Kid Friendly Baked Buffalo Wings

I thought I’d won the lottery the day I saw 5 kilos of chicken wings at the supermarket marked down to only a couple of dollars. Even though they’re a lot of bone, they’re really tasty and this kid friendly baked Buffalo Wings recipe is a great way to serve them the whole family will love.

I’ve had the ‘real’ thing both here in Australia and in the US but I’m the only one who loves the heat from a traditional Buffalo hot sauce. I had to come up with something tasty that wouldn’t be so spicy.

The wings were intact so I set about splitting them into thirds. The dogs got the tips so they thought it was Christmas. They’re really easy to cut up. It’s just a matter of bending back the wing and cutting through the skin.

Next, in a plastic bag, combine flour, paprika, salt and pepper.

Throw the chicken wings into the bag and coat well with the flour mixture.

Place the wings on an oven tray lined with baking paper and bake for approximately 20 minutes in a 180 deg C oven. (You could also put the wings on a rack to allow any fat to drip away.)

I could’ve taken these a bit further because I do prefer them well done and really crispy but they were still crispy just a little pale.

The next thing is to make your Buffalo sauce. You’ll find all of these ingredients in your pantry and there’s no spicy ingredients whatsoever. If you do like it spicy, by all means add your hot sauce at this stage. 

After you’ve made your sauce, pour over the baked wings and serve.

I served mine with a side of sour cream but you could make a traditional Blue Cheese dip to serve with them or a Ranch dressing. Whatever you like really. They were perfect for a cold night and there was plenty of finger lickin’ going on.

Recipe

• chicken wings
• plain flour
• 1 tbs paprika
• salt & pepper

Buffalo Sauce:

• 125gm butter, melted
• 1 1/2 tbs white vinegar
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce (ketchup)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• salt & pepper

1. In a plastic bag, combine flour, paprika, salt and pepper and add wings ensuring they are coated well with flour.
2. Place chicken wings on an oven tray lined with baking paper and bake for approximately 20 minutes in a 180 deg C oven.
3. For the sauce, combine all ingredients and pour over the hot, baked wings.
4. Serve with sour cream, Ranch or Blue Cheese dressing.

NB: You could use this Buffalo sauce with any part of the chicken.

Asian beef & noodle lettuce cups {for kids}

I may have mentioned once or twice about my 7 year battle with my daughter’s fussy eating but its not really worth going on about. What I do want to say though is that my 6 year old son, who has always just eaten what she did because it was easier, has been eating whatever I eat. He always asks for tastes of my food so instead of making him and her the same, I make him and my meal the same.

Its nearly like a breath of fresh air has blown into the kitchen and I don’t know why I didn’t try it sooner. I feel like the rest of the population who can cook a ‘normal’ meal every night. I’m not saying my son is not picky at all but he’s such a delight to feed. He just loves food (like his Mumma). The lettuce was cheap, crispy and HUGE at the supermarket last week so I thought I’d try this simple Asian style beef and noodle filling to use some of it up. He just wrapped it up and ate the lot. I added a slurp of sweet chili to mine.

The flavours were simple and tasty and it was a quick meal to get on the table.

Asian Beef & Noodle Lettuce Cups {for kids}

• ground beef mince (or pork, chicken etc)
• brown onion, chopped finely
• grated carrot
• other vegetables, chopped finely
• vermicelli noodles
• 2 tbs tomato sauce
• 1 tbs soy sauce
• oil spray
• liquid beef or chicken stock
• small lettuce cups

1. (Adjust quantities to suit the number of serves.)
2. Brown onion and beef in a pan sprayed with oil spray until onions are soft and beef is brown.
3. Add vegetables, sauces and stock.
4. Simmer until most of the stock has evaporated.
5. Soak vermicelli noodles in a bowl covered with boiling water until softened then add to beef mixture.
6. Spoon into lettuce cups to serve.
7. Add sweet chili sauce to for a spicier version.