Saturday, March 7, 2015

As Promised: THE Chicken Wing Recipe


As promised, here's a look at the chicken wing recipe I did for my Project Date Night for March.  If you recall, we did a Hunger Games Mockingjay theme date and I called these "Mockingjay Wings". 

They were super tasty so I just had to share.  I can't get enough of the zingy glaze.  In fact, if you like your wings really saucy, feel free to double up on the glaze and serve the extra on the side for dipping and/or slathering. Your choice.

In the interest of full disclosure, Curtis Stone came up with the original orange/rosemary/Dijon combination in a chicken skewer recipe he did for The Biggest Loser, so I feel I need to credit him as my inspiration.  Although I used very similar ingredients and quantities, I took my chicken recipe a completely different (possibly simpler) direction.


If you're looking for a version of wings to serve at a party or as an appetizer but want something different than the usual buffalo wings or deep fried wings, give these a try.  The flavor is AMAZING. Most of the bazillion wing recipes I researched included some form of gluten/dairy/soy/refined sugar, but trust me - you won't miss those ingredients at all! The glaze is like a flavor party in your mouth.

Serious-ness.

Sweet + Spicy Rosemary Chicken Wings
by Raye
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Keywords: bake roast appetizer dairy-free egg-free gaps gluten-free nut-free peanut-free refined sugar free soy-free lemon orange ginger

Ingredients (8-12 wings)
  • Juice of 2 oranges
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 Tbsp grainy Dijon mustard
  • 1 Tbsp honey
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger (or 1 tsp dried ginger)
  • salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  • about 3 lb chicken wings (8-12 wings)
Instructions
  • Preheat oven to 400*F.
  • If desired, cut the wings in half at the joint. Rub with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Arrange wings on a rimmed cookie sheet in a single layer (I used a broiler pan). Bake for about 30 minutes or until wings are crisp and golden brown. (Juices should run clear when pierced with a fork.)
  • While wings are baking, combine orange juice, lemon juice, mustard, honey and garlic powder in a small saucepan. Grind dried rosemary in a spice grinder (or with a mortar and pestle) and add to saucepan.
  • Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to low heat and simmer until mixture has thickened to form a glaze. Remove from heat.
  • Remove wings from oven and brush with glaze. Serve immediately.
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Project Date Night: March

Here's a look at our Project Date Night for the month of March.  If you're wondering what in the world I'm talking about, check out my original Project Date Night post here.

Any other Hunger Games fans out there?  If you know me, you know that I am a huge Suzanne Collins fan. I "blame" my buddy C.E. for getting me hooked - she first loaned me the books 2 years ago and I've been a fan of both the Hunger Games books and movies ever since.

Since we're cheap thrifty and already went to see the Hobbit in theaters, we decided to wait until Mockingjay Part 1 was released on DVD and do a theme date at home... Netflix is our friend, guys. Oh yeah... that's how we roll. :). Watch the trailer here!


There are SO many ideas for Hunger Games parties, gifts, crafts, etc. online.  Most of them are for the Hunger Games (the first book/movie) and Catching Fire (the sequel). Not as much for Mockingjay (the 3rd installment).

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Project Date Night: February

As promised, here's a look at our February date night.  You can read all about my Project Date Night commitment here.

Happy Belated Valentine's Day! Yes, I just made up a holiday for all you folks out there like me who are a little behind.  We're in the middle of moving to a new apartment right now (In fact, we picked up the keys on Valentine's Day and moved our first load of stuff over to the new place.  How romantic.  Am I right?) so we didn't want to do a big date night out.  We're too old tired for that!  And I'm just now getting around to posting about the date night. It's all good, I keep telling myself.

Love this guy!

I found a great idea on the Dating Divas site for a "Cuddle Kit".  Relaxing on the couch after a busy day sounded good, so that's what we did.

I printed out this card from Dating Divas' Loveseat Lounge date idea and "reserved" our seats on the couch. Then, I left the Cuddle Kit on the coffee table so M could get comfy while I got dinner out.  I decided to do a tapas inspired menu, just a collection of small plates we could share.

This is some of the food and what's left of the Cuddle Kit.

Here's the menu!
  • Mediterranean Stuffed Tomatoes (didn't have a recipe for this as all the ones I saw used eggs, cheese or breadcrumbs... all no-no's for me. I stuffed some small camparisi tomatoes with canned wild salmon, Dijon, herbs and a little olive oil. Then I broiled them for a few minutes. They were pretty good, although the filling was pretty soft.  Next time I may add a little gf flour as a binder)
  • Pinchitos Morunos (marinated pork on a stick)
  • Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus
  • Mixed Greens Salad with a zesty Citrus Vinaigrette (I used a bagged salad mix for convenience, but prepped this dressing recipe ahead of time)
  • Coconut Honey Candy
  • Cherry Berry Fizz (Valentine's Day just begs for something pink! This was just cherry juice and blended frozen strawberries mixed with sparkling water... think agua fresca.)

On to the entertainment! While enjoying our tapas, we played a game called the "First Word Game" and then watched a bunch of funny YouTube clips. (Click here for the playlist) Disclaimer:  not everyone finds the same things humorous, but we laughed our heads off. Keep in mind, I would consider this playlist rated PG as there are a few instances of language in a few of the videos.

Overall, a fun and low key date night in.  Hard to believe this was our 5th Valentine's Day together!
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