Griff's Kitchen

Ingredients

4 pounds of boneless/skinless thighs
½ Cup honey
½ Cup light brown sugar
⅓ Cup balsamic vinegar
⅓ Cup low sodium soy sauce
3 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp ground ginger

Procedure

1. In a large bowl, whisk together honey, brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and ginger to create sauce
2. Add chicken to a 5 qt or larger crockpot.
3. Pour the honey mix onto the chicken and mix well.
4. Cook on high in the slow cooker for 4 hours. After 2 hours give the chicken a toss to coat in the sauce again. Cover and continue cooking.
5. Once fully cooked, remove chicken from the crockpot and set aside.
6. Reduce remaining liquid until it begins to thicken.
7. Add the chicken back into the reduced glaze.
8. Serve over rice.

• Bread
  • 3 cups – Plain Flour
  • 2 1/3 cups – Sugar
  • 1 1/2 Teaspoons – Salt
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons – Baking Powder
  • 3 Eggs
  • 1 1/2 Cups – Milk
  • 1 1/2 Cups – Canola Oil
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons – Poppy Seeds
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons – Vanilla Extract
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons – Almond Extract
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons – Butter Flavoring
• Glaze
  • 1/2 Teaspoon – Vanilla Extract
  • 1/2 Teaspoon – Almond Flavoring
  • 1/2 Teaspoon – Butter Flavoring
  • 1/4 Cup – Orange Juice
  • 3/4 Cup – Sugar

• Procedure
  • Combine Flour, Sugar, Salt, Baking Powder, and Poppy Seeds in a large bowl – Whisk until uniform.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, oil, and the vanilla, almond and butter flavoring.
  • Work the mixture of liquids into the dry ingredients to form a batter.
  • When batter is uniform in consistency, portion into two greased loaf-pans.
  • Bake @ 325 degrees for 1 hour.
  • Prepare the glaze by combining the orange juice, sugar, and vanilla, almond and butter flavoring in a small saucepan.
  • Heat the mixture until the sugar dissolves completely
  • When the bread is done, remove and place loaf-pans on cooling racks. Do not remove loaves from pans until it has cooled, to prevent it from crumbling.
  • Pour glaze over bread, while it it still warm in the pans.
  • Allow to cool and gently remove from pans and wrap in plastic.

Ingredients for Meat Sauce:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 pound ground beef
6 ounces Italian sausage, removed from their casings and crumbled
2 16-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Ingredients for Cheese Mixture:

16 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Romano cheese, grated
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1 tablespoon basil, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten

Ingredients for Lasagna:

12 cooked or no-boil lasagna noodles
Cooking spray
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions:

1. Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large sauce pot. Add then onion and garlic and cook about 5 minutes, or until softened and translucent. Add the ground beef and sausage, and cook 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes, basil, and oregano, and stir to combine. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then chill.
2. Make the cheese mixture: Mix together the ricotta, mozzarella, and Romano cheeses, parsley, salt, pepper, basil, oregano, and egg in a large mixing bowl.
3. Build and bake the lasagna: Spray the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 4 ounces of the meat sauce on the bottom of the pan. Layer 3 lasagna noodles over the meat sauce (they may overlap slightly). Spread 1 cup of the cheese mixture over the noodles. Spread 1 cup of meat sauce onto the cheese mixture. Repeat the layers of noodles, cheese, and meat sauce two more times. Top with 3 lasagna noodles, the remaining meat sauce, and shredded mozzarella.
4. Spray a large piece of foil with cooking spray and wrap the pan tightly with it, sprayed side down. Bake at 325ºF for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the internal temperature is 165º. Turn the oven off and allow the lasagna to set up in the warm oven for 30 minutes.
5. Cut into squares 2 rows long by 4 rows wide. Plate and garnish with fresh basil.

Handy guide showing fresh peppers/chiles and the names for the dried version.

Recipe #1

Recipe #2

5

This is a recipe I found on Reddit… Everything below was taken from the top-voted recipe on a thread about favorite au gratin recipes.

“I am quite traditional when it comes to gratin. I don’t use a recipe, but here is the classic Le Cordon Bleu, French approved method to make your gratin”. Link to Post.

• Floury potatoes
• 3-5 inch high baking dish, NOT non stick.
• Plenty of Minced garlic
• Double/Heavy Cream
• Full fat milk
• Gruyere Cheese, or any other good melting cheese. Grated.
• S/P

You will need to peel and slice down the potatoes, ideally using a mandolin to 1.5-2mm. DO NOT wash your potatoes, you will wash away the starch which will help to create the thick sauce. Tradition states that you should nicely butter your dish and line with 2 layers of potatoes, which you then season lightly, add some of your grated cheese and minced garlic. In the meantime heat the milk with a ratio of 1/1. Repeat the potato process until you have at least 1 inch of free space remaining. Season your milk/cream mix and pour over the potatoes until the liquid just starts to touch the top layer of potatoes. Push down the potatoes with your hands to even out the slices and evenly distribute the liquid. Cover with foil/lid and place into 180c oven for 40-50 minutes until the potatoes offer little resistance to a paring knife. Drop the oven to 140c, remove the foil add a layer of your remaining cheese and put back into the oven for another 30-40 mins. this is to dry out the liquid and to thicken the sauce. If the cheese hasn’t browned, you can leave it in the oven a bit longer or place the dish under the broiler. Once the potatoes are ready, set aside for 30 mins to rest. Any leftover liquid mix can be used for a quiche at a ratio of 500ml to 1 egg + 1 yolk.

• However if you are in a rush, slice your potatoes, season them, toss with minced garlic, cheese, and flat pack them into the dish. Cover as above with the cream mixture. This method will taste practically the same but will not produce the delicately placed layers.

Ingredients

1 large onion, chopped

1 to 2 tablespoons chopped seeded jalapeno pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1-1/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained

1 cup uncooked long grain rice

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Minced fresh cilantro, optional

Directions

In a large skillet, saute onion and jalapeno in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in broth and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Stir in rice.

Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper and cumin; place over rice mixture. Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes on each side or until a thermometer reads 170°.

Remove from the heat. Sprinkle with cheese; cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro if desired.

Source

Originally published as Santa Fe Chicken in Light & Tasty December/January 2007

Taste of Home: https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/santa-fe-chicken/

 

3/4 cup Shortening – (best results with 1/4 cup shortening & 1/2 cup butter)

1 cup Sugar

1 Egg

1/4 cup Molasses

2 cups All-Purpose Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Ground Ginger

1/2 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon Ground Allspice

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon Ground Cloves

Coarse Sugar Crystals

 

Procedure:

1. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, salt, cinnamon, and cloves.  Set aside.
2. Soften shortening in mixer and slowly add sugar until creamed
3. Add the egg and continue to mix gently
4. Add the molasses and continue to mix
5. Add the flour mixture in four (4) increments until fully incorporated.
6. Spread the dough evenly against the walls of the mixing bowl and refrigerate for one (1) hour, minimum.
7. Once cool, roll into balls and coat with coarse sugar cryastals
8. Bake at 375° for something on the order of ten (10) minutes, noting that the tops will crack when properly done.

Ingredients

• 2 cups Original Bisquick™ mix
• 1 1/3 cups milk
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

…I have no words for this.