Chicken Strip Dipping Sauces

Update! I had said earlier that the original recipe that I posted is thicker than the restaurant version but with the modifications listed below in red, I think I may have a pretty passable copycat recipe!

Back home in Baton Rouge, there is a certain fast food joint that only serves chicken fingers. While the chicken fingers are really, really good it's the sauce that really makes them extraordinary! I didn't like the sauce at first but after awhile, I started to crave it. I have been known to order two more sauces so that I could dunk my fries in them, it is that good! The chain hasn't made it's way over to the Carolinas yet so I've been on a search for a recipe for me to make it myself. I've made this one and while it's thicker than the sauce you get from the restaurant, the flavor is very similar to what I remember.

Chicken Strip Dipping Sauce
Recipe courtesy of Guthrie's (where the BR restaurant allegedly got the recipe)

1/2 1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon paprika
Generous amount of black pepper (cover surface two or three times and mix in)
Buttermilk (maybe a teaspoon or so?)

Combine all ingredients. Think it out with a little bit of buttermilk. It will start to look and taste right as you blend them together, but it is best to let the sauce sit for a few hours before serving.

Whole Lemon Tart

If you like to look at pictures of food like I do, you should check out Tastespotting. It's a website that combs blogs for beautiful pictures of foods that usually include recipes. Or at least, I think that is what the website does, all I know is that I am subbed to it via a blog reader and everyday I am treated to a feast for the eyes. Earlier this month, I saw a gorgeous picture of a lemon tart that directed me to the food blog, Smitten Kitchen. Smitten Kitchen is a wonderful blog with gorgeous pictures and wonderful recipes and I look forward to making more recipes from it! I finally made this recipe this past weekend for a girls dinner party and not only was it super easy, it was delicious! The picture above is one that my friend, Karen, took of the tart right before we dug in!

Whole Lemon Tart

Source: Smitten Kitchen (this recipe is verbatim from SK)

1 partially baked 9-inch (24-cm) Great Unshrinkable Tart Shell, or your favorite sweet tart shell

1 average-sized lemon (about 4 1/2 ounces; 130 grams), rinsed and dried (a regular lemon will make a sharper, more bitter tart; a Meyer lemon, however, will really make this tart sing)

1 1/2 cups (300 grams) sugar

1 large egg1 large egg yolk

1 1/2 tablespoons (12 grams) cornstarch

1 stick (4 ounces; 115 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven 325°F (165°C). Line a trimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and put the tart shell on the sheet.

Slice the lemon into thin wedges, remove the seeds, and toss the lemon and sugar into the container of a blender or food processor. Blend or process, scraping down the sides of the container as needed, until the lemon is thoroughly pureed and blended with the sugar, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn the mixture into a bowl and, using a whisk, gently stir in the whole egg and the yolk, followed by the cornstarch and melted butter. [I actually just use the food processor for this whole mixing part, beating the other ingredients in until smooth.] Pour the filling into the crust but be sure to leave 1/4 inch between the top of your filling and the top edge of your crust. Slide the baking sheet into the oven and bake the tart for 20 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 350°F (180°C) and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling, lightly browned and set. Don’t take the tart out until it is clearly set, however — you’re looking for a slight jiggliness with no suggestion of liquid underneath. Transfer the tart, still on the baking sheet, to a cooling rack and allow it to cool for at least 20 minutes before removing it from the pan. The tart is ready to be served when it reaches room temperature.

Apple Pudding Cake

In college I worked in the college bookstore. We sometimes had parties where we would lay food out in the stockroom next to the time clock. One lady always made an apple cake that was incredible. It was spicy with a sweet glaze that made the cake dense and moist. I had the recipe at one time but I seem to have lost it in one of my last six moves! Reaching back far into the recesses of my mind, I remember there being a can of evaporated milk in a sauce that was poured over the top of the cake when it came out of the oven. I went on a search for the recipe and let me tell you, it wasn't easy. I found lots of good recipes but none that seemed right. But I finally found it! This is a very easy cake to make although I will warn you that when you fold in the apples, you are going to think that you did something seriously wrong. It is not going to look like there is enough batter for the cake but trust me, continue with the recipe as written and you will be rewarded!

Apple Pudding Cake

Recipe from Cooks.com

CAKE:

2 c. sugar

2/3 c. butter

2 eggs

4 c. chopped apples

1 c. nuts, chopped (I omitted because nuts don't belong in baked goods :P)

2 c. flour

2 tsp. soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

I eyeballed the following in probably 1/4 tsp increments each: cloves, ginger, nutmeg

SAUCE:

1 c. butter

1 c. evaporated milk

2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. sugar

1 tbsp. flour

CAKE: Mix as for any cake, folding apples in last. Bake in a greased 13x9 pan, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. When cake is taken out of the oven, poke a few holes and pour the sauce on top to soak. Let cool.

SAUCE: Mix and bring to a boil. Boil 1 minute.

This cake is very moist and very rich. In the picture below the cake is sitting on an appetizer plate and each piece is about the size of a matchbox. This is more than enough to satisfy anyone's sweet tooth! It would be wonderful with a scoop of ice cream or even just a tall glass of cold milk!

Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Dressing

A couple of weeks ago, I went to a co-worker going away dinner at the Village Tavern. This was right after our dessert social so I wasn't hungry enough for a full on meal but I was hungry. Decided on the spinach salad with apples, blue cheese, spicy nuts and tossed with a poppyseed dressing. It also came with a hard boiled egg and a banana nut muffin. It was so delicious that I couldn't get it out of my head and vowed that I would try to copy it. The following is what I came up with and while it is pretty good, the restaurant version had more of an acidic kick. I might bump up the amount of vinegar in the dressing the next time I make this.

Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Dressing

Salad components (this is all stuff that I eyeballed so no measurements):

Fresh baby spinach

Granny smith apples, thinly sliced

Crumbled blue cheese

Spicy pecans (recipe below)

Crispy bacon bits (recipe below)

Poppyseed Dressing:

1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons onion powder
3 teaspoons ground mustard
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil

In a small bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Slowly add oil, while whisking briskly. Cover and refrigerate overnight until serving.

Spicy Nuts:

¼ cup veggie oil
2 tsp chili powder
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp tumeric
Pinch of cayenne
½ tsp salt
3 cups pecans

Preheat oven to 300◦. Combine oil and spices in small saucepan over low heat. Heat until hot but not smoking. Remove from heat and add walnuts, tossing to coat. Spread walnuts in a single layer on a baking pan lined with parchment or wax paper. Place in oven for 10 minutes.

Crispy Bacon Bits:

1 pound of thick sliced bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

Prepare bacon in a pan until very crispy. Drain on paper towels.

To assemble the salad:

Toss the spinach, apples and blue cheese with the poppyseed dressing. When plating, sprinkle each plate with warmed bacon and nuts.

Red Beans and Rice

I love you once, I love you twice, I love you more than beans and rice. Red beans and rice is a dish commonly served on Monday in Louisiana on what was once typically wash day. It was a good dish to make on those days because even though it required a long time to cook, it needed little to no babysitting. I remember in college waiting for Monday to come around so that I could go in the "good" cafeteria at 4 PM and get a big 'ol plate of red beans and rice. If I was lucky, there were enough left over that they served it in the food court on Tuesday for lunch! In my family we serve this with lots of Tabasco and a wedge of cheddar cheese. I always made this recipe with Camilla brand kidney beans but it's not readily available in the Carolinas so I make do with the store brand.

Red Beans and Rice
Recipe from the back of Camilla kidney beans bag

1 lb red kidney beans
½ ham or seasoning meat (I use about a pound of smoked sausage)
8-10 cups water
1 onion, chopped
1 toe garlic
2 Tbs. Celery, chopped
2 Tbs. Parsley, chopped
1 large bay leaf
Tony's and salt to taste

Traditional Method
Rinse and sort beans. Cover with water, start to cook over low fire in covered pan. Render meat and add to beans. In meat drippings sauté onion, garlic. Celery and parlsey, add this with bay leaf to beans and cook for 1 ½ to 1 ¾ hours. Add water if necessary while cooking. 15 minutes before done mash 4 to 5 tablespoons of beans through strainer, stirring into liquid. This makes the liquid creamy. Serve over fluffy rice with hot French bread.

Crockpot Method
Rinse and sort beans. Cover with 2 inches of water and soak overnight. Except for the bay leaf, chop up the remaining ingredients the night before and throw it in the fridge. The next day, drain the beans. Place half the beans in the crock pot and top with half of the chopped ingredients mixture. Sprinkle a layer of Tony's seasoning. Top with the remaining beans, then chopped ingredients and another layer of Tony's. Throw that bay leaf in there. Cover the beans with about 2 or 3 inches of water. Set the crockpot on low all day. When you get home from a hard day of work, mash some of the beans and stir it all up again. Let it cook for little bit and then serve over rice with hot sauce and a wedge of cheese!

Tonsil Cake

Thanksgiving 2007 ~ 11.23.07

When I was in third grade I had my tonsils out. I was a picky eater to begin with but couple that with a surgery and I was a pickle to feed. I refused to eat most things until my grandma brought over a bunt pound cake with a citrus glaze. From that time on, our family called this "Tonsil Cake".

Tonsil Cake (Thrifty Buttermilk Pound Cake)

3 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 unbeaten eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp lemon extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Cream the butter and sugar. Add eggs, buttermilk and extracts. Blend well. Add flour mixture a little bit at a time until well blended. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Black Beans and Rice

Late Dinner ~ 01.05.08

This recipe originally called for yellow rice but since I always have white rice and never have yellow rice in the house, I use white rice. This dish has a sort of Tex-Mex flair and is better the next day after it's had time to sit and blend together. I've modified it a little to be a little spicier (I know, how unlike me!) by using Rotel tomatoes and reducing the amount of beans. I serve this with shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream.

Black Beans and Rice
Courtesy of Southern Living

1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained
1 (14.5-ounce) can Rotel spicy tomatoes
1 1/2 cups water
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
6 cups hot cooked rice

Saute first 2 ingredients in hot oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until veggie are tender. Add beans and next 7 ingredients; bring mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour. Uncover and simmer 20 more minutes, stirring mixture occasionally. Serve bean mixture over rice.

Cranberry and Feta Salad with Spiced Walnuts

Part of my job is to go to networking functions that tend to happen during lunch. I'll be honest with you, the majority of the food served at these functions is nothing to write home about. There is usually a baked chicken that is dried out from sitting on the buffet, a iceberg salad with the usual ranch and Italian dressings, a veggie and a dessert. When the food is good though, it definitely stands out in my mind. The grilled chicken salad with goat cheese at the convention center, a perfectly grilled chicken breast atop garlic mashed potatoes at McCormick & Schmick's and this salad at Bronte Bistro (in Joseph-Beth's Bookstore). This salad is a melody of tastes: acidity from the sherry wine vinaigrette, salty from the feta, spicy fire from the walnuts, sweet yet tart flavor from the cranberries and a smokey essence from the turkey. I swear I licked the plate it was so good.

Cranberry and Feta Salad with Spiced Walnuts
Sweet Sherry Vinaigrette:
1 Tbsp sherry wine vinegar
3/4 cup + 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp water
Black pepper

Mix all the ingredients until combined.

Spiced Walnuts:
¼ cup veggie oil
2 tsp chili powder
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp turmeric
Pinch of cayenne
½ tsp salt
3 cups walnuts

Preheat oven to 300◦. Combine oil and spices in small saucepan over low heat. Heat until hot but not smoking. Remove from heat and add walnuts, tossing to coat. Spread walnuts in a single layer on a baking pan lined with parchment or wax paper. Place in oven for 10 minutes.

Salad:
Fresh spinach
Crumbled feta cheese
Dried cranberries
Smoked turkey (chopped)
Spiced walnuts
Sweet sherry vinaigrette

Assemble the salad by tossing the spinach with the vinaigrette. Sprinkle feta and cranberries around. Layer chopped turkey and sprinkle with spice walnuts.

Grandma's Potato Refrigerator Dough

This is my ultimate, all time favorite bread recipe. It came from my Grandma and she makes these rolls for every holiday. There were a few years when I was younger that I would only eat jellied cranberry sauce and these rolls for Thanksgiving. Grandma does it right and lets it sit in the fridge for a few days but I'm impatient and bake them the same day. While it still tastes good, it tastes better when it's left to ferment for a couple of days.

Potato Refrigerator Dough

1 pkg. dry active yeast
1 ½ cups warm water (105 to 155 degrees)
2/3 cup sugar
1 ½ tsp salt
2/3 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 cup lukewarm mashed potatoes
7 to 7 ½ cups flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in sugar, salt, shortening, eggs, potatoes, and 4 cups of the flour. Beat until smooth. Mix in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle. Turn dough onto lightly floured board; knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place in greased bowl; turn greased side up. Cover bowl tightly; refrigerate at least 8 hours or until ready to use. (Dough can be kept up to 5 days covered in refrigerator at 45 degrees or below. Keep covered). Punch down dough; divide into 4 parts. Use ¼ of dough in each of the variations. Let rise for 1 ½ hours before baking. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Bake rolls 15 to 25 minutes.