Fried Green Tomatoes

Fried Green Tomatoes a wonderful Southern appetizer or side dish.

Ingredients:
2 large green tomatoes
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cornmeal (I use coarse ground)
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:

1. Slice tomatoes 1/3 inch thick. Discard the ends.
2. Lay the sliced tomatoes on a cooling rack or on your counter and sprinkle each slice (both sides) with salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar. Let them be for at least 10 minutes. The tomatoes will start to sweat liquid, this is what is supposed to happen.
3. In a large skillet, pour vegetable oil to a depth of 1/8 inch, then add the butter and heat over medium heat.
4. Put flour into a bowl. Whisk eggs and milk together in a bowl. Mix cornmeal, bread crumbs, salt and pepper in another bowl. You should have three separate bowls, 1 with flour, 1 with the egg and milk mixture and 1 with the breadcrumb and cornmeal mixture.
5. Dip tomatoes into flour to coat. Then dip the tomatoes into egg and milk mixture. Then dredge in breadcrumbs to completely coat.
6. Place tomatoes into the frying pan in batches of 4 or 5, depending on the size of your skillet. Do not crowd the tomatoes, they should not touch each other. When the tomatoes are browned, flip and fry them on the other side. This should take 3-4 minutes on each side.
7. Using a slotted spoon, remove the fried green tomatoes to a plate that has been lined with paper towels. Do not cover or stack the tomatoes. Doing so will cause your batter to soften and become soggy. Wait at least 10 minutes after draining on the paper towels to stack.
8. Wait a minute for the oil to return to temperature, then put in another batch of battered green tomatoes.
9. Once done frying all the battered tomatoes, serve.

Fried green tomatoes are such a delicious appetizer or side dish. The tomatoes are cooked perfectly and the batter has just the right amount of crunch from the panko bread crumbs, which I love using. The sugar used prior to adding the batter helps the tomatoes sweat their own juices and helps the batter to stick to the tomatoes. I love eating these by themselves but you could also serve these with a gravy or ranch dressing.

*Camala*

Risotto with Kale

Creamy and Cheesy Risotto with Kale.

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
3 1/2 cups water
3/4 tsp sea salt
3/4 pound kale
1 1/4 cups finely chopped onion
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 tsp sea salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (10 ounces)
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (3/4 ounce)
1 Tbsp butter

Directions:

1. Bring broth and water to a boil with 3/4 teaspoon sea salt in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan. Meanwhile, cut stems and center ribs from kale and discard. Stir kale into broth in batches and simmer (all of kale), stirring occasionally, until tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer kale with tongs to a large sieve set over a bowl and gently press on greens to extract more liquid. Add liquid in bowl to simmering broth and keep at a bare simmer, covered. Chop kale.
2. Cook onion in oil and 1 tablespoon butter with remaining 1/4 teaspoon sea salt in a wide 4-quart heavy pot, covered, over low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium, then add garlic and cook, uncovered, stirring, 1 minute. Add rice and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
3. Add 1/3 cup chicken broth and simmer briskly, stirring constantly, until absorbed. Stir in 1/2 cup simmering broth and simmer briskly, stirring constantly, until broth is absorbed. Continue simmering and adding broth, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and letting each addition be absorbed before adding next, until rice is creamy-looking but still al dente (it should be the consistency of thick soup), 20 to 25 minutes.
4. Stir in kale, cheese, and 1 tablespoon butter and cook, stirring, until heated through and butter is incorporated, about 1 minute. Season risotto with sea salt and pepper to taste and if desired, thin with some of remaining broth.

I found this recipe at Epicurious, however I did adapt it a bit. I served this Risotto with some Bilinski’s Mild Italian Chicken Sausages, These sausages are sooo yummy and full of flavor.

This dinner was very good, I do so like risotto but it is a bit time consuming because you have to add the liquid a bit at a time and basically stir constantly, therefore it does not make for a quick and easy dish, especially with having to tend to three little ones at the same time:) So, to me, Risotto is a once and awhile dish…=)

*Camala*

Red Quinoa with Green Beans

Red Quinoa with Green Beans- Looks pretty and tastes GREAT!

Ingredients:
1 cup red quinoa
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion
1/2 pound green beans, cut into 1 inch lengths
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
2 eggs, beaten
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Place 1 cup red quinoa and 2 cups of vegetable or chicken broth in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes. When done, the grain appears soft and the red becomes translucent.
2. While the quinoa is cooking, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion in the skillet with the olive oil for about 3 minutes or until onion is tender. Add the green beans to the skillet and cook for 5 to 10 minutes depending on your desired crunchiness. Add the garlic the last minute and saute together.
3. Position the green bean mixture around the sides of the skillet making a well in the middle, add the beaten eggs to the middle of the skillet. Allow eggs to cook a bit before mixing all together.
4. Once the egg is cooked add the cooked quinoa to the skillet and mix all together. If dry, you can add a drizzle of olive oil to add a bit of moisture to the final product. Finally, add some salt and pepper to taste or desired seasonings. Enjoy!

This is a great dish that can be served as a meal or a side dish. I love the slightly added crunch of the green beans. This dish is flavorful and the colors look so pretty together!

*Camala*