Ginger Chicken Wings

I got this chicken wing recipe from my friend, and fellow blogger, Rochelle! She toted them as the best wings she's ever had so I begged for the recipe. I'm so glad that I did because our family gobbled them right up! 

Note: I found that a couple added steps made the recipe a lot more conducive for summer cooking. First, I doubled the glaze and used to not only coat the chicken but also to drizzle a bed of iceberg lettuce and carrot slivers. Second, I covered a baking sheet completely in tin foil and cooked the wings outside on my BBQ grill. I don't know about you but the last thing I wanted to do was run my oven for an hour at 400 degrees! They turned out great and my house stayed cool. Total win-win!

 

INGREDIENTS: (Halved from what the original recipe called for)

2.5 pounds chicken wings, cut into 2 sections each, wing tip discarded 

salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste 

1 tbsp hot sauce 

1/2 tbsp vegetable oil 

3/4 cup all-purpose flour 

non-stick canola oil spray

For the glaze: (half these ingredients if you don't want extra for the dressing)

3 crushed garlic cloves 

3 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger 

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, optional 

1/2 cup rice vinegar 

1/2 cup packed brown sugar 

2 tsp soy sauce

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. or set grill to med-high.

Place the chicken wings in a large mixing bowl, and season generously with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Add hot sauce and vegetable oil, and toss with tongs to coat evenly. Add the flour to a large plastic bag, add the wings and shake thoroughly. The chicken wings should be very lightly dusted with flour.

Cover a half-sheet pans with foil, and spray well with the canola oil. Distribute the chicken wings evenly on the pans, and spray the wings with the canola oil to coat. Bake  for 30 minutes, turn the chicken wings over, and bake for another 30 minutes, until browned and crusty OR place baking sheet on grill, checking wings regularly to make sure they don't burn! Grill until juices run clear.

While the chicken wings are baking, add the glaze ingredients to a saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn off and reserve. When the chicken wings are done, transfer into a clean bowl while still hot, and pour over the glaze. Toss until all the chicken wings are coated well, and transfer onto a serving platter or onto a bed of greens. .

Strawberry Chicken Salad

I am a huge fan when it comes to serving something grilled over a bed of greens. Don't believe me? Check out here, here, or here! Told ya! Really, though, I think it's one of the easiest things to do for dinner. Not to mention, there's minimal mess, it's healthy, and it doesn't heat up the kitchen on already warm days. This salad is no exception! It's a simple combination of ingredients so make sure they are all fresh! We like to pair it with a slice of french bread and a glass of Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc.

INGREDIENTS:
Chicken breasts (pounded out to uniform thickness, salted and peppered)
Spring mix
Strawberries (sliced)
Crumbled feta cheese
Sliced almonds
Raspberry Vinaigrette (We like Annie's Naturals)

DIRECTIONS:

Pound out chicken breasts between two pieces of wax paper until uniform thickness is achieved. Salt and pepper and then grill until cooked through. Allow chicken to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. While chicken is resting assemble spring mix, sliced strawberries, cheese and almonds. Top with sliced chicken and dressing.

Waldorf Chicken Salad

Dinner just doesn't get any easier than this...

INGREDIENTS:
Grilled chicken breasts
Mixed salad greens
Sliced granny smith apples
Grapes
Celery
Gorgonzola cheese
Candied walnuts
Balsamic Vinaigrette or Blue Cheese dressing

DIRECTIONS:

Salt and pepper chicken breasts and grill until juices run clear. Assemble greens, sliced apples, grapes, celery and walnuts on plate. Top with grilled chicken and cheese. Serve with a balsamic vinaigrette or blue cheese dressing.

Summer Tomato Salad

If your plants are in full bloom (like ours are), and you've found yourself with an ABUNDANCE of tomatoes these last few weeks (like we have) I suggest you try this recipe. Simple to prepare and extremely tasty, it will use up those extra tomatoes in no time!

*Note: This recipe can also be diced and made into a fresh bruschetta. Serve atop grilled, sliced bread and enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:
8 to 10 small tomatoes, a variety of colors if possible
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup diced sweet onion or purple onion
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil, or 1 teaspoon dried leaf basil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Cut cores from the tomatoes; slice each tomato into 8 to 10 wedges. Combine with remaining ingredients in a large bowl; toss to blend well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve on salad greens, if desired.

Serves 6 to 8.

Raspberry-Balsamic Chicken Salad

One of my favorite summer recipes is this Raspberry-Balsamic Chicken Salad. Oddly, I came across it in a Weight Watchers cookbook a few years ago and it has stuck in our dinner line-up ever since! Although it is a bit on the "light" side, I've found that once paired with corn on the cob or fresh french bread, it can tide over even the heartiest of appetites. Well, except for my father-in-law, who had to make a run to Wendy's a couple hours after I had made it for him. You can't win em' all though!

INGREDIENTS:
1 tsp. vegetable oil or olive oil
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 1/2 tsp. minced fresh thyme
1/2 tsp. salt, divided
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2/3 cup raspberry preserves
4 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. black pepper
Fresh baby spinach or spring mix
Slivered almonds, optional

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; saute 5 minutes. Combine thyme and 1/4 teaspoon salt; sprinkle over chicken. Add chicken to pan; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Reduce heat to medium. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, preserves, vinegar, and pepper, stirring constantly until preserves melt. Place chicken breasts atop bed of greens. Spoon raspberry sauce over chicken, sprinkle with almonds and serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.

Grandma Joycie's ALMOST Avocado Grapefruit Salad

For years, Jeremy's Grandma Joyce has been making an avocado grapefruit salad. While I, and half the hemisphere, love her cooking, I have to admit that some of her beloved recipes have seemed a little too strange to me to try. This salad was definitely one of them. I'm not sure if it was the thought of the grapefruit and avocado combo that scared me away or the sweetened mayo dressing. I like to lean more towards the dressing. Mayonnaise. Yuck. However, this week I spent some time cruising the Internet trying to find a recipe for our LPO grapefruits when I came across another avocado and grapefruit salad recipe. By chance, we also had avocados is this box so I decided to give it a try. The results were fabulous!

Trust me, I know it sounds like a strange combination, but if you've ever managed to eat a salad with vinaigrette and some kind of fruit inside of it, this salad is right up your ally. It's fast, easy and it beats the same old tossed salad any night! Oh, and Court? It's gluten free. You're welcome :)

In case you need a little help figuring out how to slice your grapefruit-click here! Getting all the bitter pith off is key!

INGREDIENTS:
1 grapefruit, cut into supremes over a bowl
1 ripe avocado, cubed or sliced
1/4 red onion, sliced paper thin
1/4 c. best quality extra virgin olive oil
1/2 t. kosher salt
1 t. prepared Dijon mustard (like Grey Poupon)
black salt and black pepper for finishing

DIRECTIONS:

Squeeze the leftover bits of grapefruit and the juice gathered while cutting the supremes, and measure 1/4 c. of it. Drink the rest, cook's treat. Mix the 1/4 c. of juice with the olive oil, kosher salt, and mustard in a jar and shake intensively to emulsify. Taste and add a little good vinegar if it needs more acidity. Leave it under seasoned so you can finish with the black salt. Arrange the grapefruit, avocado, and onions on a plate, either individually or on a platter. Just before serving, drizzle on the salad and sprinkle with the black salt and black pepper.