Unbelievable Baked Chicken Wings

Perfect for game day. Kept light by baking, but the caloric content could probably be reduced if I removed the skin. A pound of wings clocks in at 570 calories or so. Serve with some yogurt ranch. The sauces can be varied. I just used 1/2 cup of Louisiana Hot Sauce and 2-3 T of butter. Melt and stir.

The only change I made to the recipe was pouring the hot sauce over the wings about midway through the second broil (after turning the wings over once). That way, the sauce stuck to the wings.

Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken wings
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 cup louisiana hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon margarine

Directions

1. Fill a large pot half way with water and then add the first 4 ingredients.
2. Bring water mixture and wings to a boil and then boil for 15 minutes.
3. Transfer wings to an oven safe container coated with cooking spray. Bake wings on "Broil" (high) for 15 minutes on each side.(For crispier wings, cook longer on each side, maybe 20 minutes per side).
4. While waiting for wings, combine the Hot Sauce and Margarine in a microwave safe container and cook in microwave for 2 minutes or until melted. (You can cook the sauce longer for a thicker sauce).
5. When wings are done, shake 'em up with the sauce and enjoy!

Vegetarian "Three-Bean" Chili

I concocted this recipe today for a few reasons:

1. I've needed to clean out my pantry
   
2. I'm trying to avoid going to the grocery store
3. I've had a serious craving for chili

This recipe is adapted from Weight Watchers' Lentil and Black Bean Chili, but changed to suit my tastes and stick to things I had in the pantry.

Vegetarian "Three-Bean" Chili
(180.3 calories/serving)

Ingredients:

Organic cooking spray
1 TBSP Olive Oil
1 large sweet onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 serrano peppers, sliced (remove seeds for less heat)
2 tsp. coarse Kosher salt, + more for serving
Fresh cracked pepper to taste
3-4 TBSP chili powder
1 TBSP dried oregano
1 TBSP ground comino
2 tsp. paprika
3 dried bay leaves
15 oz. canned black beans, drained and rinsed
15 oz. canned pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2 10 oz. cans Rotel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles, not drained
1 medium can stewed tomatoes, drained
15 oz. canned organic lentils, gently drained and rinsed

Instructions:

• Heat cooking spray and oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook onion, peppers and garlic, stirring often, until vegetables are softened, about 8-9 minutes. Lightly salt and pepper while cooking.
• In a cup, combine chili powder, oregano, comino, and paprika; add to skillet and stir well to combine. Cook, stirring often, about 1 minute.
  
• Add all tomatoes (with juice from Rotel cans), beans and bay leaves to skillet; stir well to combine. Cover skillet and simmer so flavors can blend, about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove bay leaves and fold in lentils; serve. Yields about 1 cup per serving.

This chili was delicious and spicy on its own. I topped it with 1 tbsp. shredded cheddar, but I would have preferred to top it with a palm full of chopped cilantro if I'd had it on hand. That would have made the picture much prettier also.

I think this could be delicious served with Lifetime's Cook Yourself Thin Red Pepper-Rosemary Cornbread (168 calories). If you're not fond of the rosemary taste with chili, the recipe works fine with other herbs of similar constitution.

Cheese-Stuffed Manicotti

Where our food love and love love all began.
Will soon modify the recipe to make a six-foot manicotti.

Fannie Farmer's Cheese-Stuffed Manicotti

For optimal deliciousness, serve accompanied by Fannie Farmer's Monterrey Jack Cheese Sauce.