Honey Balsamic Chicken Wings [with video]!

Blah Blah Blah Wings!!

Briana Riddock

Sometimes I crave wings. I am a classic buffalo kind of gal, but I was not in the mood to have my mouth scorched because of my extra spicy taste. I was in the mood for something sweet, tangy, and savory. “Balsamic reduction” always seems to have this fanciful allure that extra effort was made to create this molasses-like sauce. However, since it is literally allowing balsamic vinegar simmer until it reduces in size without burning it next to nothing and without burning up your pot. The key is to keep a watchful eye. (Not the over obsessive eye, but a regular check in is cool.) The sweetness of the honey mellows out the pungency of the vinegar and the pinch of salt balances both flavors. If you want an extra kick, please feel free to add Sriracha sauce!

I invited my best friend Craig over to help me shoot the video (which is posted below!) for this recipe. Afterward, we sat in the kitchen and tore those wings up! We didn’t make a polite plate or sat neatly at the dinner table. We stood there hands sticky and our mouths filled with glaze.

Honey Balsamic Chicken Wings [with video]!

Author: seasoningbottle

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 35 mins

Total time: 45 mins

This easy 2-ingredient honey balsamic sauce is a mix of sweet and tangy. The wings are baking instead of fried to achieve a similar crispy texture with less additional fat added.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs chicken wings

• 1 cup balsamic vinegar

• 1/2 cup honey

• 1/2 tablespoon salt + 1 teaspoon

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/2 teaspoon paprika

• 1 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.

2. Clean and dry chicken

3. In a large mixing bowl, season chicken with salt, garlic powder, paprika, and black pepper.

4. Arrange chicken wings on an oven safe roasting/cooling rack and bake for 20 minutes. If you do not have a roasting/cooling rack, line a flat baking pan with foil and lightly coat with oil to prevent sticking.

5. In a medium sauce pan, bring the balsamic vinegar, honey, and salt together to a low simmer. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the vinegar has reduced in volume and thickened. (Add the sriracha sauce if you would like a little spicy kick.)

6. Remove chicken from the oven, flip, baste with the balsamic glaze, and bake for another 15 minutes.

7. The chicken will be crispy and golden brown. Toss the wings in the remaining glaze!

Sweet Cornbread with Lavender Syrup

Happy Easter! It is strolling around the block weather in Brooklyn today. For those heading to brunches and loved ones houses after church this afternoon, consider adding this Sweet Cornbread with Lavender Syrup to the menu. It is an unlikely pairing, but the soothing and woodsy lavender syrup mimics what honey does for biscuits. The lavender aroma instantly fills your kitchen as the buds steep.  For a few seconds, I teleported to a Thai day spa and I was surrounded by the scent of burning lavender oil. Cornbread brings comfort. It made sense to match it with a relaxing flower.

The cornbread is subtly. I used condensed milk instead of sugar in the batter. The condensed milk adds an extra dose of milk and a little bit of sweetness. With a drizzle of the lavender syrup, it gives you the ability to control the sugar.

Fresh corn is cut right from the cob to create body and texture in each slice. I recommend baking the cornbread in a cast iron skillet to guarantee a crispy golden crust. When you cut into the corn bread you get a pillowy inside with a thin layer of crunch on the outside. If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, the cornbread can transform into corn muffins if you bake it in a muffin tins.

If you have extra lavender syrup left, add a scoop to your morning tea or coffee. Try it on toast with ricotta cheese and lemon zest. You can use it in place of simple syrup in your favorite cocktail or sweeten plain yogurt topped with mixed berries for a midday snack.

Sweet Cornbread with Lavender Syrup

Author: seasoningbottle

Ingredients

• 1 cup cornmeal

• 1 1/2 cup All purpose flour

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 eggs

• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

• 1 ear of corn, shucked

• 1 cup of milk

• 1/2 cup condensed milk

• 1 teaspoon orange zest

• 2 cup boiling water

• 2 tablespoons dried lavender

• 1 cup white sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375F

2. In a medium (10 inch) cast iron skillet heat to medium and melt butter. Add the corn kernels to saute for about 8 minutes. Corn and butter may turn slightly golden brown as the milk solid start to cook. When the corn is cooked, pour into a heat safe bowl and allow to cool for a few minutes.

3. Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl – cornmeal, AP flour, baking powder, and salt.

4. In another bowl, lightly beat the eggs and stir in the milk, condensed milk, and orange zest.

5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix in the corn with butter into the batter.

6. Add the batter back to the skillet which should already be greased from the butter.

7. Bake for 30 minutes until the crust is brown around the edge.

8. While the cornbread is baking, steep the lavender in for 10 minutes in the boiling water.

9. Strain the lavender tea. Pour the tea into a small sauce pan with the white sugar. Bring mixture to a boil and reduce to a low boil for 30 minutes stirring occasionally to reduce crystallization on the sides of the the pan. The mixture will reduce in volume by half. Once it thickens remove from the heat and allow it to cool for 15 minutes.

10. Drizzle syrup over the warm cornbread!

Creamy Roasted Tomato Coconut Soup (VEGAN)

I always need a cup of soup on the days when the rain oscillates between a downpour and a slight drizzle. That type of back and forth weather automatically calls for me to have a bad hair day. And of course, these rainy days always happen during the week when I don’t have time to simmer a pot of vegetable-hearty soup on the stove for an hour or so. It’s already dark by the time I walk into the house, and all I want to do is hop into the bed. If you ever have these similar feelings, this roasted tomato soup recipe will come in handy. Within 30 minutes, you have a robust bowl of creamy tomato soup to warm your insides, while you sit in front of the TV or your laptop catching up on the latest gotta-watch Netflix series.

The very pleasant (and healthy) aspect of this soup is that it’s vegan—and this was totally was unintentional.  I made a version on the soup before and featured it on my Instagram stories originally using heavy cream as the creamer. However—to my surprise—my DM’s were filled with people inquiring about an alternative ingredient to the heavy cream. I automatically suggested coconut milk. It gives you the creaminess that you expect in a smooth soup, but it also has its own dose of natural fats that adds to the body and thickness of the soup. Instead of reaching for the Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top, I opted for briny capers. They add a burst of saltiness and texture.

In preparing this soup, you will find out how easy and no-fuss it is to make. If you are not on the vegan boat, but still appreciate the recipe as-is, you can serve this creamy soup with a gooey grilled cheese sandwich or a piping hot Cuban sandwich. The soup can also accompany a leafy green salad or a grain salad. And if you are really hankering for milk fat or you are not a fan of coconut milk, go ahead and use the cream in its place.  

Creamy Roasted Tomato Coconut Soup (VEGAN)

Recipe Type: Easy

Author: seasoningbottle

Prep time: 6 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 26 mins

Serves: 3

This creamy, vegan-friendly roasted tomato coconut soup is an easy mid-week meal to make as you come home from work.

Ingredients

• 1 lb plum tomatoes (about 8)

• 1 small onion, quartered

• 3 whole garlic cloves

• 3 tablespoons coconut oil

• 1 teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon black pepper

• 1/2 cup coconut milk

• 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock

• 1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves

• Fresh basil (about 6 leaves) or dried basil (1 teaspoon)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.

2. Cut tomatoes in thick slices and place them on a baking sheet in a single layer. Season with salt and black pepper, and drizzle over coconut oil.

3. Add the onion and garlic cloves to baking sheet.

4. Roast tomatoes for 15 to 20 minutes or until slightly caramelized. (Tip:Wrap the garlic in a small piece of foil with a splash of oil to prevent them from burning.)

5. Warm the vegetable stock and coconut milk together in a separate pan or warm together in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl. Add roasted vegetables, warmed stock mixture, basil, and thyme to the blender and blend until smooth. (Be careful when blending hot liquids! You may need to open the lid halfway through blending to vent the hot steam.) You can also use a hand blender to puree the soup.

6. Add more salt if needed. Enjoy immediately.