Honey Mustard Chicken, Bacon + Avocado Salad

I can’t believe I’ve reached the last few weeks of summer and posted only posted TWO recipes to this blog. Bad food blogger, bad!

Perhaps I should give myself a bit of lee-way; it’s been a busy and at times difficult summer. Between a stressful job, a house full of much-loved guests, and a spouse with multiple broken bones from a sports injury, there hasn’t been much time to sit down and breathe, let alone focus on blogging (or much of anything else). Only after quitting my job, bidding fond farewell to our wonderful guests, and putting my hubs on the road to recovery has life finally slowed down to an easier pace. Halle-freaking-lujah!

Of course, I’m one of those people that – despite wanting a break for months – has to fill their first waking moment of free time with activity. In this case, I was only 10 minutes into relaxing on the couch with some Investigation Discovery (it’saddictiveAF) before deciding to have a casual peek at my recipe collection. Casual peek quickly transformed into detailed research, which then morphed into a cooking and baking agenda for the next four months (and a shopping list as long as a novel). And so went my rest time; I was on my way to the market before the murder had even been solved. It was nice knowing you, R & R!

All credit for this beautiful salad recipe goes to Cafe Delites, one of my favorite blogs of all time. The garlicky honey mustard dressing is the BOMB.COM – I’m not a mustard fan by any means, yet I devoured this salad in under 5 minutes! It also makes an unbelievably delicious marinade for the chicken – my husband already requested that I make this again soon. It’s a definite keeper – enjoy!

 

HONEY MUSTARD CHICKEN, BACON + AVOCADO SALAD

Yields: 4 servings

For the marinade/dressing:

• ⅓ cup clear honey
• 3 tbsp whole grain mustard
• 2 tbsp smooth + mild Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp finely minced garlic
• Salt, to season
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

For the salad:

• ¼ cup diced bacon, trimmed of rind and fat
• 4 cups Romaine lettuce leaves, washed
• 1 cup sliced grape or cherry tomatoes
• 1 large avocado, pitted and sliced
• ¼ cup corn kernels

 

1. Whisk marinade / dressing ingredients (through salt) together to combine. Pour half into a shallow dish, submerge chicken and marinade for  1 1/2 to 2 hours. Refrigerate the reserved marinade to use as a dressing.
2. Heat one teaspoon of olive oil in a nonstick pan (or grill pan or skillet) over medium high heat. Once very hot, add chicken and cook, undisturbed, for 3-5 minutes, or until nicely browned on one side. Turn chicken over, cover, and reduce heat to medium. Cook for approximately 5 more minutes (depending on thickness of chicken), or until chicken is cooked through. Remove to a cutting board and let rest at least 5 minutes before slicing.  (Grill in batches to prevent excess water being released. Dispose of used marinade.)
3. Wipe pan over with paper towel; drizzle with another teaspoon of oil and fry the bacon until crispy.
4. Slice chicken into strips and prepare salad with leaves, tomatoes, avocado slices, corn and chicken.
5. Whisk 2 tablespoons of water into the remaining dressing and drizzle over the salad. Sprinkle the bacon over the top and season with salt and freshly cracked pepper, if desired.

Baked Ginger Honey Chicken Wings

Super Bowl weekend is finally upon us, which can only mean one thing – GAME DAY SNACKS!!! Oh, and football. And I guess some people really dig the commercials … and the half-time show … and the endless supply of cheap American beer. But seriously, it’s not about that. Any of that. IT’S ALL ABOUT THE FOOD.

Well, it is in our house anyway. While my husband and I are pretty ambivalent about who wins and who loses, we’re definitely excited about stuffing ourselves silly from opening kick-off to final whistle with these yummy homemade chicken wings. Bathed in a palate-pleasing mixture of soy sauce, honey, ginger and (lots and lots of) garlic, these baked wings can be thrown together by even the most novice chef in less than 30 minutes – with no frying or messy clean-up!

Enjoy in moderation!

*** Looking for something a little spicier? Try my recipe for Spicy Honey Hot Wings! ***

 

BAKED GINGER HONEY CHICKEN WINGS

Yields | 6 to 8 servings

Inspiration | Simply Recipes

• Canola or olive oil
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 3 tbsp clear honey
• 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled + finely minced
• 3 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced
• 1/8 tsp Sriracha (or other hot sauce)
• 3 lbs raw chicken wings (or drumettes)
• 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced on the diagonal

 

1. Preheat oven to 425° Fahrenheit (215° Celsius) with baking rack on the upper third of the oven. Line a roasting pan or thick baking sheet with foil. Rub some canola or olive oil over the foil to keep the wings from sticking.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together soy sauce, honey, ginger, garlic and Sriracha hot sauce. Add wings and toss to coat thoroughly. Arrange skin-side down on prepared roasting pan or baking sheet, taking care not to crowd the wings.
3. Roast in oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and – using tongs – flip wings over so they are skin-side up. Return to oven and bake for 10 additional minutes, until nicely browned. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Spicy Honey Hot Wings

Happy Saturday, baking gods and goddesses!

It’s a big party weekend for lots of Americans, including many friends and family excited to see our home team – the Seattle Seahawks – in Super Bowl XLIX. Truth be told, I can’t summon any excitement for professional American football or the Seahawks, and will be avoiding TVs and social media like the plague. What I DO love, however, is awesome game day snacks, and these hot wings are the undisputed champion!

This recipe comes courtesy of Emeril Lagasse’s Food Network show Emeril Live. I’ve made them twice now, and will never order restaurant wings (or grab a bag from the freezer section – *shudder*) ever again. They’re a really lovely balance of sweet and spicy, and are – despite the somewhat lengthy list of ingredients – really easy to make. Enjoy, and be safe out and about tomorrow!

SPICY HONEY HOT WINGS

Makes: 24 wings or drumettes

• 24 chicken wings or drumettes
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons garlic powder
• 3 tablespoons Essence Creole Seasoning (recipe below)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 1 cup hot pepper sauce
• 1/2 cup honey
• 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• Blue cheese or ranch dressing, to serve (optional)

Essence Creole Seasoning (also known as Bayou Blast)

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

To make Essence Creole Seasoning:

1. Combine all ingredients thoroughly. Set aside.

To make hot wings:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or non-stick aluminum foil. Spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. To prepare chicken wings, cut off wing tips at the joint and discard the tips or reserve for another use. In a large bowl, combine flour, garlic powder, Essence, salt, and white pepper. Dredge the wings in the flour mixture, shaking off the excess. Transfer to a plate.
3. In a large, deep-sided pot, heat several inches of vegetable oil to 350 degrees F. When the oil is heated, dredge the wings a second time, again shaking off the excess.
4. Deep-fry the wings until crispy and golden brown, approximately 10 to 12 minutes. (I typically have to do this step in 2 to 4 batches)
5. While wings are frying, mix the hot sauce, honey, and brown sugar in a large bowl until mixture is smooth. Remove the wings from the oil, pat dry and then dip in the hot sauce mixture to coat. Lay the wings on the baking sheet. Bake coated wings until the sauce is dry, approximately 12 minutes. Serve hot with blue cheese or ranch dressing, if desired.