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This was different, would make again!

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This recipe contains alcohol. Please use it and in your dishes responsibly.

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Time to spice things up with this charming chicken and then cool it down a little with a melon salsa from the kitchens of chrismukkah

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A 'two-fer' recipe that I hope you folks enjoy :3

Spicy Melon Salsa

Ingredients:

1 cup diced cantaloupe
1 cup diced honeydew
1 cup diced watermelon (skipped, but dont let that stop you)
1 cucumber, finely chopped
1/2 cup diced red onion
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
Juice of one fresh lime
1/2 teaspoon superfine sugar (If you don’t have superfine sugar, you can just grind some regular granulated sugar with a mortar and pestle.)
- or use powdered sugar...skipped, it had enough sugar from the melon goodness anyways)
1 pinch salt
small bunch of fresh cilantro chopped (or swap with parsley if you don't like)
1 squirt Sriracha sauce to taste

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and toss. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Makes about 2 cups.

Brown Sugar & Balsamic Barbeque Sauce (on chicken, pictured here)

* optional

1 large red onion, diced
6 cloves minced garlic (went with 5, more than enough*)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large apple thinly sliced (used 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce*)

Saute all together in a medium sized saucepan until the onions and apples have softened. Add:

8 large very ripe diced tomatoes with the skins removed ( or a 28-32 ounce can crushed tomatoes)

Saute together until the tomatoes begin to break down and get mushy (or until the sauce is reduced by 1/4 if using canned tomatoes), then add:

1 1/4 cups brown sugar (if using pom molasses cut this down to 3/4ths to 1 cup)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar (* went with ½ cup pomegranate molasses)
1 teaspoon ground thyme
1 tsp crushed chili paste (or 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, more or less to taste of either if you want to better control the heat- I went with cayenne, plus 1 whole dried cayenne pepper that I had around)
2 tbsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp chili powder (* didn't have on hand, went with cumin- 1 tsp)
1/2 whole nutmeg, finely grated (*1 tsp ground nutmeg)
2 tbsp fresh finely grated ginger
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp dark Captain Morgan rum*

Simmer all together over low heat for about a half hour or until the sauce reaches the consistency of a good barbeque sauce. I like mine a little thicker than most because it is easier to brush on whatever is being grilled.

Store in airtight mason jars in the fridge.....OR...

Just get some chicken legs (or wings, or etc) - preheat the oven to 375 F while you are cooking the sauce- get a large cookie pan, cover the pan with foil- then once the sauce has cooled a bit when you are done cooking it...cover the chicken with the sauce, put it in the oven and let bake for 45 minutes and just make sure your turn it over when it cooks to the 15 minute mark, then let it cook through.

Then just take out...let it rest for a minute or two...and serve with the salsa :3

Enjoy with lots of beer or iced tea, this does have a good bit of kick to it!

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~ From Chris: If you like, at the last 5 minutes you can set your oven to BROIL so that it gets a burnt crust on the skin - and I would also recommend using chicken thighs, not legs, since they can take the heat of the oven! Just make sure that either way, you keep an eye on the chicken so it doesn't burn completely and youre good!