The Romancing The Bee Diet – Day 13 – Buffalo Chicken Tenders

chickentender

These are just as good as the real thing!  The honey mellows out the overwhelming vinegar taste of the hot sauce.

I’ve lost five pounds!!

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

3 pounds skinless, boneless chicken tenders

1 1/2 cups Frank’s RedHot sauce

Tabasco Sauce to taste

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons honey

celery

blue cheese crumbles

Directions

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place chicken tenders on it. Bake until just done, 10-12 minutes. Do not overcook.

Meanwhile, combine the hot sauce, butter and honey in a medium pot over medium heat until the butter melts. Add Tabasco as desired for hotter sauce. Continue to cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 10 minutes.

After the chicken is done, remove from oven and brush generously with sauce on both sides.  Serve with celery sticks and 2 tablespoons blue cheese crumbles.

Honey Barbecued Oysters

One of my college friends raises both bees and oysters at his home on the Chesapeake Bay. This recipe is for him!

Ingredients

1 cup ketchup

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

3 cloves garlic, crushed

2 Tbs. honey

2 Tbs. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Dash of Tabasco sauce

2 dozen small or medium oysters

Rock salt

Make the Sauce

In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients (except the oysters) and stir to blend.  Cover and let sit for at least one hour.  Sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead.

Prep the grill and the oysters

Prepare a medium hot fire in a charcoal grill. Pour rock salt on a rimmed platter. Shuck the oysters, removing the flat top shell and loosening the oyster from the bottom shell; leave the oyster in the shell, reserving as much liquor as you can in the shell. Nestle the oysters in the rock salt to keep from tipping.  Cover loosely with clean kitchen towel until fire is ready.

When the fire has died down and the coals are covered in a fine coat of ash, spread the coals out evenly over the bottom of the grill. Place the oysters on the center of the grill and spoon 1 Tbs of sauce onto each oyster. Cover grill and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the liquor and sauce are just bubbling. Take care not to overcook.  Serve immediately on a rock salt lined platter.