Honey and Spice and Everything....TASTY!!

There are combinations of flavors that once combined, belong together for life. Peanut butter and chocolate, cinnamon and sugar, italian roast coffee with caramel macchiato creamer. And to round out that list for me, is sweet and heat!

This week our local grocery store had chicken thighs at a pretty low price so I picked up a couple packs. Since starting weight watchers in 2011 I have come to enjoy chicken thighs over chicken breasts because they have more flavor and don't dry out as easily as the breasts do. If my local grocery store doesn't have the skinless ones on sale, I'll buy the regular and de-skin them myself. It really only takes about 3 seconds per thigh.

Anyway...I wanted to use a package of the thighs and wanted to make something with a little spice to it but that was sweet but not too sweet. I made this chicken and paired it with some perfectly roasted red skin potatoes and vegetables and found a new favorite that I'm sure will become part of the regular rotation at my house.

Honey and Spice Chicken Thighs

6-8 chicken thighs, skins removed

1 tspof sea salt

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1/2 tsp onion powder

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp red pepper flakes (more or less to adjust the heat level)

2 tsp chili powder

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 c. honey

1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2) Mix all dry seasonings together and set aside. Mix apple cider and honey together and set aside.

3) Cover a baking sheet with foil (makes cleanup easier) and spray with a good coating of cooking spray.

4) Lay chicken out on the sheet and rub each piece with the dry rub you've created with the spices. Flip and do the other side. 

5) Spray each chicken piece with a little cooking spray and place in the oven. Cook for 12 minutes, then flip. Cook for another 12 minutes.

6) After you've flipped the chicken and its cooked for the 12 minutes for that side, remove from oven and baste each piece of chicken with the honey mixture. 

7) Place under the broiler and continue to baste the same side every few minutes to allow that honey to "glue" itself to each piece of chicken. 

8) Remove the chicken and allow it to rest for about 5 minutes to let the juices redistribute.

*After I pulled the chicken out, I tipped the pan and poured the pan drippings into a small bowl. When plated, I spooned a little bit of the pan sauce on top of each piece of chicken and served with oven roasted potatoes. A nice fresh steamed vegetable or noodle would go great also. 

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Easy and Delicious Roasted Cauliflower

Prior to finding some inspiration on Pinterest for roasted cauliflower, I had only eaten those delicious white trees raw. My mom makes a very lovely cauliflower salad and we had it at picnics and such growing up. But I had never before eaten cooked cauliflower. I was browsing Pinterest a few months back and saw a lot of recipes for roasted cauliflower and curiosity struck. It was, by fate, because I had ribs cooking and was looking for a side dish that was delicious and easy. This fit the bill.

We wer delightfully surprised at how wonderful this was. And it really is simple and quick. When a recipe is delicious AND easy, it's a winner in my book.

I hope you enjoy this!

Garlic Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower

*yields 4-6 servings when served as a side dish

1 medium sized head of cauliflower, rinsed and bulb removed, cut into bite sized florets

3 large cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

1/3 cup olive oil (maybe a tad less)

3 T fresh lemon juice (about half of a large lemon)

1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

4 T grated parmesan cheese

1) Heat oven to 450* and put cauliflower into a large bowl that you can mix in.

2) In a small bowl, mix together the garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and better and whisk until combined. The lemon juice will turn the olive oil into a thicker consistency.

3) Pour mixture over cauliflower and stir until it is all coated.

4) If you wish to, line your baking sheet with aluminum foil. Lay the cauliflower in a single layer on the sheet and top with parmesan cheese.

5) Roast at 450* for 25 minutes, stir half way through.

When it comes out, I like to sprinkle a little more cheese on the top of it and serve immediately while it is hot for the best results!

If you have leftovers (which I highly doubt you will) to reheat, place under the broiler for a few minutes, stirring often to avoid burning.

*photo and recipe (slightly altered) from www.oneperfectbite.blogspot.com



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