Nuts and Wings....My Way

Crispy Oven Fried Chicken Wings

Last Sunday (Super Bowl Sunday) I was busy prepping wings and nuts for snackers for the big game.  I decided that we needed some nuts to chow on, but I didn't want the normal run of the mill nuts. The canned ones are too salty for my liking. Hmm what to do...I had raw cashews, pecans, walnuts and pumpkin seeds.  An idea struck...off to the computer I went and pulled up the page I was looking for, went back to the kitchen, with spoons and spices flying, I went to work creating a concoction that was so yummy I just wanted to eat it all. 

The other item I did was crispy oven fried chicken wings that were so good that Dave asked where the next batch was.  It came out wonderful and crispy. Next time I will do a little different marinade.

Nuts My Way Gluten-Free

1 cast iron skillet
1 Cup Raw Cashews
1 Cup Raw Pecans
1 Cup Raw Walnuts
1 Cup Raw Pumpkin Seeds
1 Tbsp Coconut oil
4 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp low Lawry's Low Sodium Season Salt
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp cayenne powder (optional)

Put all the nuts in a dry cast iron skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly so the nuts don't burn.  Once nuts are lightly toasted add the next 6 ingredients in order, stirring after each addition. Stir constantly until all the ingredients are mixed together. Turn out onto a pizza pan, to cool. Put in air tight container.  Enjoy

Garlic Grater

Crispy Oven-fried Chicken Wings Gluten-Free

22 chicken wings thawed

Marinade

Juice of one lime
5 garlic cloves, grated
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp Lawry's Low Sodium Season Salt
1/2 tsp onion powder
sea salt + pepper to taste

In a large pot of boiling water add wings and let cook for 8-10 minutes. Remove, drain and let cool.

In a bowl add the ingredients for the marinade, mix well and pour into a Ziploc Bag. Turn the bag several times to make sure that all the chicken is coated.  Put in refrigerator and let marinade for 2 hours turning bag every 30 minutes to coat chicken.

Heat oven to 450 degrees. 

Take a baking rack that fits a half sheet pan and spray with Coconut spray or Pam.  I put parchment paper under the rack to catch the drips so clean-up is easy. Lay chicken on rack and put in oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes turn chicken and bake for another 10 minutes. 

Chicken on baking rack

Remove from oven and place on platter and serve with your favorite dipping sauce.  I had Frank's hot sauce with mine.              Soooo Gooood!

The trick to getting crispy oven-fried chicken is boiling it first. And what a trick it is.  You would never guess that it wasn't fried. 

What is your favorite Chicken Wing recipe?  I would love to know.

Peace, Love and Happy Eating!

Mmmmmm Salad Dressing to....

Salad, it's what for dinner, but you have to have dressing!

The other night I reached for my favorite bottled salad dressing to see how much sugar was in it, 4 grams of Sugar!  Maybe to you that does not sound like much but to a diabetic that means a lot. That means for every serving, 2 Tablespoons a serving of dressing, there is 1 teaspoon of sugar.  On top of that, 1/2 teaspoon of sugar will put the immune system to sleep for up to 4 hours.  So just that one serving of sugar would put your immune system to sleep for 8 hours. YIKES! Think, if we consume up to 10 teaspoons of sugar a day or more that equates to seeing the Doctor a lot over the course of a year(1). How many grams of sugar in a single coke can?

It becomes a rude awakening when you begin reading nutrition labels and start jotting down how much sugar is in a serving of food.  Try it for a day and you will be amazed to see how much sugar you are consuming without realizing it. 

But I digress...I decided that I needed to start making my own salad dressings instead, so I could control the amount of sugar I was ingesting. I have come up with several that I really like, but this dressing takes the cake, so to speak.  I call it... 

"Boy That's Damn Good Dressing"! Gluten-Free

Equipment:

Good Seasonings Shaker Bottle 

Markings indicate fill lines

Ingredients:

2 Tbs    Fresh Pesto

            Extra Virgin Olive Oil (The good stuff)

            White Wine Vinegar

            Balsamic Vinegar

1 scant Tbs Mrs Dash Garlic and Herb Seasoning
1 scant Tbs Greek Seasoning See recipe below
1/8 tsp Pink Sea Salt or regular sea salt. 

            Filtered Water

            Pepper

Homemade Gluten-Free Greek Seasoning

2 tsp Himalayan Pink Salt

1 tsp basil

2 tsp dried oregano

½ tsp thyme

1 ½ tsp onion powder

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dill

1 tsp marjoram

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp dried parsley flakes

1 tsp rosemary

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground nutmeg

Grind in food grinder and store in tight closing container. Makes about 3/4 Cup.

Instructions:

In a clean Good Seasonings Shaker bottle pour in enough white wine vinegar to come half way up to the add vinegar line.

White Wine Vinegar

Pour enough Balsamic Vinegar to reach the top of the Vinegar line.

Balsamic Vinegar

Add filtered water to the top of the water line.  

Water

Mrs Dash, Greek Seasoning, Sea Salt and Pepper

Add about a Tablespoon each of the Mrs Dash Garlic and Herb Seasoning and Homemade Greek Seasoning. Add about an eighth of a teaspoon of the pink sea salt (found at your local health food store) add pepper, this depends on how much you like pepper.  I put a pinch in. 

Shake Well

Add Extra Virgin Olive Oil up to the oil line.

Shake again

Add 2 heaping Tbs. of fresh Pesto (purchased from your local market that makes it fresh)

Shake and let set for 20 minutes for flavors to meld.

The finished product, no additives, fillers,
 stabilizers or  preservatives.

Make it your own, add more of something or delete something.

The next time I might add just a touch of  juice from the Pepperoncini bottle. Wow! that would give it a nice kick! Or I might add some finely crumbled Fete Cheese YUM! The sky is the limit.

When you make this, leave a comment in the comment box below and let me know what you changed up.

Peace, Love and Happy Eating...

(1) Paul Chek, Holistic Life Coach http://chekinstitute.com/blog/
14 Day Sugar Detox by Paleovalley, Page 36  "Sugar Shuts down
Your Immune System"