3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce or tamari

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

12 medium chicken drumsticks (3-3 1/2 pounds), skin removed (see note)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 to 1 cup sesame seeds

Combine honey, orange zest, orange juice, soy sauce (or tamari), garlic, ginger, vinegar and crushed red pepper in a small bowl.

Coat a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Add drumsticks, pour in the sauce and mix to coat. Cover and cook until an instant-read thermometer registers 165 F when inserted into the thickest part of the meat without touching bone, 2 to 3 hours on High or 4 hours on Low.

Transfer the drumsticks to a bowl. Very carefully pour the liquid from the slow cooker into a medium skillet. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil until reduced and syrupy, 10 to 15 minutes. Pour the sauce over the drumsticks and stir to coat. Serve sprinkled with cilantro and sesame seeds.

Recipe note: To remove the skin from chicken drumsticks, grip the skin from the meaty end of the drumstick with a paper towel and pull down toward the exposed bone until it comes off completely.

Recipe nutrition: Per serving: 245 calories; 7 g fat (2 g sat, 3 g mono); 150 mg cholesterol; 18 g carbohydrate; 15 g added sugars; 16 g total sugars; 28 g protein; 0 g fiber; 404 mg sodium; 362 mg potassium.

Nutrition bonus: Zinc (33 percent daily value), Potassium (16 percent dv)

1 Carbohydrate Serving(s)

Exchanges: 1 other carbohydrate, 6 lean meat

(EatingWell is a magazine and website devoted to healthy eating as a way of life. Online at www.eatingwell.com.)