Country Fried

My son loves cowboys.  Loves!  So, it's a good thing he has his own personal cowboy:

His Lolo and Grandpa Chuck live on a ranch about 2 hours away.  We went there to visit last weekend and he was in Heaven.  Horses, donkeys, peach trees, a new puppy, and acres of land to run and play on.  Grandpa was working late so my mom wanted to surprise him with his favorite meal.  AKA she wanted her chef daughter to make fried chicken for her husband since she usually feeds him cereal.  So I fried up the chicken with potato salad and homemade pickles.  It was crispy, moist, delicious, and he polished off half the batch with a huge smile on his face.  It's sure to satisfy even the hungriest of cowboys!

Big K's Fried Chicken

Serves 3-4

3        Each          Boneless, Skinless, Chicken Breasts
6        Each          Chicken Legs, Skin Removed (you can leave it but skin freaks me out)
3        Each          Large Eggs
1        Tbsp          Kosher Salt
1        Tbsp          Granulated Garlic
1        Tbsp          Poultry Seasoning
1/4     Tsp            Celery Seed
1/4     Tsp            Dried Ground Thyme
1/4     Tsp            Fresh Ground Black Pepper
2        Cups         All-Purpose Flour
1        Tbsp         Paprika
1        Tbsp         Kosher Salt
2        Cups          Vegetable Oil

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees.  Grab a large skillet and place one cup of oil in it.  Place it on your stove, but don't turn it on yet.  In a large zip top bag combine the eggs, 1 tbsp salt, garlic, poultry seasoning, celery seed, thyme, and pepper.  Shake it all about until combined, then add the chicken and coat it well.  Let it marinate for an hour in the fridge.  Meanwhile take a second zip top bag and mix thoroughly the flour, paprika, and second tbsp salt.  Once the chicken has marinated I start with the breasts.  Preheat your skillet on medium-high heat.  I flick a couple drops of water onto the oil to make sure it sizzles and is ready.  Dredge the legs in the flour until well coated, then place them into the hot oil for about 8-10 minutes on each side.  A thermometer should reach 165 degrees.  Once they are done, place them in a baking dish and place them in the warm oven to keep hot.  Next repeat the same thing again with the second cup of oil and the breasts, they take about 6-8-minutes.  Grab the legs out of the oven and serve them up.  I served mine with potato salad and homemade pickles.  Enjoy!!

The Gift of Food

When you are good at something, people seem to catch on.  For example, my sister can sew and quilt.  She makes the most awesome stuff.  Needless to say my house is full of blankets, throws, purses, and anything else she can sew.  She in turn, has me cater to her food needs if her work has a potluck or someone needs birthday cupcakes. Many of my other friends have caught on as well.  I am making party food or cupcakes for my friends festivities almost every weekend.  I like it because my cake decorating has gotten better with all the practice and I can make a casserole with the best of them.  I recently had a friend that had volunteered to bring casseroles to a new mom just home with her baby.  AKA she wanted me to make casseroles for her friend that just had a baby.  She doesn't really like to cook.  Weirdo.  I was happy to help, so I whipped up an Italian pasta dish for her.  It wouldn't all fit in the dish so I ate the extra and it was delicious!  I love when easy to throw together foods seem like it took you hours slaving in the kitchen.  You gotta try this one, it's great for a family dinner or to take to a friend or neighbor.

Italian Rotini Bake

Serves 10-12

1         Pound            Rotini Pasta

1         Pound            Italian Sausage

1         28 oz Can      Crushed Tomatoes

1         15 oz Can      Tomato Sauce

2         Tbsp              Olive Oil

1         Tbsp              Fresh Garlic, Minced

1          Each             White Onion, Chopped

1          Tbsp             Italian Seasoning

1          Tsp               Crushed Red Pepper

1          Tsp               Salt

1          Cup              Heavy Whipping Cream

1/2       Cup              Parmesan, Freshly Shredded

2          Cups            Shredded Mozzarella

1/4       Cup              Fresh Parsley, Finely Chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees if you plan on eating right away.  Spray a 13x9 disposable baking dish with cooking spray.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add in the ziti and boil for 8 minutes.  Drain and set aside.  In a large skillet brown the sausage with the onions and garlic.  Drain, then add back to the pan, turn to medium heat.  Add in the tomatoes, sauce, Italian seasoning, pepper, salt, and cream.  Simmer for about 10 minutes then turn off the heat.  Fold in the parmesan and parsley.  Toss the sauce with the noodles and pour into your dish.  Top with mozzarella.  Bake for 20 minutes until cheese is melted.  If you want to take it cold so it can be heated later, don't bake it.  Cover with foil, refrigerate, and reheat at 350 for 35-40 minutes.