Hawaiian Turkey Sliders

My teacher friends are back to commiserating on Facebook and there's not a parking space to be found at Target. That can only mean one thing: The impending end of summer.

Dun, dun, DUUUUUUN!!!

{I kid, teachers. I totally remember that feeling and I mourn the loss of your vacation, too.}

Before you put away the tiki torches and pool floats, let's have just one more backyard cookout, shall we?

I know Fall is ever-popular with its warm flavor profile of cinnamon, root vegetables, and the frenzy-inducing Pumpkin Spice... I love those things just as much as the next gal.

But, there's something to be said for summer's sweet, fresh flavors, too.

When I think of summer, I think of coconut. {Maybe it's the whiff of tanning oil that's perpetually in the air during this time of year.} I think of watermelon, lime, corn, and mango. And then there's pineapple.

Pineapple is quite possibly my favorite summery flavor. Um, hello, Pina Coladas.

It's pretty irresistible cut in into gorgeous rings, blended into icy beverages, or even grilled. {Have you ever grilled pineapple. Run, don't walk, to your grill immediately if you said no. Then bust out the vanilla ice cream and serve it up with a big scoop. Drool.}

So, naturally, I had to include pineapple in this savory "farewell to summer" recipe.

I know I told you pineapple is amazing when it's grilled, but Steve's bicycle is still locked onto the grill in the garage and the key is still nowhere to be found {I'm pretty sure these things only happen to us}, so I went a different route with mine. I made this Pineapple-Onion Relish right on the stove top and, man, is it addictive.

The caramelized pineapple and onion create such a heavenly combination together. Piled on top of a tiny turkey burger nestled in a Hawaiian roll with spicy pepper jack for a kick, there's no better way to pay tribute to sweet summer days.

What flavors scream summertime to you?

Hawaiian Turkey Sliders

Pineapple-Onion Relish

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 a medium onion, diced
1 cup fresh pineapple, chopped
Dash of salt

1. In a medium skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.

2. Add onion and pineapple, stirring often.

3. Cook for about 10-12 minutes or until onions and pineapple are caramelized. Set aside until ready to assemble sliders.

Burgers

1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground turkey
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup green onion, chopped
3 slices pepper jack cheese, cut into quarters
1 package {12 count} King's Hawaiian Rolls

1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. {Or heat grill, if desired.}

2. In a large bowl gently mix together turkey, sesame oil, onion powder, garlic powder, and green onion until well combined. {Try not to overmix.}

3. Form meat into patties. {Should make about 12}

4. Place patties onto hot skillet and and cook for about 5-7 minutes on one side; flip and cook on other side until cooked through and meat is no longer pink.

To assemble sliders:

Place a slice of pepper jack on each warm slider, then top with a spoonful of Pineapple-Onion Relish. Serve on Hawaiian Rolls.

Honey-Coriander Oven Baked Chicken Wings

Um, yeah. These wings.

Where do I begin with these wings?

I have a funny relationship with chicken wings. Admittedly, they are not my favorite food. But from time to time, I go through periods of craving nothing but wings until I satisfy the urge to eat them. {Especially during football season.}

Normally, that means one evening of college football, greasy buffalo chicken wings, and beer {because you can't have wings without beer}. And truthfully, I can't eat more than 3 or 4 before calling it quits.

That is so not the case with these Honey-Coriander Oven Baked Chicken Wings.

I sort of surprised myself when I ate 6 of them and could have polished off the rest {though I'm glad I didn't because that may have been overkill}. They are that good.

My husband, who has eaten many a chicken wing in his life, claimed that they were the best wings he's ever eaten. We don't mess around with statements like that in this house. No sir, not when we're talking food.

We love these things so much that 1. I didn't take more than these two pictures of them because I was so anxious to dive in. and 2. We made them for dinner after a 4.5 hour drive back up from Key West. {They've got to be pretty simple if you can throw them together even after a long weekend in the Keys.} And I still didn't get any pictures. Gone too fast.

They are sticky, sweet, and subtly spicy. The perfectly baked meat falls off the bone.{I have never "cleaned" a chicken wing down to the bone in my life because it sort of nauseates me, but seriously, these basically clean themselves.} I licked my fingers, which is completely unlike me and sort of a pet peeve. 

In short, these wings are special.

I love that they are thrown in the oven and baked {which has to make them a little bit healthier, right?}, but I am sure they'd be fantastic on the grill as well.

It's a little early to tell, but these may just become The Official Wing of Football Season. We'll see.

Honey-Coriander Oven Baked Chicken Wings
Adapted from The Disney Chick

1 package chicken wings, prepared* {we used organic ones, because.. why not?}
1 tablespoon olive oil

For the Seasoning:
1 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon ground paprika
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Combine all spices in a small bowl. Toss together until mixed well. Store leftovers in a ziplock bag.


For the Honey-Coriander Wing Sauce:
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/3 cup honey
Juice of half a lime
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Whisk together soy sauce and cornstarch in a small cup to make a slurry. Add remainder of ingredients to a small saucepan over medium heat and stir together.

Add soy sauce mixture to saucepan. Mix well.

Cook, stirring often, until bubbling and thickened. Set aside.


For Wings:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. {Or 500, but things might get a bit smoky... I nearly set off the fire alarm the first time I made these.}

Line a large sheet pan with foil.{You may want to lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray since wings tend to stick.}
Drizzle wings with olive oil and toss to coat. Spread wings out on sheet pan, and sprinkle with about 2 tablespoons of seasoning until all wings are well-seasoned {front & back}.

Bake for about 10 minutes, flip, and continue to bake for about 8-10 minutes until wings are browned and cooked through {internal temp of 165 degrees in meatiest part of wing}.

Remove wings from sheet pan, and place in a large bowl. Pour sauce over wings, and gently toss to coat all wings.

Serve hot... and with lots of napkins!

*Never "prepared" chicken wings? No worries! Visit this great visual tutorial for instructions from Fabulous Foods on how to prep them.