Mr. Sunday's Saturday Night Chicken

BUFFALO-STYLE CHICKEN WINGS WITH LIGHT RANCH DRESSING
FAMILY FAVORITE • MAKES 16 WINGS

LIGHT RANCH DRESSING
^2/3 cup buttermilk
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon dried onion flakes
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon coarse salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE WINGS
5 tablespoons (½ stick plus 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter
1¼ cups Crystal Hot Sauce
16 chicken wings (about 2 pounds)
Nonstick cooking spray
Celery and carrot sticks, for serving

To make the ranch dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, mayonnaise, chives, dill, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, onion flakes, and garlic powder. Stir in the salt and pepper. Refrigerate until needed.

To make the wings: In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat, add the hot sauce, and stir to combine.

Rinse the chicken wings with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place the wings in a large resealable plastic bag, cover with the marinade to coat evenly, and seal the bag. Refrigerate for 3 to 5 hours or overnight.

Remove the wings from the refrigerator 15 minutes prior to cooking. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

Remove the chicken wings from the marinade and place on the prepared baking sheet, leaving some of the marinade clinging to them. Reserve the remaining marinade to baste while baking. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn the wings over and baste with the reserved marinade. Return the wings to the oven and bake for 15 minutes more, or until cooked through. Discard the unused marinade. Serve with light ranch dressing and celery and carrot sticks.

Pantry Chicken Saté with Peanut Sauce
BONELESS, SKINLESS • GRILL • SERVES 4 TO 6

When spring fever hits and I move outdoors and fire up the grill, this is one of my favorites! For a spring dinner party, I often make smaller skewers and serve them as cocktail nibbles.

If using a store-bought sweetened creamy peanut butter, then it's not necessary to add the brown sugar to the sauce.

FOR THE SATÉ
3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Nonstick cooking spray
4½ tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 teaspoons peeled and grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Sixteen 8-inch skewers (see Tip)

FOR THE DIPPING SAUCE
6 tablespoons unsweetened creamy peanut butter
3½ tablespoons soy sauce
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
^3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Rinse the chicken with cool water and pat dry with paper towels. Cut the chicken breasts lengthwise into 16 total pieces, Coat the grill rack with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat (450°F-500°F).

To prepare the saté: In a bowl, combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, lime zest, and red pepper flakes. Add the chicken strips and toss well to coat. Let stand for 10 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator, tightly covered. To prepare the dipping sauce: In a bowl, combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar, lime juice, and red pepper flakes and stir until the sugar dissolves.

Thread the chicken strips onto the skewers. Place the skewers on the grill rack and grill each side for about 5 minutes, or until cooked through. Serve the chicken saté on a large platter along with the dipping sauce.

Tip: Bamboo skewers, an alternative to metal skewers, get hot quickly and can burn. To help prevent this, place the skewers in a baking dish or pan, cover with warm water, and soak for at least 30 minutes prior to use.

Butterflied Grilled Chicken with Ginger-Citrus Marinade

• GRILL • SERVES 4

The citrus-ginger marinade makes this a zesty chicken dish to prepare on the grill. Since it is light in calories, I like to serve it with my corn pudding that marries together all the sweet tastes of summer.

^3/4 cup canola oil
^3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
3 small lemons, thinly sliced
3 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
6 tablespoons honey
One 3-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
Finely grated zest of 2 limes
^3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
^3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
One 3-pound chicken, backbone removed, butterflied

In a large bowl, combine the oil, orange juice, lemon slices, scallions, honey, ginger, lime zest, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken and coat it with the marinade. Marinate, refrigerated, turning occasionally, for 4 hours or overnight.

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 15 minutes prior to grilling, turning the chicken over in the marinade one more time.

Preheat a grill to medium-high heat (450°F-500°F).

Remove the chicken from the marinade and reserve the marinade for basting. Place the chicken on the grill, breast side down, and cook for 5 minutes on each side to make grill marks. If cooking on a gas grill, turn off the middle burners and place the chicken in the middle. If using a charcoal grill, move the coals to one side and place the chicken on the side of the grill without any coals. Baste the chicken with the marinade, cover with a piece of aluminum foil, and press this down with a heavy oven-proof plate. Cook, covered, for about 20 minutes, then turn over and brush with more of the marinade, and continue to cook for 20 minutes more, until cooked through.

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Cover with foil and let rest for at least 10 minutes. Grill the lemon slices until they have grill marks. Cut the chicken into 4 pieces and transfer to a serving platter, then garnish with the grilled lemon slices.