100 Drumsticks

Of the chicken, 100 calorie variety.

Yep, giving the old 100 calorie cookbook another whirl tonight...I know, I know, it's Valentine's Day, so I should be doing something a little more decadent.

Except that The Man is taking a class, which meets tonight, so he won't be home until around 10. So, that means uninterrupted viewing of Lost, and that I already ate an Italian sausage, some cheese, pretzel chips, some hummus, and 2 Ladybugs...just call me The Snackmaster, or maybe the Snack Mistress?

You know, I'm not sure who this Nikki chick is, or why she makes cookies,

and why she thought "Ladybugs" was a good name for this cookie, but I don't care. These cookies come straight from Satan's workshop, and I'm glad I only had 2. Otherwise, you might find me too large to actually fit through the front door.

(Okay, Nikki's bio just kills me...she's baking cookies in a log cabin in the Wisconsin woods...too damn artisanal for words. Makes me want to start scouring the real estate ads for Vermont farmland where I can have some wee tiny goats and cute little cows and produce fantastic cheeses, while stomping around in homespun and Birkenstocks. I am in no way knocking this lifestyle, because I am extremely jealous of this lifestyle and the courage it takes to chuck it all and go do it. And, then there's the recipe for a cheesecake made with these Ladybug cookies...not that I'm sure I could sacrifice 8 of these cookies for the cheesecake.)

So, back to the chicken... The "sauce" is rather odd and very thin. The picture in the cookbook shows some skinless drumsticks that look vaguely glazed with something, but not a lot of "something." And, they look browner than what I'm seeing in my oven...there's a lot of liquid that goes over this chicken.

Barbecued Chicken

4 servings, ~99 calories

4 chicken drumsticks, about 3.5 oz each, skinned

1 Tbsp chopped Italian parsley

Lemon wedges

For the sauce:

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 Tbsp tomato paste

2/3 cup water

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp prepared mustard (I used a spicy deli-style one)

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Procedure

1. Whisk the tomato paste into the water, then add the shallot, garlic, red wine vinegar, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Whisk until well blended.

2. Rinse the drumsticks and pat dry with paper towels. Place the drumsticks in a large ovenproof dish (I used a small retangular Pyrex baking dish and sprayed it with a little cooking spray). Pour the sauce over the drumsticks and let stand for at least 2 hours, occasionally spooning sauce over the chicken. (I did this in the fridge, even though the book doesn't mention that part...no salmonella for this chick.)

3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cook the chicken drumsticks in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked. Spoon sauce over chicken or turn drumsticks over during cooking.

4. Transfer to serving dish and sprinkle with parsley, garnish with lemon wedges. Serve with a tossed salad.

(Okay, some whack stuff is happening on Lost...these flash forwards/backwards are really getting to me...especially the one that has Sayid in a tuxedo...and play golf. Who would have thunk that a man could look so damned hot while playing golf? I think I need a fan and another cookie.)

Chicken? What chicken? Oh, alright...I'll try and stay on topic. The drumsticks were okay...not anything to really write home about, but I'm betting you can get picky eaters and children to eat them. I thought they needed salt, so I'd add a little salt and pepper to the sauce or the chicken itself before saucing and baking.

(And, don't think I didn't notice that it's 99 calories per drumstick...that seems a little misleading, don'tcha think? Although, if you eat 4, then it's only 400 calories...still better than a Big Mac.)

I came home with the great intentions of baking a cake, too...and not just any cake, but a Red Velvet Pound Cake...Red. Velvet. Pound Cake. I'm thinking this will literally be a slice of heaven that goes straight to your "problem areas." But, I got all involved in Sayid and his tuxedo and the weirdness that is the Island and these drumsticks, so I punted it for the evening. I am planning on an attempt this weekend, so I'll let you know how that goes...especially since I've never actually made a pound cake. Oughta be fun, don't ya think?!