Jalapeno Lime Chicken Wings

I made these for New Year's Eve, and they were a huge hit with my family - I mean HUGE! The will most definitely be on the Superbowl menu! I made them along with the Parmesan Garlic Wings and Pepper Poppers. I purchased 4 pounds of Tyson frozen wings in a bag from Walmart and thawed them before starting. They worked great.

4 pounds chicken wings
4 jalapeno peppers, deseeded and cut into chunks
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup soy sauce or coconut aminos (I used soy sauce)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
juice of 2 limes
1 cup fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a jelly roll pan wth foil and place a wire cooling rack into the pan.

Add all of the marinade ingredients to a food processor or blender. Process until smooth. If the marinade is a little thick, add a splash of water and reprocess.

Place the wings into a large dish or freezer bag. Pour the marinade over the wings and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.

Place wing on wire cooling rack in pan and place in oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and rotate. Increase temperature to 425 degrees and return to oven for 15 minutes.

Remove and enjoy!

Just FYI: I got about half of these wings onto the jelly roll pan. I cooked these on the top rack of the oven along with a pan of the Garlic Parmesan wings while a pan of Pepper Poppers cooked on the bottom rack. They were all done at the same time, so I moved them to a platter and got the rest of the wings cooking while we loaded up our plates!

Crispy Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings

Obviously, my life is insane once school starts. I still cook (some), but trying and tweaking new recipes just isn't a priority. Occassionally, it does happen, though I certainly don't have time to post them. We're at the end of our two week Christmas break, and I've tried a lot of new recipes. I guess it's time to get them on here!

This was one of the two types of wings we had for New Year's Eve. Crispy, tasty, and just to die for. I can't say which were better and neither could anyone else. These will definitely be made again and again and again. The Superbowl is just around the corner, and I can guarantee you these will be on the menu.

I bought a 4 pound bag of Tyson raw frozen wings and thawed them to make these. They worked great!

4 pounds drummets
1 package Hidden Valley Ranch Mix
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup Kraft Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a jelly roll pan with foil, and place a wire cooling rack into the pan.

Place drummets in a large bowl. Sprinkle spices and Parmesan on top. Using a large spootula or your hands, mix until all drummets are well coated.  Place drummets on wire rack. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and turn drummets over. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees and bake for another 15 minutes.

Remove and enjoy!!

Just a side note: I couldn't get all of the wings on one pan. I have a fairly large oven so I cooked one pan of these and a pan of the Jalapeno Lime Chicken Wings on the top rack, while I cooked a pan of Pepper Poppers on the bottom rack. They were all cooked to perfection and done at the same time! I placed the wings onto serving platters, put the last of them onto the pans and stuck the in the oven while we started loading up our plates!

Roasted Summer Squash

I love all the fresh vegetables summer offers, and squash is one of my favorites. This recipe calls for yellow squash and zucchini, but you could easily make it all one or the other. I've also sprinkled them with cajun seasoning. The spicy really brings out the sweet.

4 large zucchini
2 large yellow squash
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
olive oil in a sprayer or olive oil cooking spray
1/8 cup Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Chop squash into large chunky slices about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Spray a cookie sheet with a light coat of olive oil. Place squash on the cookie sheet. It's fine if they touch. Spray a light coat of olive oil over the top of the squash. Sprinkle with spices and cheese. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until they have are a light golden color.

Low Carb Biscuits

These aren't flaky biscuits, but have a consistency more like cornbread. Don't worry. They are delicious - especially straight out of the oven slathered in butter - like cornbread. They would be wonderful with some garlic and cheese thrown in the batter. I make them in advance and store them in the fridge in a ziplock bag.

1 1/2 cups almond flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 eggs
1/3 cup sour cream
4 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 12-well muffin pan with a non-stick cooking spray. Mix all dry ingredients, then add wet ingredients and combine well. Drop about 2 heaping tablespoons in each well. Bake 10-12 minutes, until golden brown.

Low Carb Crepes

These aren't crepes like pancakes, but more like LC tortillas - a replacement for tortillas for burritos or wraps. You could even use them to replace tortillas in enchiladas. They hold up really well. These are good, but more work than I want to put into a weeknight meal. Definitely something I will be making on the weekends to have during the week though. Be sure you place a paper towel between each one as they come out of the skillet and store them in a tightly sealed ziplock bag in the refrigerator or freezer.

1/2 cup ricotta cheese, whole milk
4 large whole eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons Splenda
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Add cheese, eggs, Splenda, and salt to a blender or food processor and combine until smooth. Heat a lightly buttered Teflon skillet over medium-low heat. Add 1/4 cup of batter to the skillet, and tilt so that the batter covers the bottom of the entire skillet. Once the edges begin to curl and turn brown, flip. Cook the other side until done.

Broccoli Salad

Best. Salad. Ever. I haven't served this to anyone yet that didn't love it. Cheese and bacon. It's all you need to know.

1 head broccoli
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
3/4 cup mayo
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons Splenda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Cut broccoli into bite size pieces and place in a large bowl with tomatoes. Combine mayo, black pepper, Splenda, salt, and vinegar until well blended and pour over the broccoli. Add in bacon and cheese. Toss well and refrigerate for an hour.

Classic Memphis-Style Coleslaw

Coleslaw is a summer staple, and now there's an LC version! I may never buy coleslaw dressing from a shelf again. The celery seeds were a little strong and I may just omit them next time. 

1 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons dijon mustard

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoons Splenda

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon onion powder

2 teaspoons celery seeds

1 16 ounce bag of coleslaw mix

Combine mayo, mustard, vinegar, Splenda, salt, onion powder, and celery seeds in a large bowl. Add in coleslaw mix, toss well and refrigerate for an hour before serving and up to two days.