Grilled Chicken

Bo knows baseball, my Dad knows chicken!

Tonight he made the. best. chicken. EVER.  His family has always made grilled chicken, basted with a buttery worcestershirey sauce like you'd find at a fire department chicken bbq!  Pap had a big pit with a grill grate across it.  We'd have cookouts and Pap, my Dad and my uncles would make the chicken.  Memories.  

Tonight he kicked it up a notch!  The traditional recipe involves a lot of dumping and approximately goes like this!

1 Stick Margarine

1 Tbsp Vinegar

1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

Salt and Pepper

Combine the ingredients in a small saucepan until the butter is melted.  Taste it.  It should make you gasp a little when you take a spoonful.  That's how you know you have enough vinegar...don't worry, it'll cook off!  Grill it, preferable over charcoal, basting with the sauce until it's done!  This chicken makes me smile.  It makes my belly smile.  It's one of Pap Emig's legacies!

Tonight, my Dad, he changed things up a bit.  Good changes.  Happy changes!  The title of this post does it no justice, but what else would you call it?

1 Stick Margarine

1 Tbsp Vinegar

1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 Tbsp Ketchup

Cayenne Pepper

Paprika

Sugar

Combine the ingredients in a small saucepan until the butter is melted.  Add a couple of shakes of the cayenne, more if you like it spicy.  Add a couple of shakes of paprika.  I think the paprika is more for color than taste.  Taste it.  It should make you gasp a little when you take a spoonful.  The rest is history!  He took something that was already wonderful and turned it into an amazing sort of barbecue sauce.  Love it!  Love him!

Summer Zucchini & Tomato Casserole

Zucchini is about to be in overabundance.  I'm okay with that!  There are lots of recipes on Pinterest.  And I have a few go-to goodies up my sleeve!  This is one that I make a lot!  Like several times a week all summer.


I made this one with my best girlie last week.  It's zucchini, butter, tomatoes, cheese, more butter!  You can't go wrong!

A sprinkle of cheese mid-casserole never hurt anyone!

Not very many breadcrumbs!

2 Medium Zucchini
2 Medium Ripe Tomatoes
Butter or margarine
Seasoned Breadcrumbs
2 Cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Salt and Pepper


Using a mandolin, thinly slice the zucchini and layer in a 9 x 9 pan.  Shannon called an audible and had me add a layer of cheese between the zucchini.  When in doubt, add cheese!  Dot the top of the zucchini with butter.  Slice the tomatoes into approximately 1/4" slices and cover the zucchini.  Cover the tomatoes with shredded mozzarella. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the cheese.  Not too much, don't want to hide the cheese!  Dot with butter again.  Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper!

We sorta ate it all before I remembered to take a picture.  Sorry!

Bake at 375*.  The butter and tomato juices will run down through and bubble under the zucchini to make it soft.  Bake for 25 minutes or until the top is golden brown!  Smile!

Gazebo Room Dressing

I love summer!  If I had to pick 2 things that I love most, I'd say baseball and fresh veggies!  And grilling.  I'll have to have 3 things!  Our grill was getting cantankerous after last summer and wasn't working well when we covered her for winter much sooner than I was ready.  But alas, miracles do happen!  I fired her up and she works!  

If you have never had Gazebo Room dressing.  You must.  "Gazebo Room dressing and marinade. Your taste buds will never be the same".  The jingle doesn't lie!  It was invented right here in South Central Pennsylvania and was the house salad dressing of the Gazebo Room Restaurant in Harrisburg Pennsylvania until the owner's sons decided to bottle and sell it!  The website shows that it's available all over the east coast, even as far as Texas.  AND you can order online at www.gazeboroom.com.  I am not receiving any reimbursement or free dressing for this endorsement.  I'm just food obsessed! 

Tonight I tossed a bunch of veggies in the grill pan with some Gazebo Room Greek.  Mushrooms are the best because they absorb the yummy goodness.  I used onions, mushrooms, carrots and green beans!  Cut the mushrooms in half and quarter the carrots (I use real ones, not "baby" carrots).  The thicker the pieces, the longer the carrot will need to cook.  Cut the tips off of the fresh green beans.  Saute for 15 minutes or so over a medium grill until they start to soften up and brown a bit.  I recommend adding the onions a little later or they'll burn.  Like mine did...do as I say, not as I do!

It's also wonderful on chicken!  Thaw and flatten some chicken tenders in a zipper bag.  Then, dump some Gazebo Room Balsamic Vinaigrette (Greek is good too) in there for a few minutes while the grill gets hot.  Grill for just a few minutes on each side.  Easiest meal ever! 

They also sell a Greek Lite version.  I haven't tried it, don't really plan to.  I never said I was a role model!

When my cucumbers come in, watch out!  I'll be living on a salad of cucumber, tomato, basil, feta cheese and Greek dressing!  My mouth is watering just thinking about it!  Oh and it's really good on grilled zucchini.  Had that last night!

Green Bean Casserole

This is my version of Green Bean Casserole!  I'm ashamed to admit that I was grown and married before I ever tasted a Green Bean Casserole.  I wasn't impressed.  I thought it was salty and runny.  Then my brother-in-law's girlfriend Magan made it for a family holiday dinner.  I liked it.  I was inspired!

I compared a few recipes.  I picked the parts of each that I like the most, blah bling blah...and I added cheese. 

Confession:  I can eat half of this recipe in one sitting.  It's a vegetable though, so it's diet food!  My casserole, my rules!

This is serious.  Do not use canned green beans.  I beg you!  There's cheese and there's soy sauce.  Plenty of salt!  You will ruin this deliciousness with salty beans!  None of us needs to retain extra water.  

This ends today's public service announcement!

1 Bag Frozen Green Beans (16 oz steam bag)    

1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup

¼ Cup Milk

2 Tbsp Lite Soy Sauce

1 - 2 Cups Shredded Monterey Jack or Colby Jack Cheese  

1 Small Can French Fried Onions

Pepper

Preheat oven to 350.  Microwave the bag of frozen green beans according to the instructions on the bag.  If not a steamer bag, it’s okay but the dish will need to bake much longer.  In a 9 x 13 baking dish, mix ¾ of the soup with the milk and enough soy sauce to make it appear a light caramel color.  I'm guessing at the 2 Tablespoons.  I actually shake the soy sauce about 6 to 8 times.  Add the green beans and cheese, mix to combine.  Give a couple of shakes of pepper.  Cover with a layer of French fried onions ~ don't skimp!  Those puppies aren't cheap, so buy the store brand.  They're exactly the same!

Bake for 25-30 minutes, (15 minutes more if the green beans were frozen, even longer if they were fresh), or until green beans are tender.  Increase temperature to 400 until the French fried onions are a golden brown.

Every time I see the broccoli in my freezer, I think that one day I'll dare to make a Broccoli Casserole with this recipe.  If I do, you'll be the first to know!

This is the color of the "dressing".  Like muddy creek water!

White Chocolate Fruit Dip

Happy Mother's Day to the old moms, new moms, soon-to-be moms, to those that love like a mom, and to those who wish they could be!

I have nothing profound to say about this recipe. It was passed on from a friend many years ago as a semi-sweet chocolate fruit dip and I altered it (go figure). I'm not sure what it is about recipes, it's a compulsion of mine to change at least one thing!

Don't get me wrong, the original version is off the chain! It is amazing with strawberries or bananas or graham crackers. I'm not sure that there's anything you couldn't dip in there! But, I'm not so much of a traditional chocolate girl. Gasp! I know! I don't hyperventilate when there are brownies in the building. I like chocolate, but it's not my fave. Give me savory any day!

I've found lately that white chocolate is a little more my speed. It's funny, Aunt Romaine cannot eat dark or milk chocolate but white chocolate does not make her sick. I was curious, so I did some research! White chocolate consists of cocoa butter, sugar, milk solids and salt. It does not contain cocoa solids. During the manufacturing process, the dark-colored solids of the cacao bean are separated from its fatty content. In traditional chocolates, the cocoa solids are added back in. Some people have a sensitivity or allergy to the cocoa solids and liqueur!

I changed this recipe from semi-sweet chocolate to white chocolate. Also instead of dipping it as usual, today I treated it as a sauce and served it drizzled over strawberry shortcake! I planned to try amaretto flavoring in place of the vanilla but I couldn't find it at our small local store. You could substitute strawberry fluff and make a pink fruity version. Wait, I just had a great idea...add some cinnamon chips with the white chocolate for a yummy twist! It would be so good drizzled over zucchini bread or pears!

1 Bag White Chocolate Chips
1 Small Can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/2 Cup Milk
1 tsp Vanilla
1 Jar Marshmallow Fluff (7 oz)

Mix all but the fluff until combined using a Double Boiler (I improvise and place a glass bowl over a large saucepan with boiling water. Do not allow bowl to touch boiling water.) Continue whisking until the chips are dissolved. Add in the fluff and continue whisking until smooth. Store at room temperature for best consistency. This makes it a perfect picnic or camping snack because it doesn't hurt to let it sit out! Serve with strawberries, bananas, graham crackers, etc. Bananas are my favorite!

Individual Apple Crisp

First, let me say that I can take no credit for this dessert. Except for the part where I don't measure anything and use way too much sugar and butter! I owe it all to Iowa Girl Eats. I may have a food crush on her. Her version is only 250 calories. If you'd prefer that better-for-you version or if you would like some actual measurements, I won't be offended if you want to leave and make IGE's Individual Toffee Apple Crisp recipe instead. It can be found here... http://iowagirleats.com/tag/apple-crisp/

For all of you who stuck around, there's butter. And brown sugar. And very little measuring and a whole lot of dumping! We snack on these a lot at our house. I guess the diet-friendly part is that when it's all, it's all. That's very York County of me, I know.

Here goes!

1 Apple
Half a spoonful of Flour, Sugar & Cinnamon (equal parts)
Brown Sugar
Quick Oats
Cold Butter
Toffee Bits

Preheat oven to 375*. Spray a small individual-sized baking dish with cooking spray. Peel and dice the apple into the baking dish. Toss with flour, sugar and cinnamon.

Next I get all lazy on this recipe. You "should" mix and combine and do the right thing by the remaining ingredients (including flour). I don't.

Here's what I do! Sprinkle some toffee bits over the apple pieces. I make sure there will be at least a few bits in each bite. Very scientific, I know! Next, sprinkle with the quick oats until the top is just covered and there's oats in the little nooks. Brown sugar, sigh. I crumble brown sugar over the top of the oats. It must cover the oats! Okay, next is the butter. It must be cold. I use a sharp knife and make extremely thin shavings until I've covered all of the brown sugar. My goal is to keep it to 1 tablespoon but it never happens. If you want diet food you're in the wrong neighborhood!

Bake for 20 minutes. Then I broil on low (about 6" from the broiler) to get a little crunch on the brown sugar. Do this for about 5 minutes. Do. Not. Walk. Away. You do not want to burn this wonderful caramelly crunchy sweet goodness! You'll know it's ready when the edges are bubbly and it makes a tapping sound when you tap it with a spoon.

We eat this from oven mitts. It's too good to wait, and that's just how we roll ~ renegades!

Chicken Corn Soup

I realize that most of my posts are about soup.  Today is no exception!  Soup is one of my favorite things.  It's comforting and brings back so many memories of cooking with my mom and dad.  Chicken corn soup is one of the big ones and my all-time favorite.  I remember my mom and aunts sitting at Gramma's kitchen table picking the meat from the bones.  I remember my Aunt Mary picking the chicken neck.  Aunt Sue eats the organs, blech!  (I toss the neck, but only after I cook it for broth and the organs go straight in the trash!)  I believe my mom went into labor with me on the way to Gramma's for chicken corn soup!  

For many years, mom and dad, my sister and her family, and Jason and I would visit Ocean City.  On the first day of our trip, we would make a big pot of chicken corn soup for the family to eat during the week.  Every year at the Hengst family reunion, Aunt Betty and her family make chicken corn soup for our whole family to share.  There are as many as 200 Hengsts in attendance.  I've heard that they put butter in theirs, but it may be an urban legend.  I've tried it and it doesn't taste like Aunt Betty's!  Speaking of the Hengst reunion, Linda says that Uncle June's turtle soup recipe is made the same as chicken corn, just with ground turtle and cloves.  From Linda Sleeger-Williams:

"He made it like chicken corn soup, except the meat was ground turtle meat, and then the cloves. That's what made it grey in color. So, cook turtle, diced potatoes, corn, (he always liked shoe peg), hard boiled eggs, salt, pepper, and cloves. I think what made it the best was the butcher kettle he cooked it in. Maybe once he put some carrots in it."

It's funny how a food can be such an important part of your life, but somehow it is.  Chicken corn soup is special to me.  It's comforting, in more ways than one.  I learned the make this soup the way my family always did.  Over the years, I've made it my own.  My aunts and mom add a can of creamed corn.  You could, but I don't.  Probably because I never remember to buy it!  I add extra hard boiled eggs.  The yolks break down and my broth gets creamy.  Do not add the eggs if you intend to freeze it, they'll get rubbery!  I set aside a big bowl to freeze before I add my eggs.

Today's version was especially good so I thought I'd update my recipe and share!  Frozen or fresh corn is a must.  I cannot stand canned corn!  I used 5 ears of fresh corn and 1 bag each of white and yellow frozen corn.  I cut the corn off the cob and then scraped the cob to get the extra juices.  Then I tossed the empty cobs right into the soup to get every last bit of flavor.  Around here, we have Cope's corn.  It's almost as good as corn on the cob!  I also add kluski noodles instead of regular egg noodles.  They don't break down the way regular egg noodles do!

4-5 Chicken Leg Quarters or Bone-in Breasts (or a whole chicken)

3 Bags Frozen White or Yellow Sweet Corn

4 Large Diced Potatoes

6 Eggs Hard Boiled Chopped (optional—doesn’t freeze well)

½ Bag Kluski Noodles

2 Cartons Swanson Unsalted Chicken Stock

Chicken Bouillon or Chicken Base

2 Cups Chopped Fresh Parsley or ½ Cup Dried Parsley

Salt and Pepper or Seasoned Salt

Water

Cover chicken in water.  Sprinkle with Salt and Pepper or Seasoned Salt (or Mrs. Dash Table Blend for less salt) and boil for at least 1 hour or until tender and juices are clear when stuck with a fork (or in a Crock Pot on low for at least 6 hours).  Remove meat from the bone and tear into bite-size pieces.  Strain the broth for bones.  Return the meat to the broth.  Add the corn, potatoes and eggs.  Add chicken stock (more or less to as needed for taste and liquid).  Add chopped fresh parsley or dried parsley.  Simmer for 15 minutes.  Bring to a boil.  Add the noodles, breaking them into smaller pieces.  Cook according to package instructions or until tender.  

Taste the broth and add chicken base or salt as needed, or stock and water if needed.