This is one of my favorite go-to recipes for a quick and healthy dinner. It doesn’t require any marinating beforehand (although you can do that if you like for richer flavor), and with a few simple ingredients you can have it on the table in under an hour! It’s a favorite with my kids, too, and we rarely have leftovers!

The real secret to the rich taste, though, is good-quality Hungarian paprika. Hungarian paprika is one of several kinds of paprika (including sweet, smoked, and Spanish pimentón) used in cooking. It has a complex flavor (with at least 8 varieties) and ranges from mild (flavor) and bright red (color) to spicy and pungent with a pale orange color.

For this recipe, I use organic chicken from Whole Foods or chicken that has been marked with one of the “certified humane” labels . However, the term “organic” has little meaning in the US food market when it comes to chicken, beyond that the animal was fed a diet of organic food, raised without antibiotics or growth hormones, and given access to the outdoors. If you’re picturing a happy bird that is living an idyllic life on a farm until the day it is slaughtered, think again. Many animals who have been fed “organic” food are being raised on factory farms that keep them confined much of the time, or that limit their “outdoor access” time to short periods, with “outdoors” sometimes meaning a dirt lot.

it’s much more important to think about where the animal is coming from. Some companies that do not practice organic farming do use humane practices. This is especially true for small family farms, which are (in my opinion) the best places to buy your animal products. But that isn’t always feasible.

Several companies are now using eco-friendly labels that signal to buyers that the animal is being raised in “humane” conditions. It’s important to know that there is a big difference between claims of “humanely raised” and humane certifications. In the US, certain organizations certify farms for their humane animal husbandry practices. Though standards vary, the certifications “Certified Humane,” “Animal Welfare Approved” and “Global Animal Partnership” ensure that the animals are being raised in much better conditions than is typical of factory farms. The American Society for the PRevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has a list of companies that have earned one or more of these certifications.

Paprika Chicken Wings

Kelly P @GreenandProsperous

Ingredients

2 lbs chicken wings
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp oregano
1 tbsp Hungarian paprika
(optional) 1 tsp crushed garlic or 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Directions

pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
mix spices together in a large mixing bowl

3. add chicken wings and coat thoroughly with the spice mixture. The best way to do this is with your hands.

4. (optional) let marinate for 3 minutes. Again, this step is not necessary, but it does give the chicken a somewhat richer flavor.

5. Spread chicken wings out on an ungreased baking sheet or pan, making sure the wings don’t touch.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes, turning the wings over after the first 20 minutes.

7. for crispy skin, set wings on oven rack at lowest level and broil on low for 10-15 minutes.

Makes 4 servings

Goes well with roast potatos and mixed vegetables. The potatos are cut and tossed in olive oil, pink salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. The mixed veggies are organic and frozen, from Costco. They heat up in the microwave at high heat in about 3 minutes and are so full of flavor we don’t add anything to them at all!