Recipe: Fun Food on a Stick

Skewered appetizers are hot this season. In fact, there’s an entire book on the subject titled On a Stick! My interpretation here is a little broader. While I thread Korean Pork Skewers onto toothpicks, Caribbean-Style Hot Wings have their own natural built-in stick.

So whether it’s for game day or a holiday open house, this year serve your nibbles “on a stick.”

Korean Pork Skewers

• 3 Tbs. Thai chili paste
• 2 Tbs. each soy sauce and rice vinegar
• 1 Tb. each minced fresh ginger and garlic
• ½ tsp. hot red pepper flakes
• 1 pork tenderloin (about 1 pound) thinly sliced (you should get about 30 slices)

Mix chili paste, soy, vinegar, ginger, garlic and pepper flakes in a small bowl. Place pork in a quart-size zipperlock bag; add marinade, mix well and seal. Refrigerate for 4 hours or up to 2 days.

When ready to serve, adjust oven rack to highest position and turn broiler on high. Thread each pork slice onto a toothpick and place on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Broil until golden brown and just cooked through, about 5 minutes. For extra flavor and great color, garnish with thinly sliced scallion greens and serve.

Servings: Makes about 30 hors d’oeuvres

Per serving: 23 calories, 0g carbohydrates, 3g protein, 1g fat (0g saturated), 10mg cholesterol, 0g dietary fiber, 151mg sodium

Caribbean-Style Hot Wings

• 4 pounds split chicken wings
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 2 tsps. dried thyme leaves
• Salt and ground black pepper
• ½ cup orange juice
• ¼ cup each fresh lemon juice and lime juice
• 4 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tbs. jalapeño pepper sauce

Toss wings with oil, thyme and a light sprinkling of salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Spray a large rimmed baking sheet with vegetable cooking spray; arrange wings in a single layer. Adjust oven rack to lowest position. Set baking sheet on oven rack in cold oven and preheat to 450 degrees. Roast for 30 minutes. Remove wings from oven and use a metal spatula to turn; continue to roast until golden brown, about 10 minutes longer.

Meanwhile, mix citrus juices, garlic and pepper sauce. Pour over wings; return to oven; roast to blend flavors, about 5 minutes longer. Scrape wings and sauce onto a platter. As with Korean pork, garnish with scallion greens if you like and serve.

Servings: About 30 wings

Per serving: 80 calories, 1g carbohydrates, 6g protein, 5g fat (1g saturated), 20mg cholesterol, 0g dietary fiber, 19mg sodium