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Orange Honey “Soy” Chicken

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I love lifting heavy things.  Picking up a heavy dumbbell or barbell in the gym gives me a sense of accomplishment.  This love didn’t until later on in my life.  Before I started CrossFit, I was a gym bunny, taking 7-9 exercise classes a week including zumba, Krav Maga, body pump, spinning, kickboxing, step aerobics and boot camp classes.  I really enjoyed the body pump classes (an hour long strength training class focusing on different body parts for 2-3 minutes using light dumbbells and barbells), but never felt like I was getting any stronger.

I joined CrossFit back in 2011 after I moved to Oklahoma, nervous and excited but ready for a new challenge.  Fast forward over 3 years later, and know I can’t imagine a week without picking heavy things up and putting them back down.  Back squats are my all time favorite strength training movement, with front squats a close second (and dead lifts dead last on that list.  Get it?  Deadlifts?  dead last?  Okay, stop groaning, did you at least crack a smile?).

It’s also a sense of accomplishment when my strength gains at the gym show up in other areas of my life.  Telling the checkout lady at the grocery store that she can overload my bags, and then carrying all of my shopping bags from the car to the house in one trip?  Score!  Being able to move heavy objects in my house without having to call someone for help?  Yes thank you!  Lifting heavier than the guys at my gym?  Don’t mind if I do 😉

It’s also great to hang out with other women (and men) who are care about lifting heavy too!  The sense of camaraderie at gym is great, and sometimes I get just as excited about watching my friends reach their strength training goals as I do when I reach my own.

These same friends help me taste test recipes for the blog, and my taste testers have given these Orange Honey “Soy” Chicken thighs two thumbs up!

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The marinade for this chicken is a balance of sweetness from the honey and saltiness from the coconut aminos (the “soy” part of the recipe) and salt.  The addition of fresh grated ginger and minced garlic add a level of flavor that is sure to please your taste buds.

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Enjoy!  I love reading your reviews of the recipe after you’ve tried it.  Please leave a comment below sharing your results.

Orange Honey “Soy” Chicken

Servings: 3-4

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 – 3 pounds of chicken thighs
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup coconut aminos
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice
  • 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic (approximately 4 large cloves)
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions:

  1. Place all of the ingredients except for the chicken in a medium size bowl, and stir to combine.
  2. Place the chicken wings in a large resealable bag.
  3. Pour the marinade mixture over the chicken thighs to coat and then seal the bag tightly (making sure to remove as much of the air from the bag as possible before sealing).
  4. Refrigerate the marinated chicken thighs for 4-6 hours (can refrigerate overnight).
  5. To cook the chicken, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  6. using a 9 x 13 baking dish, place the chicken thighs skin side down in the dish (make sure to remove excess marinade from the chicken thighs before placing in the baking dish).
  7. Bake the chicken thighs in the oven for 20 minutes.
  8. After 20 minutes, remove the chicken from the oven, flip over so that the skin side is up, and place back in the oven.
  9. Continue cooking until chicken thighs are done, approximately 25-30 more minutes (bake until the internal temperature of the chicken thighs is approximately 185 degrees).

Inspired by the Honey Soy Baked Chicken Thighs recipe from She Wears Many Hats


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Honey, Lime and Garlic Chicken Wings

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Honey. Check. Lime. Check.  Garlic.  Check.  The results; a marinade for chicken wings that results in a sweet and spicy dish with just a hint of heat from the addition of red pepper flakes.

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I went to the grocery store a couple of weeks ago looking for new salad dressings to try out.  Sometimes I get into a food rut, and I wanted to branch out from my usual go to salad dressing of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Unfortunately, most of the store bought dressing options included ingredients that I don’t consume on a regular basis as part of a Paleo/Primal/clean eating diet, such as soybean and canola oil, soy sauce and cane sugar.  However, several of the ingredients in the salad dressings; specifically honey, sesame oil, and garlic, peaked my interest, and gave me the idea to create a recipe for chicken marinade using those ingredients as part of the marinade recipe. After a couple of tweaks to the recipe and some trial and error, the end result is this delicious recipe for Honey, Lime and Garlic Chicken Wings.  Enjoy!

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Honey, Lime and Garlic Chicken Wings Servings: serves 4-6

Ingredients:

  • 3 pounds of chicken wings
  • 1/4 cup sesame oil
  • 1/4 cup coconut aminos
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic (approximately 3 large cloves)
  • 1 teaspoon dried cilantro
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions:

  1. Place the chicken wings in a large bowl.  Sprinkle sea salt and pepper on the chicken wings, and toss to evenly coat.
  2. Place the chicken wings in a large resealable bag.
  3. Place the remaining ingredients in a medium size bowl, and whisk  thoroughly to combine.
  4. Pour the marinade mixture over the chicken to coat and seal the bag tightly (making sure to remove as much of the air from the bag as possible before sealing).
  5. Refrigerate the marinated chicken for 4-6 hours (can refrigerate overnight).
  6. To cook the chicken, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  7. Line a baking sheet with aluminium foil.  Place a cooling rack over the aluminum foil.
  8. Place the chicken wings in a single layer on the cooling rack.
  9. Bake the chicken in the oven for 25 minutes.
  10. After 25 minutes, remove the chicken from the oven, flip over, and place back in the oven.
  11. Continue cooking the chicken wings until wings are cooked through, approximately 25 minutes more.


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Sweet and Salty Balsamic Chicken Marinade

I have a secret.  It’s not really a well kept secret (does that still make it a secret?), but I like to think I’m somewhat discreet about it. Actually, to be honest, it’s not really a secret.  When I say discreet, I really mean posting multiple pictures on Facebook and Instagram about it.  Okay, I’m blathering on.  Want to know what it is?

I have an addiction to kitchen appliances.  If it’s shiny, metallic, sharp, and can be used in the kitchen, I want it.  If it has a motor and needs to be plugged in, I want it even more.  I’m not going to admit exactly what gadgets I have (no need to face my addiction head on), but I will tell you that many kitchen drawers that were empty when I moved into my house last year have now been filled with new finds.

Here is a real secret, one I’m sure you can figure out pretty easily.  I don’t use all my kitchen appliances.  It’s kind of like that new shirt you thought you wanted, and then bought it and wore it a couple of times, only to relegate it to the back of your closet. That’s kind of how it was with one of my biggest purchases, an outdoor grill.  I spent months saving money, reading reviews, and researching the best grill to buy within my budget.  After I made my decision, I “volunteered” one of my friends to help me pick it up.  After I got it home, I then proceeded to let it sit in my backyard for several months without use.

I only ever used it when my friends came over to grill, and then someone else was always the one doing the grilling.  However, after visiting my family in Houston over Memorial Day weekend, and enjoying the yummy goodness my dad grilled for the family, I decided to utilize my grill more frequently, with pretty spectacular results.

One of my favorite things to grill this summer has been marinated chicken thighs.  They are flavorful, and the meat stays tender and retains its moister longer than white meat, even if you have the unfortunate experience of cooking them a little longer than intended (which I have a habit of doing).

I have created a marinade for chicken that is packed with different flavors, and the salty and sweet combination is sure to make your taste buds happy.  I hope you enjoy!

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Sweet and Salty Balsamic Chicken Marinade

Servings: serves 4-6

Ingredients:

  • approximately 2 pounds of skinless boneless chicken thighs
  • 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons of coconut aminos
  • 2 tablespoons of honey
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
  • 3 cloves of garlic (minced)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions:

  1. Combine all of the ingredients other than the chicken in a large bowl, and whisk to combine.
  2. Place the chicken thighs in a resealable bag.  Pour the marinade over the chicken thighs to coat.
  3. Remove as much air from the bag as possible before sealing the bag closed.
  4. Marinate the chicken thighs for at least one hour in the fridge (can marinate overnight).
  5. Once you are ready to cook the chicken, preheat the grill.
  6. Once the grill is preheated, reduce the heat to medium low, and place the chicken thighs on the grill.  Cook the chicken thighs approximately 10 to 12 minutes on each side until cooked through (the chicken should reach an internal temperature of about 180 degrees).
  7. Remove from grill and serve.

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