Fried Catfish

We had old school Southern Night last Sunday night.  I made a basic fried catfish and it was delicious!!

Cornmeal is the only thing to use when making fried catfish.  There are a million different seasonings that you can use with your fish but since I always have Old Bay on hand I just used it.  I love to eat this with lima beans and cheese grits. 

Fried Catfish:

2 catfish fillets
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning (I use Old Bay)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
2 eggs, beaten
Canola oil, enough to pan fry your fish in

Heat your oil in a pan to about 375.

Set up a breading station: flour in one pan, eggs in one pan, and cornmeal in one pan.

Season the catfish fillets with the Cajun seasoning and garlic powder.  Dip the fish in the flour and knock off the extra.  Dip the fish in the beaten eggs and then press the fish into the cornmeal, shaking off any extra.

Fry the fish in the oil for about 3 minutes per side.  The fish should be flaky when it's finished.

Red Beans and Rice

I love red beans and rice.  It's a comfort food to me and one of those dishes that are perfect to eat when it's raining or cold outside.  It's also a really hardy meal.  Now that school is back in session my daily commute has doubled, which means I have less time to cook dinner.  It's has made me look at different meals and different ways to prepare those meals. This has led me to the crock-pot.

I was really happy with how this meal came together.  I prepped all of my veggies the night before, put them in a storage container, and threw everything in the crock pot the next morning.  11 hours later I got home from work, threw my rice on the stove, and dinner was served!  If you're looking for an easy week night dinner try this out.  I also think this would freeze well.

Red Beans & Rice:(adapted from Tasty Kitchen)

Ingredients:
1 pound dried red beans (I used kidney beans)
7 cups water
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 white onion, chopped
4 stalks of celery, chopped (including leaves)
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
1 teaspoon blackening seasoning
Salt to taste
Hot cooked rice

Directions:
Place all of the ingredients, except for the rice in a crock pot.  Cook on LOW for 10+ hours or on HIGH for 7 hours.

When ready to eat, serve over hot rice with cornbread.

This would also be great with sausage, which is traditional.

Chicken Fried Steak

Chicken fried steak is a staple in the south.  It can always be found on a buffet.  I love it, and while it's not something that should be eaten all the time, it is tasty and always makes me think of good times with friends and family.

Chicken Fried Steak:
(Alton Brown- Food Network)

Ingredients:
2-4 pieces of cubed steak
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 whole eggs, beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil


Directions:

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

Cut the meat with the grain into 1/2-inch thick slices. Season each piece on both sides with the salt and pepper. Place the flour into a pie pan. Place the eggs into a separate pie pan. Dredge the meat on both sides in the flour, followed by the egg and finally in the flour again. Repeat with all the pieces of meat. Place the meat onto a plate and allow it to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before cooking.

Place enough of the vegetable oil to cover the bottom of a 12-inch slope-sided skillet and set over medium-high heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the meat in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pan.

















Cook each piece on both sides until golden brown, approximately 4 minutes per side.

Remove the steaks to a wire rack set in a half sheet pan and place into the oven. Repeat until all of the meat is browned.

Sweet Corn Bread

I made BBQ Beef the other night and decided that it would be nice to have some cornbread to go with it.  I like sweet cornbread and since I was making it I decided to go with that!  (So there!)

In my quest to find some good cornbread recipes I ended up on the Tasty Kitchen website, which is run by the The Pioneer Woman.  This was easy to make and the only thing I had to buy was the can of creamed corn.  I call that a win.  Mr. T enjoyed it too (as you can see by the missing corner).

Sweet Cornbread:
(Tasty Kitchen- asweetpeachef)

Ingredients:
1 cup All-purpose Flour
1 cup Yellow Cornmeal
½ cup Granulated Sugar
1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
2-½ teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 whole Egg
1 cup Milk
1/3 cup Vegetable Oil
½ cup Creamed Corn


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan and set aside.

Combine dry ingredients (flour, cornmeal, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder and salt) in a large mixing bowl. In a separate, smaller mixing bowl, combine the wet ingredients (egg, milk, oil and creamed corn). Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well. Be careful not to over-mix.

Bake 20-25 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick or knife to the center of the cornbread comes out clean.

Crock Pot BBQ Beef

I had a day of vacation recently but didn't have the luxury to sit around all day and plan a fantastic dinner.  I decided to put my effort into my sides and use my crock pot for the main dish.

Crock Pot BBQ Beef:

1 beef roast
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon steak seasoning
1/2 cup favorite BBQ sauce

Sprinkle ginger, pepper, garlic powder, and steak seasoning on a non-frozen beef roast.  Put the roast in a crock pot on low for 5-7 hours. (I put it in before work and take it out when I get home).

Drain the fat and juices that cooked out of the roast.  Add the BBQ sauce and continue cooking for 20-30 minuets.

This also makes great left overs.

Green Beans with Onions

I love green beans.  They are my favorite vegetable.  This is an easy way to prepare them that doesn't take too much time.

Green Beans with Onions:

1 bag of fresh green beans, snapped
1 sweet onion, diced
1 large clove of garlic
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons of olive oil

Ina large pan, heat the olive oil.  Add the onions and garlic and let cook until onions are tender.  Add green beans and salt and pepper.  Add 2 tablespoons of water, stir everything up, and put a lid on it and let the beans steam for 5-10 minutes.  I like my beans still pretty crunchy so I pull them off of the stove closer to the 5 minutes mark.

Beef Ribs

It's Summertime which means it's time for lovely things like ribs.  Most people eat pork ribs, they're easily available and are on sale quite a bit (at least in the summer).  Mr. T found some beef ribs on sale at Publix and I cooked them up for a wonderful weekend dinner.


















BBQ Beef Ribs:

6 beef ribs (or however much you want to eat)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
favorite BBQ sauce

Beef ribs have a thick skin like membrane located on the bone side of the ribs.  The butcher had already removed it from our ribs but all you have to do it stick a knife under it and peel it away.  Not a necessity but it makes a difference, depending on who you ask.

Preheat oven to 250.  Mix all of the spices together and rub all over the ribs.  Make sure to cover both sides of the ribs.  Cover in foil and bake in the oven for 2 hours.

Remove the ribs, uncover and baste with your favorite BBQ sauce.  Continue doing this every 30-45 minutes for another 2 hours.  When the ribs are done cover with more sauce and enjoy.

Cajun Shrimp

I made shrimp and grits tonight for supper.  It's my favorite meal ever.  Here's how I usually make my shrimp.

Cajun Shrimp:

1 pound of shrimp, shells removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
1 teaspoon Old Bay Blackened Seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

In a ziploc bag add the shrimp and all of the seasonings.  Mix around in the bag so all of the shrimp are covered with the spices.

In a skillet, heat olive oil and butter.  Add shrimp and cook until all the shrimp are pink and opaque, 5-10 minutes.

Southern Style Turnip Greens

Mr. T's boss brought us a kitchen trash bag full of turnip greens.  I used some of them to make traditional southern style turnip greens.  This is one of the dishes I was raised on.  If you don't have turnip greens you can use collards, mustards, kale, or anything else.

Southern Style Collard Greens:
(Everyone in the South)

4 pieces of bacon, cut into 1-inch strips
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
2 turnip roots, cut into small cubes
1 large bunch of turnip greens, cleaned and sliced
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

In a skillet on medium heat cook the bacon until it's cooked through but not crispy.  Add the garlic and turnip root pieces.  Saute until for 1 minute, making sure the garlic doesn't burn.















Add the greens in batches.  Once all of the greens have cooked down and fit in the skillet add the olive oil, red pepper flakes, and Old Bay seasoning.

Continue cooking the greens for an additional 15-20 minutes or until all of the vegetables are tender.  If the pot starts to get dry feel free to add some chicken stock or water.

Black Eyed Pea and Collard Green Soup

The Linda Blondheim Art Studio is having a soup party this week. One of the soups that they are having is a black eyes pea and collard green soup.  I've never made this before but it turned out fantastic.    Stop by the loft this week and get a sample.

Black Eyed Pea & Collard Green Soup:

1 bag of black eyed peas (soaked overnight and picked through)
1 large onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
4 stalks of celery, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 cups collard greens
2 ham steaks, cut into cubes (optional)
5 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf

Wash your greens and remove the rib.  You can also buy them in the bagged salad section if you don't want to worry about the cleaning.  Slice them into strips.

In a stock pot on medium heat add the olive oil.  Add the onion, garlic, and celery.  Cook until the onions are tender.  Add the chicken stock, carrots, peas, ham, and seasonings (salt, peppers, thyme, bay leaf).  Simmer for 20 minutes.  Add greens and simmer for an additional 60-70 minutes or until tender.

Sausage Balls

I love sausage balls.  They're really popular in the South, more so in Alabama than in my area of Florida.  Every family tweaks this recipe a little bit (I added some Old Bay) so feel free to experiment.  I have a friend that uses venison sausage instead of the pork.

Sausage Balls:
(Old Southern Recipe, but checked measurements from Paula Deen)

1 (1-pound) package ground sausage
3 cups baking mix (recommended: Bisquick)
4 cups grated sharp Cheddar
1/8 tablespoon pepper
1 tablespoon Old Bay

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.  Combine all ingredients in a large glass bowl. Mix well with your fingers. The mixture will be very crumbly.

Form into 1 inch balls, squeezing the mixture so it holds together, then rolling it between the palms of your hands to form balls.

Place the balls on the baking sheet. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Print Me Out

Buttermilk Biscuits

I love biscuits.  There are days that I seriously crave biscuits.  I love them with jam, honey, cane syrup, and as sandwiches.  They are perfect for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Biscuits are something that I associate with my Grandma.  She would pull up a stool to the kitchen counter and let us "help" her make them.  (I think all that we did was make a mess.)  She never used a biscuit cutter, just the rim of a juice glass.

I decided to make biscuits one morning.  I was on vacation and had some buttermilk that I needed to use up.

Buttermilk Biscuits:
(adapted from Screen Doors and Sweet Tea)

2 cups all-purpose flour (use Martha White or White Lily)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons lard or vegetable shortening
1/4 cup buttermilk, cold

In a bowl (or food processor) combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Add butter and work until the mixture is the size of peas.















Using a fork stir in the buttermilk until all of the flour is moistened.  On a floured surface knead the dough for 1 minute.  Pat into a 1/2-inch circle and wrap in plastic wrap.  Chill for at least 20 minutes or overnight.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  With a biscuit cutter or other sharp edge cut the biscuits into circles.  Place on a baking sheet with the sides touching just a little.  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.  Feel free to brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter when they are still warm.

Banana Pudding

I'm from the South.  Banana Pudding is a big thing.  It's one of the dishes that I remember making with my Grandma.  She would leave my sister and I in charge of laying out the vanilla wafers.  To this day it's one of my favorite desserts, there have been days that I just got banana pudding for lunch.

Grandma's Banana Pudding:

Ingredients:
3 cups cold milk
1 container of cool-whip
2 pkg. (4-serving size each) vanilla instant pudding
1 box vanilla wafers
3-4 medium bananas, sliced

Preparation:

Pour milk into large bowl. Add dry pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk until well blended. Let it sit for 5 minutes.  Fold in the container of cool-whip.

Layer the bottom and sides of your serving bowl with the wafers and top with layers of banana slices and pudding. Repeat until your serving bowl is full.

Refrigerate for 3 hours.

I don't usually add cool-whip to banana pudding but I was trying to stretch this recipe a little bit.  I had NO leftovers!!  I love banana pudding so much, plus it's an easy thing to make and it can be done the day before.

White Acre Peas

Field peas are a big deal where i'm from.  Field peas include: pink eyed peas, black eyes peas, purple hull peas, butter beans, and white acre peas.  My favorites are the pink eyed and white acre peas.  They are easy to make and freeze well.  Every family has their own way of making them but here is mine.

White Acre Peas:

1/2 bushel of white acre peas (or any other field pea that you'd like)
1 slice of thick ham or 4 slices of bacon (omit if you'd like to make this a vegetarian dish)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Wash the shelled peas to make sure they're free of dirt or sand
Pour into a deep pot and fill with water.
Chop bacon or ham (I like bacon, but who doesn't) and add to pot of peas
Place a lid on the pot and let boil, stirring occasionally until the peas are tender, about 30-35 minutes

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Another recipe from Screen Doors and Sweet Tea by Martha Foose.  I love sweet potatoes and I love biscuits.  This sounded like a perfect combination to me!  Serve warm with a little butter and honey!


Sweet Potato Biscuits:
(Screen Doors and Sweet Tea)

1 cup mashed baked sweet potato
2/3 cup whole milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3 ½ teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 450*. Grease a baking sheet and set aside.

In a medium bowl, the sweet potato, milk, and butter. Sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Add to the potato mixture. Gently mix the dry ingredients into the sweet potato mixture to form a soft dough. Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a deep golden orange tinged with brown. Serve warm or let cool on a wire rack.