Buffalo chicken legs kick up the heat in this fast recipe

Add a tangy, cool salad topped with blue cheese dressing to balance the heat of these fiery Buffalo-style chicken legs. The heat level is up to you.

The recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of tomato paste. Freeze extra for another recipe.

COUNTDOWN

• Prepare chicken ingredients.

• Make chicken.

• While chicken cooks, make salad.

WINE AND BEER

Fred Tasker’s wine suggestion: Linda is getting so spicy here that I throw up my hands and suggest ice-cold beer.

Evan Benn’s beer suggestion: Good call, Fred. The heat of this dish calls for a thirst-quenching, well-chilled Yuengling Lager from Pennsylvania.

SHOPPING LIST

To buy: 8 skinless chicken drumsticks (with bone about 3 ounces each), 1 small can tomato paste, 1 container strawberries, 1 container blueberries, 1 package washed, ready-to-eat lettuce, 1 bottle cayenne pepper, 1 small bottle honey and 1 bottle reduced-fat blue cheese dressing.

Staples: Canola oil, garlic and distilled white vinegar.

Buffalo Chicken Legs

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more if you like it really hot)

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon canola oil

8 skinless chicken drumsticks

Mix cayenne, honey, vinegar, tomato paste and garlic together to form a smooth sauce; set aside. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and brown for 5 minutes, turn and brown 5 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to low and add sauce to the skillet, stir to coat chicken. Cover and cook 5 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Divide chicken among two plates, spooning extra pan sauce over the drumsticks. Makes 2 servings.

Per serving: 350 calories (36 percent from fat), 14 g fat (2.4 g saturated, 6.8 g monounsaturated), 162 mg cholesterol, 34.4 g protein, 21.7 g carbohydrates, 0.9 g fiber, 174 mg sodium.

Blue Cheese Salad

4 cups washed, ready-to-eat lettuce

1 cup strawberries, washed, hulled and cut in half

1 cup blueberries, washed

2 tablespoons reduced-fat blue cheese dressing

Divide lettuce between two plates. Add strawberries and blueberries. Drizzle with blue cheese dressing to make a red, white and blue pattern. Makes 2 servings.

Per serving: 98 calories (17 percent from fat), 1.8 g fat (0.5 g saturated, 0.4 g monounsaturated), no cholesterol, 3 g protein, 20.1 g carbohydrates, 5.5 g fiber, 150 mg sodium.