Happy Labor Day Weekend! For most of America, Labor Day is celebrated around a grill, enjoying the last official weekend of summer. Unfortunately, for those of us who are city dwellers, finding a grill can be somewhat of a challenge – and normally requires finding friends in the suburbs willing to host you for the day. This year, for the first time in I don’t remember how long, we decided not to participate in the mass exodus from the city, and have a little “stay-cation”.
Staying in the city on a holiday weekend can actually be incredibly relaxing. The typical fast paced, frenetic energy of the city is muted, and fellow city dwellers share an unspoken agreement that, for this short time, we are all just going to relax. I was able to enjoy shorter lines at the grocery, smaller crowds at the gym, and even come across a horse while walking our dog along the bridal path. In short, this weekend was near perfect. The only thing missing, a BBQ.
As is typical for holiday weekends, our local grocery was having a promotion on “family packs” for popular labor day weekend fare – and I got a fantastic deal on a family pack of chicken wings and drumsticks. My husband’s go-to favorite way to bake chicken wings, normally involves a gallon of Italian Dressing, or a vat of Frank’s Hot Sauce… yeah, SUPER paleo, right? Instead of indulging in the sugar and sodium packed marinades, we both decided to try a healthier way to make our wings. I wanted to come up with one version, that would mimic the Italian Dressing in a sweet and tangy way, and another that would give a nice kick, like the Franks.
Here are the two marinades we whipped up for our wings. The first was a Sweet and Tangy marinade, and the other was a Spicy Cayenne Rub. After marinating for an hour, and roasting for about 30 minutes, these came out perfectly crispy, and oh so delicious. I was partial to the Sweet and Tangy wings myself, but my husband demolished the Spicy Cayenne. Together, these wings made the perfect Labor Day meal, served with some refreshing guacamole and veggies. Enjoy!
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[…] also knew I needed some citrus and some heat to cut through the richness. My favorite Sweet and Tangy marinade would be perfect! This marinade does use maple syrup, so if you are doing a Whole 30, you may want […]