Grandpa John's Chicken mmm mmm Good!

Grandpa John's Chicken Mmm Mmm Good!

This chicken is the best chicken you can serve to your friends and family!

3 Pounds of Chicken Thighs
& Legs
(Boil Chicken until cooked, marinate overnight)
½ Cup Melted Butter
½ Cup Lemon Juice
¾ Cup Redwine Vinegar
¼ Cup Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Meat Tenderizer
1 Tablespoon Salt
8 Tablespoons BBQ Sauce

To keep moist use charcoal
with foil, or gas with low heat and foil, water in a metal container with lid
closed.

Pastitsio (Greek Lasagna)

Pastitsio (Greek Lasagna)

Ingredients:

For the Pastitsio itself:

2 lb. tubular pasta (long macaroni, ziti, penne, I use spaghetti etc.)

1 lb. of ground meat
2 chopped medium onions
2 TBL. Minced Garlic
1 can of Italian Stewed tomatoes finely chopped
2 cups extra-virgin olive oil divided into two cups (1 cup for meat and 1 cup for pasta)
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. Thyme
1 ½ tsp of basil
½ C. Sauvignon Blanc Wine
1/2 lb. of grated Parmesan
¼ c. Feta
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

Greek-style béchamel, or white sauce:

1 cup of flour

½ Cup butter (1 stick)
4 cups milk
4 beaten eggs
1/2 lb. grated Parmesan
½ c. Feta
Salt and some pepper
½ tsp. grated nutmeg

Instructions
1. In a sauce pan pour a cup olive oil and cook the onion bits until slightly browned. Then add the Garlic and saute until mixed well within the onion.Mix in the ground meat, mixing for a few minutes and breaking all the meat lumps, then mix in the Italian Stewed tomatoes chopped up, the salt and pepper, the bay leaves, the basil, the thyme, and the Sauvignon Blanc Wine. Mix all ingredients together in the sauce pan with the meat and onions. Then add the nutmeg and Cinnamon and mix together as well. Allow to simmer stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes on low-medium.

2. In another pan bring approx. 6 cups of water to boil and cook the pasta to very 'al dente' stage, following package instructions but shy of a few minutes of time. Drain water and mix in the remaining 1 cup of olive oil into the pasta mix well and set aside until ready to assemble lasagna.

3. Prepare the white sauce: In a saucepan met ½ cup of buttter (1 stick) and pour in the flour stirring constantly in the same direction with a spatula to avoid creating any lumps. Add the Nutmeg, salt, and pepper into the flour and butter mixture. Gradually add the milk to the sauce while stirring with a whisk as you pour it in. Remove the sauce pan from the stove and mix in the beaten eggs, and the parmesan cheese and feta while, once again, stirring constantly.

4. Pre-heat the oven to 375°F. In a lasagna pan (9x13) laddle one laddle full of the sauce onto the bottom of the pan place half the pasta, sprinkle them with some grated cheese and cover them with the meat mixture. Then add the other half of the pasta and sprinkle grated cheese again and top with meat mixture. Finally pour all your white sauce in the pan. Sprinkle some grated cheese on the top and remaining feta.

5. Bake in oven at 375º for 45minutes or until golden brown on top. Remove from oven cover with foil and allow it to set for 15 minutes before serving.

French Toast Casserole

The best thing about this dish is you can prepare it the night before put it in the fridge and then pop it in the oven in the morning for some yummy hot breakfast that you and the whole family will love! (You can also make it in the morning too works fantastic)

Overnight French Toast Casserole

1/2 cup butter, melted (1 stick)

12 - slices Texas toast or any leftover bread

1 - cup brown sugar

1 - tsp cinnamon

1/4 - tsp nutmeg

1/2 - cup chopped pecans (optional)

1 - tsp vanilla extract

5 - eggs

1 1/2 - cups milkMelt butter and pour in a 9x 13 .

Instructions:

Mix together brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and if nuts if you are using them. Whisk eggs, milk & vanilla together. Layer bottom of pan with half the bread pieces Sprinkle half brown sugar mix over the bread. Layer second half of bread. Pour egg mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly. Sprinkle remaining brown sugar on top. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, remove from the refrigerator and cover with a new piece of foil. Preheat oven to 350 bake the casserole for 30 minutes. Then uncover and bake 15 more minutes French toast bake should be browned and set. I like to remove mine from the oven and pour some maple syrup on top and place back in the oven to caramelize for about 5-7 minutes (optional).

Portuguese Rice!

Portuguese what? What is a Portuguese and where do I get one? Many people think that Portugal is a county in South America called Peru! WRONG!!!!... Portugal is a small country on the west of Spain. It is a beautiful country full of culture, and flavors. One of the recipes I get asked to make a lot is my Portuguese rice. So I decided to share it with you. Hope you like it!

Ingredients:

1/2 C Olive Oil

1 1/2 C Finely chopped onion (1 whole medium onion)

3 tsp minced garlic

1 1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

2 bay leaves

1 1/2 c chopped Roma tomatoes

4 c of chicken broth

1 Tbl chopped fresh parsley leaves

1 Tbl chopped fresh cilantro leaves

2 C. jasmine white rice

Directions:

1. In a 4 quart medium saucepan heat the oil over high heat until hot.

2. Add the onion and cook, sitting until softened (approx 4 minutes)

3. Add the Garlic, salt, red pepper, and bay leaves stirring for 1 minute

4. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes.

5. Add the broth, parsley, and cilantro, and bring to a boil.

6. Add the rice and stir well, when the liquid returns to a boil stir again, then cover the pot and reduce heat to medium low.

7. Cook the rice undisturbed for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the liquid is dissolved and the rice is tender.

8. Let the rice stand for 5 minutes undisturbed before fluffing with a fork. Enjoy!

To Flan or Not to Flan?

After searching through over 100 recipes easily, I decided to try and create my own recipe for Flan. I personally am not a Flan lover, but being the good wife I am, decided to make it for my husband loves Flan. The Recipe is as follows. (I actually liked it a lot)

2Cups of sugar (divided)

1/2 Cup Water

1 1/2 tsp. Orange Extract

1 8oz of cream cheese

5 eggs

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 can evaporated milk

2ish tsp of Vanilla extract.

Steps:

Carmel Covering

1: Take 1 cu p of sugar, and 1/2 cup of water place in a non stick map on medium high heat. stir the sugar and water to mix. Do not stir from then on. The water will evaporate and the sugar will dissolve creating a Carmel color. Once it was reached the color you desire for your flan topic remove from heat. Add 1 1/2 tsp of Orange extract (be careful it is oil so it does pop at you).

2. Take Carmel and pour it into desired Flan Plan. swirl around covering all surfaces of the pan. it will be hot so be careful. Once all surfaces are covered leave it to harden and create the custard.

Custard:

3. Take a roasting pan (or something that you can place your ramekin or dish in ) fill half way with water place in oven preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

4. In a mixing bowl (I used my kitchen aid stand mixer LOVE IT) put 1 cup of sugar, and 8oz of cream cheese. Mix on medium speed until well blended

5. crack 5 eggs and add to cream cheese mixture, mix until well blended

6. Add the remaining ingredient; 1 can sweetened condensed milk, 1 can evaporated milk, and 2ish tsp. of Vanilla extract. Mix on high for 1 to 2 minutes (or until cream cheese is well blended into mixture)

7. Pour mixture into desired pan with Carmel already in it.

8. Place in preheated oven pan (the water should come up to about 3/4 way the side of the flan dish (outside)).

9. cook for 1hour and 20 minutes. If you Flan has not set cook in 5 to 10 minutes increments there after. (test for set with a knife in the middle like a cake should come out clean)

10. bring out of over remove immediately from roasting pan, and allow to cool.

11. Place in fridge until ready to serve. Some people eat it hot, i prefer mine cold!!! YUM YUM!!!