Tag: oil

Crispy Onion Rings

 

onion-rings

Independence day will be celebrated a little differently this year at the Melton house. Instead of the typical grilling we are planning a fish fry. Greg and Wes went deep sea fishing in Florida recently, and we have grouper, snapper, and wahoo in the freezer.

We seldom fry because I don’t like the splattering mess that it creates. However, Greg will set up the fryer outside, and we will be in business. With delicious Vidalia onions in season, I plan to cut up a few so that we can have these terrific Crispy Onion Rings too!

The coating is light, crispy, and fabulous. Savannah even said these onion rings were better than The Varsity, and I must agree! They fry up very fast and can be kept warm in a 200° F oven.

 

Crispy Onion Rings
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 quart vegetable oil, for frying
  • 2 to 3 large Vidalia onions, cut crosswise into ½-inch rings
  • 2 tsp. kosher salt, more for sprinkling
  • 3 to 4 c. club soda, chilled
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 3 c. all-purpose flour
  • ⅓ c. cornstarch
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the cornstarch, baking powder, and 2 tsp. kosher salt. Whisk in 3 cups club soda until the batter is smooth. Add more club soda, about 1 tbsp. at a time, until the mixture is the consistency of thin pancake batter. Let stand for 10 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat the vegetable oil to 380°F. Dip 8 onion rings in the batter, letting the excess drip back into the bowl. Fry the onion rings in the hot oil over high heat, turning occasionally, until golden and crispy, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel lined baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Repeat with the remaining onion rings and batter and serve hot or warm.

 

Confetti Pasta Salad

Confetti-Pasta-Salad

 

While writing this article, I decided to do a little research about Memorial Day.  Honestly, I am not sure I’ve ever understood the difference in Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day until now.  Memorial Day is among our oldest holidays, originally conceived in the aftermath of the Civil War.  It is a time to remember and honor those who have fallen in service to our country.    As it turns out there is quite a bit of controversy about Memorial Day.  More than I care to get into but much can be found on the internet, if you are interested.  If I could make two suggestions, the first would be to read this article by a former Navy pilot  http://observer.com/2015/05/its-perfectly-ok-to-say-happy-memorial-day/  and watch this video on the lone Marine  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTPmcp-ZGWQ.

With Memorial Day just around the corner, many will be gathering with friends and family. Anything that can be cooked on a grill will most likely be prepared that day. Many ribs, hamburgers, and hot dogs will be cooked. Potato salad and homemade ice cream will be in abundance!

Greg is typically in charge of the grilling on big cookout days at the Melton house while I am in charge of all other food, including appetizers, sides, and desserts. Doesn’t seem quite fair does it? It’s a good thing I enjoy being in the kitchen!

I am always looking for a new dish or two to throw into the mix.  This year I plan to serve this delicious Vera Stewart recipe for Confetti Pasta Salad. Made with fresh spinach and dill, grape tomatoes, and lemon juice the flavor is light and will pair great with the other dishes you will serve this Memorial Day.  Considering that many dishes will have to be prepared, the ease of this recipe is also quite appealing.

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Confetti Pasta Salad
 
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Ingredients
  • For the Salad:
  • 8-oz. uncooked small to medium shell pasta
  • 2 c. coarsely chopped fresh spinach
  • ¼ c. finely chopped onions
  • 1 (4-oz.) pkg. crumbled feta cheese
  • 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
  • 3 tbsp. chopped fresh dill
  • For the Vinaigrette:
  • ¼ c. fresh lemon juice
  • 1 lg. garlic clove, pressed
  • ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • ½ c. vegetable oil
Instructions
  1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
  2. For the vinaigrette, combine lemon juice, mustard, garlic, salt, and black pepper. Slowly whisk in oil until combined.
  3. Toss pasta with tomatoes and remaining ingredients, including vinaigrette. Serve immediately, or cover and chill up to 8 hours.

 

Southern Cornbread Salad

Southern-Cornbread-Salad

 

Do you remember the cornbread salads from twenty years ago? Cornbread layered with tomatoes, pinto beans, peppers, and onions, salsa, and usually Ranch dressing. My cousin could make one that always had you going back for seconds!

Recipes are like clothing styles. Of course, there are classics that will always be around. However, the most popular recipe today will most likely not be the popular recipe ten or fifteen years from now.

This recipe for Southern Cornbread Salad is amazing!  With family reunions, cookouts, and picnics in season, this is a great salad recipe to go into the summer months with.  This version of a cornbread salad is completely different. This salad is full or light and fresh flavors. Very much like an Italian Panzanella salad, but made with Southern cornbread rather than Italian bread.

If you are taking the salad to another location, take the vegetables in the salad bowl. Take the toasted cornbread in a ziplock bag, and the vinaigrette in a separate container. Combine just before serving.

Southern Cornbread Salad
 
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Ingredients
  • ½ to 1 pan cornbread (any recipe, preferably 1 to 2 days old)
  • DRESSING:
  • 6 tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • SALAD INGREDIENTS:
  • 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 or 2 red bell peppers, diced
  • 2 c. cherry tomatoes, quartered (or 2 lg. tomatoes, chopped
  • ½ c. thinly sliced scallions (white and green parts)
  • ¼ c. chopped fresh basil
Instructions
  1. Cube cornbread and place on a baking sheet. Toast in oven, turning to toast all sides of bread. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper, set aside.
  3. Add toasted cornbread to a salad bowl. Add black beans, bell peppers, tomatoes, scallions, and basil to the salad bowl. Toss gently.
  4. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss to combine well. Serve immediately.
Notes
If you are taking the salad to another location, take the vegetables in the salad bowl. Take the toasted cornbread in a ziplock bag, and the vinaigrette in a separate container. Combine just before serving.

 

Crawfish (or Shrimp) and Stone-ground Grits Gratin

crawfish and stone-ground grits gratin 3

 

What a weekend it has been. I have cooked non-stop! After finding out last week that I will need surgery soon, I tried to prepare and photograph several dishes for the blog and my weekly newspaper article. I enjoy cooking, but it has been like preparing for Thanksgiving or Christmas!

When I finally schedule the surgery, I will be out of commission for a while. I need surgery on my right foot, and will be on one of those rolling knee walkers for approximately six weeks. The doctor said I could possibly stand on the foot after four weeks, but I should plan on six weeks. No standing and cooking for a least 2 to 3 weeks, even with the rolling walker. Greg and the kids have already started making plans. They will all pitch in to do the laundry, cleaning, shopping, and cooking. This will be very interesting!

To celebrate Mardi Gras and one of my favorite places, New Orleans, I have made this wonderful crawfish and grits casserole. I love grits with just about anything. I also really like goat cheese, but had never combined the two until now. Yummy! Goat cheese is a little strong for some, and if you are not a fan of it, substitute shredded Cheddar cheese. You may also use shrimp instead of crawfish if you prefer.

Crawfish (or Shrimp) and Stone-ground Grits Gratin
 
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Ingredients
  • 4 c. homemade seafood stock or 1 (8-oz.) bottle clam juice and 3 c. water
  • 1 c. stone-ground grits
  • 2 tsp. salt, divided
  • 1 tsp. ground black pepper, divided
  • 1 (8-oz.) log goat cheese
  • 1 tbsp. canola oil, plus more for greasing
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
  • 1 small jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped, optional
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 lb. cooked crawfish tail meat (about 2 c.) or small raw shrimp
  • ¼ c. white wine
  • 4 lg. eggs, lightly beaten
  • ¼ c. chopped fresh parsley
  • ¼ c. chopped green onion
Instructions
  1. In a large saucepan, bring seafood stock (or clam juice and water) to boil over medium-high heat. Slowly whisk in grits, 1 tsp. salt, and ½ tsp. pepper. Decrease heat to low, and simmer until creamy and thick, about 45 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in goat cheese.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush a 12-inch round baking dish with canola oil, and set aside.
  3. In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp. canola oil over medium heat. Add shallot, celery, jalapeño, and garlic; cook until shallot is soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add crawfish or shrimp, wine, and remaining 1 tsp. salt and ½ tsp. pepper; cook 4 minutes.
  4. Pour half of crawfish mixture into a medium bowl, and set aside. Add remaining crawfish mixture to grits, along with eggs; stir to combine. Spoon grits mixture into prepared baking dish. Top with remaining crawfish mixture, parsley, and green onion.
  5. Bake until bubbly and golden brown, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

 

 

 

Three-Bean Salad

three bean salad

 

 

Here’s another great vegetable salad recipe. This recipe uses convenient canned vegetables, which makes it an easy year-round recipe. This salad has been a favorite of mine since I was a child. It was always on the table at family get-togethers, and it’s great for cookouts and picnics.

My mom uses Splenda in place of sugar, which is an excellent option. You can mix up the beans. Try adding frozen English peas in place of chickpeas, or maybe cannellini (white kidney beans) rather than red kidney beans. Stored in an airtight container it last about one week in the refrigerator.

Three-Bean Salad
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 (15.5-oz.) can Garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (15-oz.) can cut green beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (15-oz.) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • ½ c. chopped bell pepper
  • ½ c. chopped onion
  • ½ c. white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • ½ c. vegetable oil
  • ½ c. sugar
  • 1 tsp. salt
Instructions
  1. Pour rinsed and drained beans into a large bowl. Add chopped bell pepper and onions. Mix and set aside.
  2. Mix vinegar, oil, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan and heat until sugar dissolves. Pour over bean mixture and gently mix. Refrigerate for 24 hours before serving.