Thriving Recipe: Sweet ‘n Spicy Drumsticks

This last month I have been exploring lots of new recipes from Pearl Barrett and Serene Allison’s “Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook.” This drumstick dish is adapted from one of their originals “Little Sweet Little spicy Drumsticks”. Their cookbooks have been a great resource for creative and delicious recipes. I do, however, find myself making some modifications to simplify and add nutritional value. For this recipe, I substituted monk fruit for the Trim Healthy Mama sweeteners which consist of stevia, xylitol, and erythritol. If you recall from my series “How Sweet is the Sweet”, stevia rates high on my natural sweetener list when in an unprocessed form. It should be green and powdered. Or a liquid in its tincture form, extracted by alcohol with no additives. The powdered stevia is best for cooking but harder to come by. Xylitol and erythritol are sugar alcohols that are quite processed from their natural whole form, however, studies so far have only revealed the health benefits of these sweeteners. My preference though is to stick with ingredients closer to their whole form. After wading through the pros and cons of stevia, xylitol, and erythritol, I opt for monk fruit! An antioxidant rich low-glycemic sweetener! You don’t need much in a recipe as it is very sweet. Also, this recipe called for chili powder or chipotle powder. Having neither on hand, I simply increased the garlic, cumin, and paprika, and added in oregano and onion powder--all the main ingredients in chili powder. So, if you are ever out of an ingredient (Ex. spice, spice mix.) discover how you can substitute something else for it or make it yourself. I paired this dish with some roasted radish fries and fresh tomatoes. Ingredients: 4 to 6 pounds chicken drumsticks 4 Tbsp. butter melted ¼ tsp. Monk fruit 2 Tbsp. Garlic powder 2 Tbsp. paprika 1 ½ Tbsp. Cumin 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp. oregano 1 ½ tsp. Mineral salt ¼ to ½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional for additional heat Directions: Preheat the oven to 375 F Pierce each drumstick several times with a sharp knife, pulling downward to create holes in the chicken skin and meat so the flavors can cr eep in. Mix together the melted butter, monk fruit, and all the seasoning in a bowl. (It will become a paste) Dip each drumstick into the paste, then use our hands to smear it all over the chicken, making each piece is well coated with the spice mixture. This will be messy but fun! If it is clumpy, don't worry, it will melt in the hot oven. Place the drumsticks on 2 shallow glass 13 9 inch baking dishes. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, turning the pieces a couple times. At the end of cooking, turn the oven to high broil and crisp the top of the drumsticks even more for a few minutes. (They should be browned, but not burned, so keep an eye on them while you broil.)