Baked Eggplant with Cumin

Delicious, spicy eggplant, ready to enjoy!  We adore eggplant and this recipe is super simple and just a bit different, one of our favorites.
Steamed eggplant dusted with spice, ready for the oven.
Baked Eggplant with Cumin

• 2 lbs. medium eggplants
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 heaping tsp. ground cumin
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
• salt
• fresh ground pepper
• lemon juice

Preheat oven to 450F.  Wash and dry the eggplant.  Slit the skin in several places to prevent bursting then steam in a steamer until tender, about 35 minutes.  Allow the eggplant to cool and then cut lengthwise in quarters.  Add the oil to an oven proof baking pan and lay the eggplant slices skin side down.  Sprinkle the eggplant with the paprika, cumin, cayenne,salt, pepper and garlic.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until the eggplant is soft and slightly toasted.
Enjoy!

Mexican Hot Chocolate Fudge

Another ~off our usual eating plan~ treat which we made for this Christmas season.  Chocolate fudge is wonderful but the addition of some spiciness just makes it all that much better.  The fudge isn’t too hot or spicy but rather just has a nice little kick.  Make and enjoy!

Mexican Hot Chocolate Fudge

• 18 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 cups miniature marshmallows
• 1 tsp. instant espresso 
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon 
• 1/8 tsp. dark chili powder 
• 1/8 tsp.ground cayenne pepper 
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Line a 9-inch square pan with aluminum foil, or use a square silicone pan, unlined.  Melt the chocolate, condensed milk and marshmallows in a heavy pot.  Remove from the heat and stir in the espresso powder, cinnamon, chili powder, cayenne, salt & vanilla. Pour into prepared pan and smooth the top.  Chill for 2 hours or until firm.  Remove the fudge from the pan.  Remove foil if used.  Cut the fudge into squares. 

Enjoy!!

Chicken Satay with SunButter “Peanut” Sauce

Is it just me or does 2014 seem to be passing at warp speed?  Maisie’s 9th birthday has come and gone, Halloween with our adorable fart-gun-toting minion has passed and today marks the 8 year referral-versary of the first time we laid eyes on a picture of our A-Maisie-ing Maisie, and though Thanksgiving is still over three weeks away, all the stores have decked the isles with all things Christmas.  Today is also Secret Recipe Club reveal day!  This month for SRC we were assigned Jess’ blog, Inquiring Chef.  Jess, her husband and adorable 6 month old twin girls live in Bangkok so her blog is filled with the sights, sounds and recipes of Thailand…and other interesting travels and tastes too!  I’ll bet that time is flying for Jess too as it was just a few months back, when her cutie-patootie girls were just a mere 6 weeks old, that she cooked from our blog, making one of Maisie’s favorite treats, Oatmeal, Cashew & Chocolate Granola Bars. 

We here in the Cook Lisa Cook home adore Thai food so there were dozens of recipes that we wanted to make.  Many of Jess’ recipes, though a bit different, mirrored ones that we’ve already made. Jess has a Tom Yam Gung (Spicy Prawn Soup) similar but different to my Tom Yam Ghoong (Spicy Shrimp Soup), My Red Curry Chicken is almost identical to Jess’ Red Curry Salmon (going to have to try this as we adore Red Curry Chicken and know it would be delicious on salmon!)  Then there are the variations on another soup, my Thai Chicken Noodle Soup and Jess’ Thai Style Chicken Noodle Soup.  We both also enjoy tasty drinks with Jess’ Mango Lassi and my slightly spicier Mango Lassi.  How we would love to live and eat at Jess’s home as there were so many other delicious looking and sounding recipes which totally enticed us.  We looked at making Jess’ Thai Chili Eggplant, Thai Shrimp Salad, and her Thai Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps and we really must try making some Nam Prik Pao instead of always buying it.  Oh, and don’t her Chocolate Banana Tarts just look divine!!  In the end we decided to make one of our favorite treats, which we’ve never made at home, Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce.

I of course made a couple of changes to Jess’ recipe to put it more inline with our dietary restrictions, the most notable was using SunButter in place of peanut butter.  Our other small changes included, replacing the sugar with a whole Medjool date, subbing Coconut Aminos for the soy sauce and roasted cashews for the peanuts.  Jess presented her Chicken Satay with two dipping sauces but we chose to omit her Sweet & Tart Thai Dipping Sauce, though delicious, it’s predominantly sugar so better for us to avoid.  Following Jess’ recipe was easy and the taste was… well, I was going to say just as good, but honestly it was SO much better than any Chicken Satay we’ve had previously.  All of us gobbled the chicken and sauce up with the only complaint being that we all wanted more!  A couple of notes if you plan to make this at home.  Sometimes finding fresh galangal and fresh turmeric can be difficult so when we do find it, we purchase extra, wash and dry it, and store it in a sealed bags in the freezer.  Then when needed for a recipe we easily grate it right from frozen.  If you can’t find galangal feel free to substitute fresh ginger and if needed, dried turmeric for fresh.   

Chicken Satay with SunButter “Peanut” Sauce  (Adapted from here)

Chicken:

• 2 small skinless, boneless chicken breast (about 8 oz.)
• 1 lemongrass stalk, bottom 2 inches only (discard top green stalk)
• 2 1-inch pieces of fresh turmeric, peeled (substitute 2 tsp. ground turmeric if preferred)
• 2 peels of fresh lime zest
• 1 tsp. fresh grated galangal (or fresh ginger) 
• 1 tsp. ground cumin 
• 1 Medjool date, pit removed  
• 1 TBS. Coconut Aminos 
• 3 TBS. full-fat coconut milk 
• 6 whole roasted cashews

Thinly slice chicken into equal strips, about ¼ inch thick and several inches in length.  Except for the chicken, combine all the remaining ingredients in a food processor  and pulse until mixture becomes a paste and only small pieces of the ingredients remain. Transfer the paste to a bowl and add the chicken, stirring to evenly coat. Refrigerate and allow the chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 5 hours.

Thread a bamboo skewer through each piece of chicken. Grill the chicken skewers on an outdoor grill or a grill pan, until cooked through. Serve immediately with the dipping sauce, recipe below.

SunButter “Peanut” Sauce:

• 1 cup full-fat coconut milk, divided
• 2 Medjool dates, pits removed 
• 1/2 cup finely crushed roasted cashews
• 2 TBS. tamarind paste  
• 1 TBS. plus 2 tsp. Coconut Aminos 
• 1/4 tsp. curry powder (I used “hot” but mild works too) 
• 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
• pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

In a blender, place 1/4 cup of the coconut milk and add the Medjool dates, process to a smooth paste.  Heat the remaining 3/4 cup of coconut milk until boiling, stirring continuously to prevent it from boiling over, and allow it to boil for 1 minute.  Reduce the heat to a low simmer  Add the coconut milk/date mixture and all remaining sauce ingredients. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

Enjoy!!

My previous Secret Recipe Club Recipe Posts: 

Asian Pork Chops 
Mango Salsa 
Pomegranate Molasses Salad Dressing 
Beef Keema  
Roasted Grape Tomato, Garlic & Poblano Ragu
Mexican Feast: Cream of Ancho Chile Soup, Roasted Poblano Burger with Chile de Arbol Guacamole & Pork Crusted Baked Poblano Fries 
Zesty Zucchini Skillet 
Garlic Seafood in Coconut Milk 
Lamb & Eggplant with Chiles
Fijian Ceviche
Carrot & Sweet Potato Pancakes   
Chicken Burgers with Spinach & Mushrooms 
Paradise Mango Curried Shrimp 
Laura Goodenough’s Apple Coffee Cake 
Loaded Potato Soup
Lemon Almond Biscotti 
Creamy Mints 
Thai Peanut Noodles with Chicken 
Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings 
Fried Green Tomatoes 
Chicken Satay Noodle Salad 
Double Chocolate Mousse Cake 
Candied Popcorn
Fruit, Nut & Poppy Seed Chicken Salad 
Broiled Sushi 
Health(ier) Peanut Brittle 
Crunchy Fudgy Heart Bites 
Texas Chicken with Lime Butter 
Pork Belly Soup with Collard Greens 
Thin Mint Irish Coffee 
Levain Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies 
Welsh Cakes 
Nutella Crêpes 
Cilantro Lime Chicken 
Holy Guacamole 
and
Home Style Chicken Curry

Check out the new SRC blog for more exciting recipes from past reveals

An InLinkz Link-up

Tandoori Chicken Wings

I adore tandoori chicken but as I don't have a tandoor to authentically recreate the dish at home, I try to come as close as possible by using a delicious marinade and high heat cooking in my oven or on my grill.

This recipe is a bit different in that I've made it dairy free by using coconut milk in place of the yogurt that is traditionally used and I chose to use chicken wings, which though I'm sure has been done, I've never had them tandoori style. Eammon was in the mood for wings and I was craving tandoori...so there you have it, Tandoori Chicken Wings.

I realize that the recipe appears a bit overwhelming with the long list of ingredients but it really is simple in that everything is dumped into one big bowl and left to marinate for a few hours and then the chicken is baked or grilled so the hands on time is really minimal and the reward is huge. The wings were crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside and flavorful throughout. These Tandoori Wings were a perfect way to satisfy everyone's craving.

 

Tandoori Chicken Wings

• 4-5 lbs. chicken wings, cut into drumettes and flats, discard tips or save for soup
• 14 oz. can coconut milk
• 2 TBS. fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 3/4 tsp. coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
• 3/4 tsp. paprika
• 1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 healthy pinch saffron
• 1/4 tsp. ground turmeric

Combine the coconut milk, lemon juice and all the spices in a large bowl and mix well. Add the chicken pieces and stir to coat well. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Preheat oven to 500F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly grease with coconut oil or oil of your choice. Lay the chicken pieces skin side up. Bake for 20-25 minutes until cooked through and the skin is crispy.

Enjoy!

 

Salt & Vinegar Chip Crab Cakes

I can’t believe that I almost missed this month of the Improv Cooking Challenge as I just have not been able to get my act together lately;  I just seem unable to sit down at the computer and actually blog.  Life has been busy and come night time, I just haven’t been in the mood to open up my laptop.  Not only have I been neglectful on this blog, but also on our family blog, Moments with Maisie.  I mean seriously, it took me a month and a half to post the pictures from our recent transatlantic cruise and time in Barcelona.  My posting was so slow that friends and family called and emailed to see if we were okay because it took so long to post!  Well today I’m making up for it… a bit.  A catch-up post on Moments with Maisie and finally, a new recipe here. 

This month for the Improv Cooking Challenge our hostess Kristen of Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker challenged the participating bloggers to make any recipe of their choosing using the specified ingredients of fish & chips!  She actually opened the scope of the challenge quite a bit as items like Swedish fish and chocolate chips could be counted as valid challenge fish and chip ingredients.  I thought about going the sweet route but in the end decided to go savory, a bit more traditional fish & chips…but with a twist. 

Now if I made traditional English fish & chips, well Eammon would be all over that one considering that he’s from London and next to Chicken Tikka Masala, it’s his fave!  I enjoy a good fish & chips dinner once in (rare) while but Maisie with her allergies, well it’s not something that she ever eats because I don’t deep fry and when we’re out, it’s not Maisie “safe”.  I thought about topping a nice piece of fish with some potato chips but as I did something similar for the July challenge with my Fritos Crusted Pollock, I needed something a bit different. 

I was looking in the freezer and saw that I had crabmeat and Maisie’s been on a salt & vinegar potato chip kick lately, and it hit me… crab cakes made with salt & vinegar chips.  I knew that Maisie would love them as would Eammon, I mean fish, potato and vinegar…well yum!

And well YUM these were, and easy too!  They are Maisie “safe” as they don’t contain wheat, egg or dairy like traditional crab cakes but instead use a combination of chia seed and flax seed as the binders.  The crab cakes were simple and the flavor of the crab was the star with hints of the potato chips.  I served the crab cakes simply with fresh from the garden peppers and tomatoes and an extra serving of salt & vinegar chips.  A delicious and healthy fish & chips meal which was a huge hit with all of us in the Cook Lisa Cook home.

Salt & Vinegar Chip Crab Cakes

• 1 pound crabmeat, picked free of shells
• 3/4 cup crushed salt & vinegar potato chips
• 3 green onions, green and white parts finely chopped
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 TBS. chia seed 
• 3 TBS. golden flax seed 
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard 
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 
• 1 teaspoon sea salt 
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper 
• corn starch, for dusting
• salt & pepper, to taste
• peanut oil or oil of your choice

In a large bowl mix together all ingredients except for the corn starch, salt & pepper (to taste) and peanut oil.  In a smaller bowl mix together the corn starch and season with the salt and pepper.   Using a large cookie scoop, portion out the crab mixture and shape into patties (I got 15 patties).  Dust each of the patties on all sides with the corn starch mixture. 

Over medium-high heat, heat a large cast iron skillet and add just enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan.  When the oil is hot, carefully place the crab cakes, in batches, into the pan and fry until browned and then carefully flip the crab cakes and fry on other side until golden brown.  Serve hot, plain, with some malt vinegar or sauce of your choice.

Enjoy!

My previous Improv Cooking Challenge entries:

May 2013  Cinnamon & Sugar:  Cinnamon Bun Cookie Bars  
April 2013  Bacon & Eggs:  Mini Bacon & Swiss Quiche Cups 
March 2013  Carrots & Peas:  Mom’s Beef Vegetable Soup 
February 2013  Hearts & Flours:  Three Ingredient Fudgy Nutella Brownie Bites
January 2013  Bananas & Nutmeg:  Baked Bananas 
December 2012  Chocolate & Marshmallows:  White Chocolate Marshmallow Cranberry Cashew Bark    
November 2012  Sweet Potatoes & honey: Sweet Potato Glass Noodles with Honey Garlic Lime Shrimp 
October 2012  Oatmeal & Raisins:  S’mores Granola Bars   
September 2012  Zucchini & Brown Sugar:  Zucchini with Onion & Brown Sugar 
August 2012  Tomatoes & Peppers:  French Fries Hash Browns 
July 2012  Corn & Butter:  Fritos Crusted Pollock 
June 2012  Cherries & Almonds:  Dried Cherry Almond Tart 
May 2012  Strawberries & Cream:  Strawberry Soup 
April 2012  Peanut butter & Jelly:  Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars 
March 2012  Potato & Cheese:  Loaded Potato & Buffalo Chicken Casserole 
February 2012  Ginger & Carrots:  Shrimp & Avocado Salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing 
January 2012 Lemon & Sour Cream:  Ponderosa Lemon & Sour Cream Tart 
December 2011 Eggnog & Cranberries:  Eggnog Popovers with Cranberry Butter 
November 2011 Pumpkin & Cream Cheese:  Praline Pumpkin Cheesecake
October 2011 Caramel & Apples:  Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

One of Eammon’s favorite dishes is Chicken Tikka Masala so when I saw this slow cooker version at Julie’s Table for Two, I just had to give it a try.  The smell of it cooking all day drove us crazy as the aroma was gorgeous and when we tasted it, well pure perfection.  I actually got all the ingredients mixed together in the crock insert of my slow cooker the night before I planned to make it, left it in the fridge over night and in the morning, popped the ready-to-go crock in the crockpot, turned it on and a few hours later we were enjoying a delicious meal…and only the crock to clean up!  Make this dish, you won’t be disappointed.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tiakka Masala  (slightly adapted from here)

• 3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 TBS. fresh grated ginger
• 1 - 29 oz. can tomato puree
• 1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt 
• 2 TBS. olive oil 
• 2 TBS. Garam masala 
• 1 TBS. cumin 
• 1/2 TBS. paprika 
• 1 tsp. sea salt, or to taste
• 2 – 3-inch pieces whole cinnamon sticks 
• 1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper 
• 1 TBS. cayenne pepper, more or less depending on your heat preference
• 2 bay leaves 
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 TBS. cornstarch 
• cilantro, for topping

Place everything up to and including the bay leaves into the removable crock of a slow cooker.  With a spatula, stir to combine everything and make sure the chicken is coated well.  Refrigerate overnight or use immediately.  When ready to cook, place the crock into the slow cooker, cover and cook for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high.

When done, in a medium bowl, whisk together the heavy cream and corn starch, then pour the mixture into the crockpot and gently stir. Let cook an additional 20 minutes to thicken up.

Serve hot over a bed of rice and garnish with cilantro.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, this recipe also freezes and reheats beautifully.

Enjoy!

Mom’s Curried Chicken Salad

My Mom has been making a curried chicken salad for years and as she’s been raving about how wonderful it is, I decided to give it a try…but of course I made a few little changes, but what else is new.  This Curried Chicken Salad is a little different from my Curried Grilled Thai Chicken Salad but just as delicious.  My Mom often makes this recipe with leftover turkey so perfect for your Thanksgiving leftovers.  This is just one of those recipes which can be tailored to what you have in hand or to your tastes.   

As I’ve been avoiding carbs lately, I’ve been enjoying this Curried Chicken Salad as pictured, atop a thick slice of fresh tomato and wrapped in a leaf of Romaine lettuce, so basically an awesome lettuce wrap…Delish!!

Mom’s Curried Chicken Salad

• 1/4 cup sour cream (I prefer Breakstone sour cream)
• 1/4 cup real mayonnaise (I prefer Hellmann’s mayonnaise)
• 3/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 4 tsp. Jamaican curry powder
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper powder
• 3/4 tsp. spicy brown mustard (I prefer Gulden’s mustard)
• 1 TBS. fresh lemon juice
• 3 TBS. finely chopped mango chutney (I prefer Raffetto Chut-Nut Colonial Chutney)
• 1 lb. cold cooked chicken, diced (I prefer my leftover “Rotisserie” Chicken)
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions, whites and greens
• 1 large peeled apple, diced (I prefer Granny Smith apples)
• 1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted
• 1/3 cup finely diced celery
• 1/4 cup golden raisins 

In a large bowl mix together the sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic powder, curry powder and cayenne.  Add the mustard, lemon juice and chutney and combine well.  Add the diced chicken, green onions, apple, almonds, celery & raisins and toss to mix.  Cover and refrigerate.  This is best made a day in advance so that all the flavors can come together.  Serve cold on a salad or in a sandwich.

Enjoy!

Shrimp & Vegetable Madras Curry for Daniel

Through my blogs I have met many wonderful bloggers, some in real life but most, just though cyberspace.  It’s amazing though because even the bloggers who you only know via what they write on their blog or by comments they leave for you, you form a bond with them and you look forward to what they write on their blog and what they have to say about what you’ve written on yours.  In my almost 8 years of blogging I have mainly been involved in two online communities, the International adoption community with my Moments with Maisie blog and the foodie community with this, my Cook Lisa Cook blog.  In both online communities I’ve found that most bloggers and those who may not have a blog, but comment on mine, are wonderful, supportive and kind people.  One of those people whom I’ve only met through cyberspace and really because of my participation in The Secret Recipe Club was Daniel Saraga of The Haggis and the Herring.  I’ve loved reading Daniel’s blog as he seemed to have a warm and gracious spirit, his passion for cooking and food shone through in his words and his taste in foods ran right along the same diverse, ethnic and adventurous lines that ours do.  When commenting on my blog, Daniel always made kind, thoughtful and often humorous comments that always warmed my heart and made me smile.  So it was with great sadness that I read of his sudden passing about two weeks back.  Daniel left behind his wife, two sons and third child on the way as well as a large extended family and many friends.  I had tears in my eyes reading Meredith’s words for the loss of her beloved husband, you could tell how much he was loved. 

Daniel was also loved in the online foodie community and that is why today, numerous Secret Recipe Club bloggers are coming together in a tribute day to Daniel by recreating and posting a recipe from The Haggis and the Herring.  

From my reading of The Haggis and the Herring, Daniel seemed to have a special passion for Indian curries, posting numerous delicious versions including Aloo Mutter Butter Paneer, Baked Aloo Kofta Curry, Channa Korma Curry, Channa Masala, Chicken Curry, Butter Chicken, Chicken Madras, Chicken Vindaloo and Chicken Tikka Masala.  So with that in mind I decided to recreate one of his curry dishes.  Unfortunately when I went to make my chosen recipe of Chicken Madras, I realized that I had everything in the house but chicken so knowing how versatile curries are I used what I had on hand for protein, shrimp.  I also decided to bulk up the shrimp with some added veggies as that morning I had picked some gorgeous red, orange, yellow and green peppers as well as some tomatoes from our garden and I also had a package of mushrooms that begged to be used.

I sautéed the veggies which smelled delicious on their own.

Then I added the shrimp which had been marinating in the curry sauce along with some crushed tomatoes and a delicious curry came together.  I hope to try many more of Daniel’s curries and other recipes.  He, his posts, recipes and kind words will all be missed.

Shrimp & Vegetable Madras Curry

• 1 TBS. garam masala
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 rounded TBS. curry powder
• 1 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt 
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 2 TBS. Whey Low Gold or brown sugar
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 rounded TBS. fresh grated ginger
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp (I used medium/small shrimp but any size would work)
• 2 TBS. olive oil
• 3-4 sweet peppers, mixed red, orange, yellow & green
• 8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
• 3 medium tomatoes, cut in 8ths
• 1 - 14.5 oz. can crushed tomatoes

In a large bowl, whisk together the garam masala, cinnamon, curry powder, black pepper, salt, cayenne, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, lemon juice and 1/2 cup olive oil.  Stir in the shrimp, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

In a deep pan heat 2 TBS. olive oil on high and add the peppers & mushrooms.  Allow the peppers & mushrooms to brown slightly then stir in the fresh tomatoes and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until the tomatoes start to soften.  Add the shrimp curry mixture and cook for 2 minutes stirring continuously. Add the tomatoes, stir and let simmer on medium-low for 30 minutes.  Serve with rice.

Enjoy!

 

 

Fried Green Tomatoes

Do you remember your first time?  Okay get your head out of the gutter, I’m talking about the first time you ate something that totally rocked your world?  Well for me it was the first time I tried a fried green tomato and I still remember the experience vividly.  I had recently made the move from New England to the south and was living down the road from Marietta Square where on the weekends the Marietta Square Farmer’s Market was held.  I loved to wander up there to pick up fresh veggies, baked goods and other treats.  On one of my very first visits there was a vendor selling tomatoes and in his stall he was cooking up samples of fried green tomatoes.  They smelled absolutely wonderful but when he told me what they were, I honestly turned my nose up at them…but the smell…well I just had to take a taste and WOW, they were absolutely magical.  How is it that Southerners have been eating and enjoying Fried Green Tomatoes forever but us Northerners seemed to know nothing about them?  Is the secret of Fried Green Tomatoes kept from us Northerners as a way to one-up us after the whole North vs. South conflict?  Well no matter the reason, since that fateful day this former Northerner has delighted in eating Fried Green Tomatoes, usually at my favorite little lunch spot in the form of their Fried Green Tomato Sandwich.  

Now though, thanks to Amanda’s blog Dancing Veggies my Secret Recipe Club assignment this month, I have a super awesome recipe for fried green tomatoes.  I enjoyed reading through Amanda’s blog, trying to figure out songs based on the lyrics she uses as blog titles and of course reading her recipes.  Amanda’s recipes were mostly vegetarian and I found them inviting as they were simple to make and used everyday ingredients.  While I realized that I really stank at figuring out most of the songs, I found that I was really good at wanting to try many of her recipes including her Zucchini Parmesan Crisps, Slow Cooker Coconut Curry and Slow Cooker Eggplant Korma but as soon as I saw her fried green tomato recipe it was all over, I knew what I’d be making…Plus I had a garden which was overflowing with tomatoes, red & green…how perfect was that! 

The Fried Green Tomatoes I made were absolutely delightful and brought back wonderful memories of that first one I tried years ago at the Farmer’s Market.  The crunchy coating on the tomato was a bit gritty from the cornmeal and was a wonderful contrast to the tomato itself which was smooth and al dente and provided the perfect resistance to the bite though it had been cooked through.  The flavor of the tomato was delicate and just a tad tart which worked beautifully with the slight little kick and heat from the cayenne in the coating.  I’ll admit it, the first time I made these tomatoes I ate almost all of them myself and it wasn’t that no one else wanted or liked them but it was because I didn’t want to share.  In the end, over the course of the month since I first received my assignment, I made three batches of Fried Green Tomatoes so that others could enjoy them too.  Me, I adore Fried Green Tomatoes, I could eat Fried Green Tomatoes daily for the rest of my life and I also found that I love Fried Green Tomatoes however they are served, hot, room temperature and even cold from the fridge, anyway you slice the green tomato I’m addicted.  If there’s a support group for my Fried Green Tomato addiction I don’t want to know.  So happy that I moved to the South, not only did I get away from snow in the winter but I also found a new love, Fried Green Tomatoes …total YUM!! 

Fried Green Tomatoes (slightly adapted from here)

• 6 large green tomatoes, sliced 1/2 in thick
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (I prepare from powered as I don’t keep fresh buttermilk in the house and this always works wonderfully)  
• 3/4 cup corn meal 
• 1/3 cup flour 
• 1 1/2 tsp. cayenne powder  
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt   
• 1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
• peanut oil or oil of your choice

In a large cast iron skillet heat about 1/4-inch of oil over medium high heat. 

In a wide shallow bowl whisk together the eggs & buttermilk.  In a separate dish combine the corn meal, flour, cayenne, salt & pepper.  One at a time dip the tomato slices in the egg mixture then lay in the corn meal mixture and cover the tomato completely with the coating..

Once the oil is hot, add the coated tomatoes to the hot oil being sure not over crowd the pan. Cook the tomatoes until golden brown on both sides, trying to only turn one time once the bottom side is cooked and golden. Remove from the oil allowing all the excess oil to drain back into the pan and then place the tomato slices on a wire cooling rack which is covered with a paper towels.  Season with salt.  Serve hot, warm or cold, any way you eat them they are delicious!

Enjoy!

My previous Secret Recipe Club Recipe Posts:

Chicken Satay Noodle Salad 
Double Chocolate Mousse Cake 
Candied Popcorn
Fruit, Nut & Poppy Seed Chicken Salad 
Broiled Sushi 
Health(ier) Peanut Brittle 
Crunchy Fudgy Heart Bites 
Texas Chicken with Lime Butter 
Pork Belly Soup with Collard Greens 
Thin Mint Irish Coffee 
Levain Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies 
Welsh Cakes 
Nutella Crêpes 
Cilantro Lime Chicken 
Holy Guacamole 
and
Home Style Chicken Curry