Spicy Oven Fried Chicken

​Crunchy spicy goodness without the oily unhealthiness!  Dark meat brined in Guyanese pepper sauce and half & half, then coated in a seasoned flour - panko mixture that smells so divine, you almost don't want to wait for it to full cook! Almost. 

Time: 1 hour (plus time for the meat to brine)  

Ingredients:  

• 4-6 pieces of chicken meat, skin on, bone in (I used thighs & drumsticks)  
• 1 cup half & half (regular milk will do) 
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce (I used my uncle's homemade pepper sauce)  
• 1 cup all purpose flour  
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs  
• 1 tablespoon Italian season  
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder  
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic  
• Salt & pepper to taste  
• PAM spray

Recipe:  

1. Place the chicken in a freezer bag along with the half & half and the pepper sauce. Throw in a little salt if desired. Let brine for about 4-5 hours in the fridge. 
2. Mix the dry ingredients together in a pie plate or deep dish (for easy dipping).  Add salt & pepper at this time too. 
3. Place a wire rack on a cookie sheet & spray with PAM so the chicken doesn't stick.  
4. Preheat the oven to 400F.  
5. Take each piece of chicken out one by one & dip it in the flour mixture, coating all sides. Place the chicken on the wire rack skin side DOWN. 
6. Spray the floured chicken pieces with PAM, then place in the oven to bake for 30 minutes. 
7. After 30 minutes, use tongs to flip the chicken over so the skin side is up. Bake for an additional 20 minutes. This allows the chicken to crisp on both sides, but most importantly the skin will be super crispy! 
8. I broiled mine for 1 minute after the 20 minutes was up, just because I like it super crunchy. You can just take it out after 20 minutes since the meat will be fully cooked. 
9. Sprinkle with cayenne pepper if you dare! And enjoy :) 

Enjoy with my garlic smashed potatoes & homemade pickled mangoes!!  

Baked Spicy Dry Rub Wings

Juicy, crispy, spicy & EASY! These wings will be a hit at any party or as an appetizer for dinner... or have them as a light snack. The best part? They're baked, not fried! 

Time: 1.5 hours total

Ingredients:  

• 1 pack Purdue wingettes
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika 
• 1 tablespoon black pepper  
• 1 tablespoon onion powder  
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin powder 
• 1 tablespoon chili powder  
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme  
• 1 tablespoon ancho chili (finely chopped)  

Recipe:  

1. Bring 3 cups of water to boil in a large pot. 
2. Add garlic powder & onion powder - stir & add wings. 
3. Boil for about 15 - 20 mins, not completely cooked through.  
4. Preheat the oven to 375.  
5. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Then, put a wire rack on top of it. Spray the wire rack with cooking spray. 
6. Strain the chicken wings & use tongs to place them evenly on the wire rack.  
7. Bake on 375 for 40-45 mins or until golden brown, cooked through. 
8. Use a small bowl to mix all of the remaining spices together.  
9. Take the wings out of the oven & dip each of them in the spice rub one by one. You want to roll them around so they're coated evenly. 
10. Serve alone or with your favorite dip! 

Healthier Birthday Cake Bites

This is a variation of my raw cookie dough bites - but with some chocolate syrup and sprinkles!  Surprise your favorite birthday girl or boy with these delicious homemade Birthday Cake Bites!

Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond butter
• 1/4 cup rice flour
• 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
• 3 tablespoons agave nectar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup vegan dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup coconut oil + additional 1/4 cup vegan chocolate chips (for the chocolate syrup)
• Sprinkles

Recipe:

1. In a food processor, combine almond butter, rice flour, oats, honey, agave nectar, cinnamon & nutmeg
2. Remove from food processor and fold in semi-sweet chocolate chips
3. Form cookie dough balls
4. Mix coconut oil with additional chocolate chips and melt (using a double boiler or microwave on low heat for 20 seconds)
5. Drizzle the balls with the chocolate syrup mixture, add sprinkles & enjoy!

Serving suggestions:

1. Store in a refrigerator or freezer
2. Add lollipop sticks to create cake pops

Baked Cassava Fries

This recipe originated from me craving fish n chips!  I ended up having no potatoes to make fries, and I was on a "healthy" kick - in comes Baked Cassava Fries with Baked Flounder!

It's amazingly satisfying and very easy to create. 

Time: ~45 mins + time for water to boil

Ingredients:

• 1 cassava

• 1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

• Salt & pepper to taste

Recipe:

1. Peel & cut cassava 
2. Boil until tender (~ 15 mins)
3. Spread cassava on cookie sheet
4. Drizzle with olive oil, salt & pepper 
5. Bake on 425 for 20 mins
6. Enjoy!

Serving suggestion: 

I made this with a Baked Flounder Fillet:

Time: 20 - 25 mins

Ingredients:

• Flounder fillet
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Salt/Pepper
• Fresh dill (optional)

Recipe:

1. Sprinkle flounder fillet pieces with lemon juice
2. Drizzle the top with olive oil
3. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper
4. Bake on 350 for about 15 mins (or until golden brown)
5. Optional: garnish with some fresh dill!