Grilled wings, Greek pasta salad

I don’t need to eat chicken wings, but I have been craving them lately. In this recipe the wings are cooked on an outside grill.

The drying step after washing the wings is the most important thing in this recipe because it will help them stay crispy.

Grilled Chicken Wings

3 pounds chicken wings

2 tsp thyme

1 tsp salt

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp pepper ½ tsp cayenne pepper

½ tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp bouillon powder

2 tsp brown sugar

2-3 tablespoons cooking oil (for drizzling)

Wash the chicken wings and dry them with a paper towel. (If you have time, you can allow them to air dry in the fridge.)

In a small bowl, combine thyme, salt, onion and garlic powder, paprika, white and cayenne pepper, bouillon powder, and brown sugar.

Place the chicken in a large plate or bowl, lightly salt, then mix with spice blend and drizzle with oil (to prevent the chicken from sticking to the grill).

When ready to grill, wipe down the grill and lightly oil—preheat to medium heat. Or, if using charcoal, fill it half full. Then light it up for about 20 or more minutes before.

Place chicken wings on the grill.

Let them grill for approximately 20-30 minutes, flipping every 5 minutes or so until they are golden brown. Keep an eye on them because the grill tends to flare up. (Try to move them around a bit to prevent flare-ups.)

—kwc— And how about a Greek pasta salad to eat with those wings? I normally crave pasta salad this time of year with all the fresh veggies and herbs everywhere.

Taste for salt and pepper just before serving.

Greek Pasta Salad

For the lemon olive oil dressing:

1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (from 2 to 3 lemons)

1 tablespoon lemon zest

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp fresh oregano

1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon pepper

For the pasta salad:

1 pound rotini pasta, or other small pasta shape of your choice

1/2 small red onion, quartered and thinly sliced

1 red pepper, finely diced

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives

1/2 cup crumbled feta

1 cucumber, quartered and sliced

1/4 cup parsley, roughly chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Cook the pasta and drain:

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook pasta until al dente. Immediately rinse in cold water until the pasta is cool to the touch.

Soak the slices of onion in cold water with a pinch of salt. After 10 minutes, drain the water from the onions.

In a small lidded jar, shake all the dressing ingredients together. Taste and add more seasonings to taste.

In a large bowl, mix together the cooled pasta, drained red onion, peppers, tomatoes, olives, feta, cucumber, and parsley. Toss gently with 1/4 cup of the lemon olive oil dressing and mix. Add more dressing, in small increments, as needed.

You may not use all of the dressing, but it stores well in the fridge for about a week. Season with salt, pepper to taste.