Easy Appetizers

Gas grills are hugely popular in this day and age. Most households are trading in that old charcoal burner for the luxury of gas. There are many advantages to owning a gas grill over a hardwood charcoal grill, but they also have some similarities. They each cook food. That's the main thing both grills share. And even though you may love that gas grill, you may still be hard pressed to find some new recipes to try out on it. I like taking regular recipes for things like chicken and giving them a whole new spin. One of my favorite recipes I invented I call, Chicken Snackers.

People love chicken, but it gets so bland and boring. It's also becoming very expensive. Chicken breasts can run almost 7 dollars a pound at times. I started buying chicken legs and playing around with some recipes. They're really inexpensive and just as delicious as another other part of the chicken. I marinade my chicken in some unusual flavors and grill them up with a sweet and spicy sauce. The legs are fantastic. They're so convenient to hold and eat, just like a bigger wing. This recipe is super simple and it's totally different. It has an Italian spin on osso buco and a surprise little kick.

Grilled Chicken Snack Legs:

We're going to need a sporadic shopping list for this one. Pick up a big pack of chicken legs, at least 10 of them. Also, a bottle of red wine, some ginger, garlic, an onion, dried Italian seasoning, hot sauce, a green pepper and 2 lemons. When selecting a wine, it doesn't have to be expensive. But we don't want a wine that you can't drink either. Having a nasty wine will make nasty food. Think of buying something that you're familiar with.

Preparing the marinade is simple; the only real trick is the patience involved. You will have to let this chicken marinade for at least 12 hours, though you should go an entire 24. Pour half the bottle of wine into a bowl or dish large enough to handle all of the chicken. Next, chop up the onions, garlic, ginger, green pepper and lemons and add them. Finish the marinade off with a hefty tablespoon of the Italian seasoning, a few shots of hot sauce, according to your taste, and a heavy pinch of salt and pepper. Make sure the chicken legs are fully covered and wrap tightly with foil, plastic or a tight fitting lid and refrigerate.

When it's time to start cooking, cut your grill to medium heat. Allow the grill to heat for 10 minutes or so and make sure the racks are well oiled. When taking the chicken out of the marinade, make sure it has almost dried before placing it on the grill. Lightly season the chicken with some salt and pepper and place onto the hot grill racks. You should be able to get about 20 legs on even a medium sized grill, but the odds are you won't be doing that many. We're not looking for a great color or anything, just to get them cooked.

Allow them to cook for about 15-20 minutes on each side. They will get a great crust regardless, so make sure not to overcook them. All the flavor is inside; they're very surprising and very different. These legs make for a great snack. You can throw some hot sauce on them for a very interesting game-day take on hot wings.

Free Fast Food Coupons