As birthdays come and go we, as a rule, don’t do much to celebrate them, but every once in a while there’s one that needs some special attention.  Mr. D. celebrated his most recent one, a number ending in O, this past weekend, so I thought it would be fun to surprise him with a party.  The surprise turned into a double whammy when we got the news that we had become grandparents with the baby being born just after midnight on 10/19,  so Mr. D. and the baby now have the same birthday.   This baby was born in N.C. so we have only seen pictures of her at this point.  I can’t wait to see and hold her!!

Trying to throw a surprise party for someone who lives in the same house with you is certainly tricky and sneaky.  I think I did very well right up until the end when he figured it out.  But it was fun and all went well.   Someone made the comment that they love to come to our house because the food is always so good.  I hope you think so too, as I plan to share  the recipes for the starred items below, and they will cover several posts this week and next.

Because folks were invited for early afternoon on Sunday, I wanted to provide foods that were substantial, but I didn’t have the luxury of time to cook a big meal, so this is how the menu evolved:

Appetizers

Salsa Hot Wings*

Baked Broccoli Parmesan Dip*

Apple Wedges with Caramel Dip*, Grapes and Cheeses

Entreé

A variety of Pizzas that were ordered from a local pizzeria

Spinach salad with roast peppers, and black olives

Desserts

Spice Cake with Chocolate Ganache*

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies*

Vanilla and Pumpkin Spice Ice Creams

Beverages

Apple Cider

Assorted Soft Drinks

Coffee

With the menu as an overview of what’s to come, today the recipe is for the Salsa Hot Wings.  These are not the usual Buffalo Hot Wings that many of you know and love.  I think these are easier to make and very tasty with the heat level open to your preference.  Everyone seemed to enjoy them.  I know they disappeared quickly and I had only one small piece to vouch for how good they are.  Luckily I took the photos as I was making them and the one shot of them in the serving dish just prior to serving them, else you’d be looking at an empty bowl.

What I like about this recipe is that the sauce is largely based on a jar of ready made salsa, so you can use your favorite kind,  mild to hot, whatever you like.  This gets mixed with some honey and some grated fresh ginger for a little “kick”, pureed in a blender till smooth, then cooked down for a while to thicken it.  Lastly a tad of fresh lime juice finishes it off.    Pour this sauce over the cooked chicken wing portions and toss to coat.  Serve with lime wedges.

Sectioning chicken wings can be a time consuming task, but I was fortunate in finding Perdue frozen wings, already sectioned, in 5-pound bags, ready to cook.  I cooked 2 bags of them and made a double recipe of the sauce.

Easy–Peasy–Delish!

SALSA HOT WINGS

Yield:  Serves 6 – 8

Ingredients:

• 2 cups ( 16-oz.jar) salsa
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 Tbsp. grated ginger
• 2 tsp. fresh lime juice
• 3 lbs. chicken wings, split at the joint
• salt and pepper to taste
• lime wedges for serving

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 475*F.  Line a large baking sheet with foil.

2.  Combine the salsa, honey and ginger in a blender container and puree until smooth.

3.  Transfer to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and cook for 15 – 20 minutes till reduced by about half.  Stir in the lime juice.

4.  Meanwhile, lay wings in a single water on baking sheet.  Season with salt and pepper.  Bake till golden and crisp, and cooked through, about 30 minutes.

5.  Transfer to a big bowl, toss with the sauce to coat well.  Serve with lime wedges.   Smile and absorb the compliments:)

 

SOURCE:   Martha Stewart’s Everyday Foods