Chicken, Chicken, Chicken, Wings!

For Christmas I got a subscription to Food Network Magazine.  I also got Anne Burrell's How to Cook Like a Rockstar.  And I am having a blast.  I haven't cooked anything from Anne yet (she is hands down my favorite chef on the Food Network Channel), but I am looking forward to making something this weekend.

Like the movie Julie & Julia, I'd like to cook every recipe in her book just to see if I can.  She also gives great tips and tricks on techniques that I'm looking forward to reading.

So far here are some of the recipes I've made.

Roast Chicken with Apricot Stuffing

Roast Chicken with Apricot Stuffing with Roasted Carrots and Peas and mashed potatoes (my own).  I didn't make gravy with it, but I feel like I could have with all the delicious drippings in the bottom of my roaster pan.  If I made it again, I would.  I also was unable to find fresh marjoram, but used dry.  Since I'm not sure what the difference was, I didn't notice any, and it was fantastic.  The stuffing is something I might try at thanksgiving.  I really liked the sweetness the apricots added to it.  It also had no butter in it and yet was so moist and delicious.  The peas and carrots had a more spicy, savory spice mixture on them and went really well with the sweetness of the chicken.  And the spice rub I put under the skin... holy moley, that was good.

My chicken also came out a bit browner than the picture, but I blame my oven that can't seem to find a temperature to settle on, and I'm certain the temperature in the oven does not match the one I've set on the dial.

Chicken Wings:

This month in the magazine are 50 different kinds of chicken wings to make for your superbowl party.  Last weekend, in order to enjoy our 49ers victory properly, I made Chinese Barbecue Wings and Blackened Wings for a nice sweet/spicy duo.

Chinese Barbecue Wings:

Chinese Barbecue Wings

Spread 3 pounds chicken wings (split at the joints, tips removed) on 2 oiled rimmed baking sheets and roast at 425 degrees until very crisp, about 45 minutes.
Heat 1/2 cup minced scallions (I put mine in the food processor) , 1/3 cup hoisin sauce, 2 tablespoons each butter, honey and grated ginger, and 3/4 teaspoon sesame oil.  Toss with the wings.

I brought my sauce mixture to a boil just to make sure it was all combined.  These wings were out of this world.  Some of the best wings I've ever had.  I like this sauce recipe for regular old chicken, and just throw it on some rice.  Two thumbs up, 4 stars, all that jazz.

Blackened Wings:
These wings are grilled and they get a nice char on them which really enhances the blackened flavor.

Grilled Blackened Wings

Toss 3 pounds chicken wings (split at the joints, tips removed) with 1 1/2 teaspoons each Cajun seasoning (I used World Market's Cajun seasoning mix that I got for Christmas from my MIL, Debbie.  Had a really nice heat to it), paprika, cayenne, dried oregano and thyme, kosher salt and pepper.
Grill over medium heat, turning, until cooked through 15 to 20 minutes.  I let them cook about 8-10 minutes on each side and moved them around my uneven cooking grill according to how cooked they got in the first part.

The great part about these wings is that they are really nice and spicy without making you need to chug down your beer to put the fire out.

Cola-Glazed Wings:
Since my 49ers are playing Atlanta in Atlanta, I thought it only appropriate to make Cola-Glazed wings for the birthplace of Coca-Cola.  These wings are also grilled, so you can use the same directions for grilling a the Blackened Wings.

Boil 1 can cola, 1 cup ketchup, 1/2 cup cider vinegar and 2 tablespoons pureed chipotles in adobo sauce until reduced to 1 cup.  Toss the wings in vegetable oil and grill, brushing with the cola sauce in the last 5 minutes.

I'll let you know how that goes.
And accompanying our Cola wings will be Roasted wings with Taco Mac sauce, another Atlanta original.  I can only hope the 49ers destroy Atlanta as I will be destroying these wings.

They've also got a great collection of recipes for easy, quick dinners under 500 calories.  We've tried one so far, but I'd like to get a few more reviews in before I write them up for you.


I highly recommend making some wings for your super bowl party, and since there are 50 in this little book, I'm happy to share any of the following recipes that sound interesting:

Fried Wings: Classic Buffalo Buffalo Supreme Five-Alarm Jalepeno-Cheddar Spicy Moroccan Vietnamese Buttermilk-Battered Cajun Buttermilk Chili-Ranch Old Bay Italian Breaded Chicken Parmesan Ancho-Peach Beer-Battered Soy-Honey Sesame-Pecan Falafel Chipotle Kimch Curry-Chutney Basic Boneless

Roasted Wings: Steakhouse Rosemary-Lemon Horseradish-Crusted Maple-Bacon Sweet Mango Barbecue Teriyaki-Orange Honey Mustard-Pretzel Ginger-Scallion Thai Chili Taco-Spiced Bacon-Taco Mole Jamaican Lemon-Garlic Aioli Pesto Pizza Fra Diavolo Garlic-Chorizo Popcorn

Grilled Wings: Hawaiian Carolina-Style Tequila-Lime Thai Peanut Tandoori