Mojito Hot Wings and Cooling Coconut-Mint Dipping Sauce

Hot wings are a favorite and not just for Super Bowl Sunday but for any day. The tingling sauce warming the back of your throat to only be cooled with blue cheese dip. Well, forget about that! These are Mojito Hot Wings. Mojito as in the tropical rum drink because this year the Super Bowl is in Miami. These wings are flavored with rum, lime juice and a little mint, the flavors of a Mojito and the flavors of Miami. They are super-heated with jalapeno peppers and balanced with a dash of sweet agave nectar. My wings are served with a Cooling Coconut-Mint Dipping Sauce that will make you grin ear to ear. The recipe is below. Definitely delicious, definitely tropical and definitely a crowd pleaser. I hope you enjoy.

Mojito Hot Wings

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh lime juice

4 ounces white rum (you can substitute the equivalent in rum extract if desired. See label for conversion)

3 cloves garlic, smashed

1 or 2 jalapeno peppers, rough chopped, with seeds for extra hot or with seeds and ribs removed for less heat

1 Tbsp. Splenda

1/4 cup dark agave nectar (if you have light agave that's fine)

3 lbs. chicken wings, tips removed (freeze for soup stock later) and cutting at the joint to separate the wingette and drumette sections. Should be about 40 pieces.

A day ahead:

Prepare marinate by mixing all ingredients, except wings, in a large bowl. Arrange wings in a single layer in a baking dish and pour marinade over them evenly. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. These can be marinated for as little as 2 hours for a much milder wing.

Preheat oven to 425'

Remove chicken wings from dish and arrange on a sheet pan in a single layer. Pour the marinade across the top. The marinade will evaporate during the cooking process and leave a nice coating on the wings. Bake the wings for between 35 and 45 minutes. Remove from oven. Heat broiler of oven and place sheet pan about 6" from heat source. Brown the wings for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, turning once. Serve with Cooling Coconut-Mint Dipping Sauce if desired.

Nutrition Facts

1 Piece Per Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 56.7

Total Fat 1.2 g

Saturated Fat 0.3 g

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3 g

Monounsaturated Fat 0.3 g

Cholesterol 19.2 mg

Sodium 27.4 mg

Potassium 74.1 mg

Total Carbohydrate 2.3 g

Dietary Fiber 0.1 g

Sugars 0.1 g

Protein 7.4 g