On Compromise

One of the biggest parts of any relationship is the aspect of compromise. I don't mean the big compromise, I mean the little everyday ones we do with all of the people in our lives. Everything from the way the toilet paper hangs to the kind of coffee in the office. Compromise keeps everyone playing nicely, and at some point if we are all doing it right everyone gets what they want.

One compromise I have made with Homer is the love of chicken wings and of the Habs. I never really liked chicken wings, something about eating meat off a bone doesn't appeal to me, it is the same reason I am not a rib lover. This is sort of odd since as a child I once tried to eat a chicken bone, but that is a story for another time.

But Homer loves chicken wings, and he loves a restaurant called Wild Wings which has over 100 flavours of chicken wings (including Creamy Suicide and Rush Hour). Over the past year we have been there a few times, he even celebrated his 30th birthday there. And now, while they are not my meal of choice, I have come to appreciate the humble wing.

The Habs were a bit easier for me to get into (they require no extra calorie intake). And with playoff season here, TSN and Hockey Night in Canada are a regular fixture in our entertainment roster. Since we don't have cable when the games are on TSN we need to go a bar to watch them. This is all well and good as long as pace myself in the food and drink department, reminding myself that the playoffs come but once a year.

This round of games is on CBC which comes in crystal clear on our HD antenna so we can dine and view in the comfort of our own home. I wanted to make it a bit more festive so I whipped up some healthier chicken "wings" this weekend. At 56 calories a wing you can afford to have a few.

In honour of our friends at Wild Wings I'll name them Hal Gill. Enjoy!

Boneless Chicken "Wings"

*Hal Gill Flavour

Adapted from Eat, Shrink and Be Merry

12 large boneless, skinless lean chicken thighs (Blue Menu by Presidents Choice has these)

1/3 cup barbecue sauce (can be low cal)

2 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp liquid honey

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp roasted garlic puree

1 tsp chili powder

5 dashes Sriracha Chili Sauce

1 tsp cornstarch

*Note if your barbecue sauce is already sweetened you may want to reduce the amount of liquid honey to 1 tbsp.

1. Preheat oven to 400. Line a 9x13 inch baking dish with foil, spray with cooking spray and set aside.

2. Cut each thigh in half and place cut pieces in a single layer in prepared baking pan. Fold or roll them up to a bit so they resemble the shape of a chicken wing. They should just fit in the pan (3 rows of 8 "wings").

3.Whisk together all remaining ingredients. Spoon sauce evenly over chicken pieces.

4. Bake, uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and sauce is bubbly.

Serve!

Below a not so great iPhone photo of the "wings" in action.