combine Teriyaki sauce, honey and red pepper flakes. Reserve 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup. Place the rest of the mixture in a bowl or resealable bag. Marinate chicken for at least 2 hours.

Preheat grill to 350 degrees. Remove the chicken from the bag and discard marinade. Brush grill with oil and place the chicken directly on grill and cook 5-8 minutes on each side or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165. Remove from grill and brush with reserved sauce.

To build your slider, simply add sliced red onion, leaf lettuce and tomato and garnish with pineapple.

 The sliders have a great flavor when cooked on the grill. That hint of smokiness and the sweet sauce are a great combo. It is delicious cooked in the oven too, but will not have that smoky element you can only get from cooking on an open flame on the grill.

Bon Appetit!

Sweet Spicy Sticky Fingerlickin Chicken Wings

Can I just say that I love a good chicken wing.  The hot variety that we love to eat with blue cheese dressing, carrots and celery sticks is always satisfying, but these sweet, spicy and sticky wings are the kind that make you lick your fingers and suck the bone. Yes, the sauce is that good. Pour it over rice for a nice meal and  serve with your favorite vegetables, or pile them up on a plate and get ready for some good lip smackin, fingerlickin plate kissin chicken wings. 

The recipe can be adjusted to fit the level of sweet and heat that you prefer.  Most of the time when I cook, I just add a pinch of this, a touch of that until I arrive at the flavor dimension I want, but to make it easy for you to follow, I have some approximate measurements that I know will give you a great result:-)

The sauce burns easily due to the sugar content, so keep a close eye on your wings. The longer these marinate in the sauce, the more flavorful they will be. I like to marinate them in the morning and cook in the evening.

This is one of the special ingredients that make these wings so scrumptious. Oh Honey...

 I promise this is as good as it looks. Just think, you could be eating this in a couple of hours.

Ingredients

3 Pounds Chicken Wings

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons Franks Hot Sauce or Tabasco sauce

2 tablespoons chile sauce

1 tablespoon ground ginger

2 cloves garlic minced

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Mix all ingredients together and pour over chicken. Cover and refrigerate marinating for at least one hour.

Preheat oven to 375. Arrange chicken wings in a single layer on a baking sheet and cook for at least 45-50 minutes. Baste wings a few times and turn wings once at half way point. Once Wings have cooked for 50 minutes.  Reduce heat to 225 and cook another 30 minutes. 

Bon Appetit!

The Best Guacamole!

Guacamole is one of my favorite appetizers. It is easy to make, delicious and a great snack or accompaniment to your favorite Mexican dishes.  This recipe is the perfect blend of smooth and creamy and just the right amount of spice. Try with your favorite tortilla chips and an icy margarita:-)

Ingredients 

3 Avocados peeled, pitted and mashed

1 lime juiced

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped green onion

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 Roma Tomatoes diced

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine the mashed avocados with lime juice and salt. Combine onion, cilantro, tomatoes, garlic and Cayenne pepper.  Refrigerate 1 hour and serve immediately.

Note: This tastes great with a couple of dashes of Tapatio hot sauce mixed in.

 

Bon Appetit!

 

Spicy Fingerlickin Hot Wings

Hot Wings are one of those foods that pack an incredible amount of flavor and hear in a small bite. They are as American as apple pie, but have rock star status all over the world. No football game or gathering of friends and family is complete without a plate of hot wings. These are the perfect appetizer or make a great meal when paired with a great Cole Slaw or veggies to balance the heat of the hot wings. 

These wings have a layer of dry seasoning and are deep fried and topped off with a hot flavorful sauce. Blue Cheese or Ranch Dressing and the traditional carrots and celery are great accompaniments, but you can also let your imagination run wild and pair with many other fresh raw vegetables. You can also make this healthier buy baking instead of frying.

Ingredients

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon garlic herb seasoning
10 chicken wings
oil for deep frying
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup Franks hot sauce
1 dash ground black pepper
1 dash garlic powder

Directions 

 In a small bowl mix together the flour, paprika, cayenne pepper and, garlic seasoning and salt. Place chicken wings in a large nonporous glass dish or bowl and sprinkle flour mixture over them until they are evenly coated. Cover dish or bowl and refrigerate for 60 to 90 minutes.

Heat oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). The oil should be just enough to cover wings entirely, an inch or so deep. Combine the butter, hot sauce, pepper and garlic powder in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir together and heat until butter is melted and mixture is well blended. Remove from heat and reserve for serving. 

Fry coated wings in hot oil for 10 to 15 minutes, or until parts of wings begin to turn brown. Remove from heat, place wings in serving bowl and pour sauce over wings.

Have a delicious day!

Crab Cakes with Remoulade Sauce

Crab Cakes are so delicious and one of my favorite appetizers when I go out to dinner. They are a great appetizer or make a great meal on their own. I love to have a traditional cajun remoulade sauce with my Crab Cakes, but these are also heavenly with mango salsa.  You can enjoy these a s alight snack, serve with sweet potato fries or a refreshing salad. 

    Crab Cake Ingredients

1 lb lump crab bmeat, picked through and any bits of shell removed (try not to break up the lumps of crab meat as you pick through it)

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter (divided, 1 Tbsp and 3 Tbsp)

1/2 cup chopped shallots

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon of sweet paprika

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon old bay seasoning

¼ cup chopped green onion

1 teaspoon lemon zest

I tablespoon lemon  juice

1/4 teaspoon Tabasco

2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 ½ cup bread crumbs

Directions: 

Heat one tablespoon of butter in a small skillet over medium high heat. Add the shallots and a half teaspoon of salt. Cook until the shallots are translucent, a couple minutes. Do not brown. Let the shallots cool.

 Whisk together the eggs, Worcestershire sauce, remaining half teaspoon of salt, paprika, freshly ground black pepper,  lemon zest, Tabasco, parsley, and the cooked shallots. Gently fold in the crabmeat and approximately 1/2 cup bread crumbs (use more if needed). The mixture will be very wet. Using your  hands, take a scoop of the crab mixture and gently form it into a patty form about 2 1/4 inches across and 3/4 inches thick.

 Continue until you've made 12 crab cake patties. Line a rimmed tray with a piece of wax paper just large enough to hold the cakes and sprinkle the bottom of the tray with 1/2 of the remaining breadcrumbs. Set the crab cakes in one layer on the top of the layer of bread crumbs and sprinkle them with the remaining bread crumbs. Cover the crab cakes loosely with another sheet of wax paper and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

Heat Peanut oil in frying pan working in batches, place the crab cakes in the pan (do not crowd the pan), and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side.

Remoulade Sauce

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
4 tablespoons Creole mustard or grainy mustard
1/4 yellow onion, grated
1 celery stick finely chopped
1 rounded tablespoon prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco
1 teaspoon paprika 
A handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped 

Delicious!

 Bon Appetit!