My Son-in-Law's Own Recipe for Greek Chicken

  Today I got to watch my son-in-law make up a batch of his yummy Greek chicken.  His dad was born in Italy, and Jeremy loves to cook both Italian and Greek food.  He likes to add all the ingredients for the marinade directly on top of the chicken in a Ziploc bag.  I put them in a bowl so you could dip your finger in and check it to see how it tastes.  He has cooked with his dad and family so much, he just smells it to make sure it's right.  

Jeremy told me he doesn't like to add the salt to the marinade but after he flips it on the grill, he sprinkles the chicken with salt.  He heard from someone that adding salt to the marinade causes the chicken to dry out. So I'm leaving this to you.  

 We took this to a park and had a family picnic.  For our part we brought Jeremy's Greek salad (It's in the list below), pita, hummus, and potato salad.  Tasty! 

Greek Chicken Thighs/Breasts

1. Prepare chicken:  Rinse a 2 1/2 pound bag of chicken thighs, and put them into a Ziploc bag.

2.  Prepare marinade - Put the following in a bowl:
(1)  1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil.
(2)  Roll a lemon and juice it. 
(3)  Mince 3 cloves of garlic
(4)  Add 2 T of rosemary.
(5)  1 tsp. of oregano.
(6)  3 T of chopped fresh parsley.
(7) 1 tsp. of salt (or salt on grill)  and black pepper.
(8)  Taste marinade and add any additional herbs.

3.  Pour the marinade over the chicken  - Squeeze the bag until the chicken is completely coated.  Marinade in fridge for 4+ hours or overnight.

4.  Grill or broil chicken:   After you've gotten your grill prepped, my son-in-law told me to put the grill on medium-high heat and sear the chicken on each side.  Then bring it down to medium and cook it about 4 to 5 minutes a side or until done. 

Other Italian & Greek Pasta Recipes on This Blog:

Italian & Greek Chicken:
Incredible Gluten Free Chicken Souvlaki   (My son-in-law's marinade recipe)
Chicken Cacciatore with Peppers & Mushrooms  (My mother-in-law)
You've Got to Try This Gluten Free Chicken Parmesan!  (From my church cook book, Come & Dine)

Pasta Cassroles:
The Best Gluten Free Lasagna   (From my church Come & Dine cookbook)
Delicious Gluten Free Chicken Tetrazzini     (From my daughter-in-law's family cookbook)
Jan's Classic  Baked Spaghetti Casserole

 Classic Pastas:
My Mom's Splendiferous Gluten Free Spaghetti  (My mother's amazing sauce!)
Ginger's Family Favorite Gluten Free Beef Stroganof   (From my friend Ginger)
Gluten Free Pasta Aioli - Sausage & Vegetable Penne  (From my daughter and son-in-law)
Incredible Gluten Free Pasta Primavera     (Combination of two Internet searches)
Fantastic Gluten Free Salmon Fettucine 
Easy to Make Gluten Free Shrimp Linguini   (From my Syre School Cookbook)
Carmine's Authentic Italian Pasta Sauce  (From my son-in-law's father who was born in Italy)

Mac & Cheeses
Fantastic Gluten Free Macaroni & Cheese  (Modified from Heritage & Internet search)
Gluten Free Comfort Food - Downright Delicious Gluten Free Tuna Noodle Casserole  (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Northwest Crab Mac & Cheese  - From a 5th grade friend's recipe project
Whidbey Island Crab & Noodle Bake - A classy crab mac & cheese recipe from my mother-in-law

Pizza
Judi's Gluten Free Crazy Crust Pizza -  Spinach, Artichoke & Feta Pizza (From a friend)

Soups:
This is the Best Minestrone Soup!  (From my son's Internet search and tweaking)
Mouth Watering Italian Turkey Sausage Soup   (This is  my friend Debbie's recipe)

Salads:
Tasty Gluten Free Pasta Salad   (I've been making this salad for over 20 years!)
Jeremy D's Sensational Greek Salad  (From my son-in-law who is half Italian)
Michelle's Greek Quinoa Salad   (My daughter came up with this way to use quinoa)

What is the Meaning of the Bitter Waters at Marah in Exodus 15:23?

     I've learned that Exodus is a  book that pictures both our redemption and salvation.  A lot of the pictures are easy to spot like the Passover being a picture of both God’s judgment on Satan and our redemption. It’s also pretty clear that the crossing of the Red Sea is a picture of our baptism.  

Walking with my grandkids on Whidbey Island

      But the scene at Marah in Exodus 15 may not make much sense.  I didn't know that  Marah wasn’t on the usual northern route that people took from Egypt to Canaan until I read chapter 30  of the Life-Study of Exodus.  Witness Lee points out here it was on a southern route that didn’t have any water, so why would God lead them that way?  Besides that, when they came to the body of water at Marah, it was bitter. By reading these verses in Exodus 15 you can see they were pretty crabby by then:

And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.  If you will diligently hearken to the voice of Jehovah your God, and will do that which is right in His sight, and will give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases upon you, which I have brought upon the Egyptians; for I am Jehovah your Healer (Heb. Jehovah Ropheka). Exodus 15:23, 26

But God always has a plan, and I was touched to see in this chapter that God purposely led them southward  so that they would have to go  through the Red Sea, an awesome picture of our baptism, and then go on to Marah. These excerpts on pages 350-352 helped me understand the significance of Marah for my spiritual experience:

When Moses cast the tree into the waters, the waters were made sweet.  First Peter 2:24 indicates that the tree signifies the cross of Christ. The cross of Christ, the unique cross, is the healing cross. This picture corresponds to our spiritual experience.  After we are baptized and begin to walk in newness of life, we are troubled because we have no natural water….When we cry out to the Lord in prayer, He shows us the vision of the crucified Christ. We need to see the vision of the cross.  Seeing this vision, we apply the cross of Christ to our situation, and immediately the bitter waters become sweet …..The experience of the children of Israel at Marah portrays a principle, not merely an incident...If we consider this in light of experience, we shall realize that the cross of Christ heals not only our bitter situation, but it also heals us. Not only are the waters of our circumstances bitter; we ourselves are also bitter and in need of healing.  Our very self is bitter.  In other words, the self is sick.  We are sick physically, psychologically, and also spiritually….When I have been in bitter circumstances, often the Lord has pointed me to the cross of Christ. I realized that I needed to take the cross and live a crucified life. This saved me from my bitter situation, and my bitter circumstances were healed (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Exodus. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1979, Print).

    A few times the Lord has brought me to my own Marah, and this word has  come back to me.  At the end of this chapter brother Lee underscores that God considered His people sick and that’s why in Exodus 15:26 He tells them that He is their healer.  What I got from this chapter is when my situation is bitter, it's another opportunity for me to tell God where I'm at and let Him change my bitter waters.  

You can listen to excerpts of this life training and some outstanding commentary by listening to Life-Study of the Bible with Witness Lee on Exodus.

Other Posts on the Life-Study of Exodus:

Why Did God Use So Many Women in Exodus 1 & 2?
Taking a Closer Look at the Conflict Between God and Pharaoh in Exodus 5
What Does the Name Jehovah Mean in Exodus 6:2?
Why Did God Really Send the Manna in Exodus 6?

Another Way to Eat more Antioxidant Rich Kale: Curried Lentil Medley Soup

    Don't turn up your nose at the title of this recipe. Because if you do, you'll miss out on an amazing soup.  Not only does it have protein rich lentils, but it has squash and kale!  And this unique blend of ingredients makes a sumptuous soup!  The curry powder is just enough to add a nice kick to the broth.  This recipe comes from my church Come & Dine cookbook, which like church cookbooks is an amazing resource of tried and true recipes.  Right now my lettuce, spinach, and kale are growing like crazy because of the warm weather.



      Curried Lentil Medley



1.  Prepare vegetables:
(1)  Chop 1/2 cup of onion.
(2)  Mince 1 clove of garlic.
(3)  Cut and cube up 1 1/2 cups of butternut squash (I used sweet potatoes today).
(4)  Coarsely chop medium size bunch of kale (chop up the stems, too!).

2.  Prepare soup:
(1)  Put 2 T of oil into the bottom of a Dutch oven or soup pot and sauté onion until tender.  Then add garlic, 1 T Indian curry powder, 1/2 tsp. ground cumin, 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, and cook for 1 minute.
(2)  Add 2 cartons (about 27 3/4 oz.) of chicken broth (You can use packaged or make it yourself like I do with about 5 cups of water and  4-5 t of  Organic Better than Bouillon Reduced Sodium Chicken Base), 1 1/2 cups of water, 1 can of diced tomatoes, and 1 cup of dried lentils and cook for 20 minutes.
(3)  Stir in 1 tsp. salt, 3/4 tsp.  black pepper, and the squash. Simmer about 10 more minutes.
(4)  Then add the kale and cook until tender about 10-15 minutes.
(5)  Simmer until ready to serve.

List of My Favorite Soups, Chili & Stew Recipes: 

Beef 

Grandma's Favorite Beef Stew  (My mother-in-law's delicious recipe!)

Just Like Home Ukrainian Borscht   (A Polish student  said this tasted like his mom's!)
Mouth Watering Italian  Sausage Soup   (This is my friend Debbie's recipe)

Poultry

This is the Best Gluten Free Minestrone Soup!   (A recipe my son modified)

Mexican Fiesta Chicken Soup   (A recipe I got years ago from a Mexican cookbook)
My Thanksgiving Turkey Soup  (My very own special concoction!)
Gary's Incredible Gluten Free Arkansas Gumbo  (Given to me by a Bible study friend from Arkansas)
Jeannie's French Market Soup  (A friend from when my kids were little)
Southwest Turkey Soup  (From my Syre School cookbook)

Fish
Northwest Salmon Chowder  (From my Heritage School cookbook)
Almost Like Ivar's Clam Chowder (From my Come & Dine Cookbook)

Bean & Legumes
Vi's Best Chili  (A  Bible study friend's great recipe)
Bethany's Crowd Pleasing Tortilla Soup  (One of my daughter's friends special soup)
Country Style Lentil Soup   (From my Heritage School cookbook)
Kathy's Texas Chili & Chips (From my church Come & Dine cookbook)
Spicy Cuban Black Bean Soup (From a store recipe card)
Marilyn's Make It From Scratch Chili  (From my mother-in-law)
Lisa's Red Lentil Soup (From my friend Lisa)

Vegetable

Downright Delicious Potato & Kale Soup  (From my daughter-in-law's family cookbook)
A Great Fall Soup - Make it From Scratch Corn Potato Chowder  (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
French Pumpkin Soup  (From my Heritage School Cookbook)

Asian
Chinese Chicken Soups  - Bok choy chicken, chicken & spinach, and chicken & cabbage (Modified from Internet search by our Chinese students)
Make Your Own Gluten Free Chicken Pho!  (Modified from a newspaper article)
Gluten Free Chinese Hot Pot  (Modified by a Chinese student)
Chinese Egg Drop Soup  &  Chinese Egg & Tomato Soup  (Modified  from a student's recipe)

Vegetarian & Gluten Free Tom Yum Soup (A delicious Thai soup) 
Deluxe Miso Soup (Kenchinjiru)   (Adapted from Internet search)
A Thai Mom Teaches Me How to Make Tom Yum Kung  (A student's mom's recipe)
A Vietnamese Cooking Lesson - Lien's Vietnamese Sweet & Sour Soup  (An International student's aunt's recipe)
Cooking Beef Pho for Vietnamese Students  (Modified Recipe)
Asian Curried Chicken Soup  (From my Come & Dine church cookbook)
Rose's Chinese Beef Bone Soup    (From my Chinese friend Rose)