By Susan Darnell
From King County, State of Washington, US
Living in Puerto Viejo, Limón

Ingredients for 6 people:

• 1 kilo of chicken wings.
• 2 tablespoons of oil of your choice.
• salt.
• 2 teaspoons of pepper powder or 1 teaspoon of chili powder.
• 1 cup of all-purpose flour.
• 1 cup of orange juice.
• 1 tablespoon of minced garlic.
• 1 tablespoon of orange zest.
• 1/2 tablespoons of vinegar.
• 1/2 tablespoons of soy sauce.
• 3 tablespoons of honey.
• 1/4 cup of water.

The sesame seeds and chopped spring onions are best for garnishing, but first the chicken wings. Clean the uncooked wings and pat them dry with a kitchen towel.

In a mixing bowl, toss the wings with oil, salt, pepper and half a tablespoon of chili powder. Sprinkle some flour on the chicken wings to coat them well.

Arrange the wings evenly on a tray with some space between them. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 to 40 minutes in a preheated oven.

You can also deep fry or air fry the chicken wings instead of baking them.

Use a pan to make the sauce. In the pan, add orange juice, chopped garlic, orange zest, vinegar, soy sauce, honey, chili, and 1/2 tablespoon of flour in 1/4 cup of water.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat to medium and let it simmer, stirring often occasionally, until glossy and thickened.

Once the wings are done, toss them in the orange sauce. Sprinkle sesame seeds and chopped spring onions.

You can serve it with white rice and a very cold beer. Ta-da dinner is ready!

Enjoy these spicy and sweet-flavored sauces tossed with crispy chicken wings. These are absolutely delicious! And it is worth trying.

Now, let’s get to dessert.

The second recipe is a must-do! Our friends, married couple Barry and Susie Harrison share their Calypso sweet cold banana dessert recipe.

The Harrisons are from Manitoba, Canada and traveled to Costa Rica for the first time on their honeymoon.

 "My father-in-law is guilty of our first trip to Costa Rica. The trip was his wedding gift," Susie said.

"Five years later, we decided to reside in Puerto Viejo (Limón Province) as perpetual tourists. We have a huge colony of expats here, we are all like a big family. We wouldn't change our life for anything," she said.

By Barry and Susie Harrison

From Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

Living in Puerto Viejo, Limón.

This easy and quick dessert recipe is ideal to prepare with the kids. This is one of the best ways to use your very ripe plantains in your fruit basket. It tastes great and next time when you see ripe plantains, try it.

The ingredients for serving 4 people are:

•     2 very ripe plantains (not bananas).
•     1/2 cup of brown sugar.
•     3 tablespoons of sweet cream unsalted butter.
•     3 tablespoons of nuts.
•     1 spoonful of white sesame seeds.
•     1 spoon of baked unsalted peanuts.

First, peel the skin and chop the plantains into very small chunks. You can also mash it using a fork or masher.

Heat some butter in a pan. Fry the nuts and peanuts till golden.

Add the chopped plantains and fry them for a few minutes. Add sugar and mix well.

Cook until the mix gets thick. Add the remaining butter and sugar. Mix the ingredients until the plantains become glossy.

Add in sesame seeds and give it a good mix.

Pour this into a greased pan and, using a spatula, smooth it out. Allow it to cool inside the fridge for about 1 hour.

Cut into slices and enjoy!

If you don't have ripe plantains, try it with any regular banana. But ripe plantains give an awesome taste.

Have a Pura Vida Calypso weekend!

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Find more tasty step-by-step recipes on the AM Costa Rica Food & Good Eating website. You are invited to share your recipes with a horizontal photo of the dish by emailing food@amcostarica.com