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Buttermilk

Easy Southern Fried Green Tomatoes: Perfect Alone or On Burgers or BLTs

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Fried Green Tomatoes

Southern Fried Green Tomatoes: Easy and Crazy Delicious

 

Fried green tomatoes are a delicacy in our home – and something that my husband begins craving, like clockwork, each May. Last year, he started craving them way too early and I had to tell him to slow his roll… I can’t make fried green tomatoes happen until the tomato plants make green tomatoes happen!

Fried green tomatoes are delicious, on their own, alongside just about any meal you can think of (breakfast meals that include fried eggs pair magically with them). We’ve discovered that they’re also outstanding on burgers and BLTs.

One of the main things you want to remember is not to crowd the pan. They like their space! To keep your fried green tomatoes from getting mushy or soggy while you cook them in batches, place them into a moderately warm oven (200 degrees or so) while frying the rest. Don’t cover them with aluminum foil (or anything for that matter) and don’t stack them on top of one another, until they’re ready to serve.

Fried Green Tomatoes

 

Tangy Southern Coleslaw: Fast, Easy, and Oh So Delicious!

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Tangy Southern Coleslaw

Tangy Southern Coleslaw

One of the things I love most in the world is coleslaw – or, I should say, GOOD coleslaw. There’s a lot of bad coleslaw out there which can be frustrating for me because I am coleslaw picky. Make that PICKY.

When you find (or make) great coleslaw, it’s just such a beautiful thing. And given that there’s so much bad coleslaw out there, it feels a little bit magical.

I also love that coleslaw goes with so many things.. and those few things it doesn’t conceivably go with? I make it go.

The only drawback to loving a particular food so much is (as I said), it can make you hyper picky when you order it in restaurants (or, worse yet, when a family member makes some and it tastes like a movie prop). Let’s be honest, really truly wonderful coleslaw is a work of art and not many people pass for artists.

This particular easy, but delicious, southern coleslaw is spot on – a work of art that’ll make you a Picasso.

My personal favorite coleslaw is usually vinegar-based, but I wanted to add some creamy tanginess to the mix (literally), so  I opted to sort of combine a creamy coleslaw and a vinegar coleslaw. That’s where the buttermilk comes into play. It may sound unusual, but it really does make things interesting.

And delicious!

Notes:

  • I specify Duke’s Mayonnaise simply because it’s the one I always buy and use in my recipes. I simply think it’s the best. However, using Hellman’s will not alter the recipe. In fact, it’s pretty much the same… don’t tell my beloved Duke’s that though.
  • This is outrageously delicious on or beside a chili dog or pork sandwich.
  • One of the things that makes “Southern Coleslaw” in fact “Southern Coleslaw” is the sweetness. Our capacity to eat sweet food is unequaled. If you want to add a little less sugar, feel free to cut back a tad. However, a certain amount is very, very necessary to balance the acidity of the vinegar.


Salad Bar Salads… So Very Much YUM!

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Salad Bar Salad
I’m pretty sure I’ve confessed my salad fixation to you at some point during our relationship. However, if it has been an oversight, allow me to ‘fess up now. Basically, I meander through life going from salad to salad. My fixation is so bad that even when I’m enjoying a great salad, part of my brain is thinking of what I will or will not include in my next salad – to say nothing of the dressing and condiments that’ll go on top.

One of the fascinating things about salads is that you can, literally, have one every single day of the year and never have two exactly the same. Of course, if you have a particular combo that rocks your boat, you can easily have the exact same one every day – I won’t judge you.

Salad Bar Salad with Ranch Dressing
Obviously salads are wonderful for many reasons….

  • They’re colorful and beautiful! A gorgeous salad makes any meal look more beautiful. They’ve been known to even upstage a lasagna.. trust me, I was there.
  • They’re delicious. Even people who don’t think they like vegetables CAN find salad combinations they like. Iceberg lettuce, which doesn’t have a lot of flavor is a great start for the non-veggie crowd. Add tomatoes (which almost everyone loves) and go from there. A lot of strides can be taken with those who “don’t like salads” with the dressing. If they’re fans of mustard, try a honey mustard dressing. If they love Ranch (who doesn’t?), make them a great Ranch dressing.
  • They’re healthy. Along with soup (something else I’m all about), salads present you with a perfect opportunity to get your daily veggie count up. Leafy greens are one of the healthiest foods you can eat, as are broccoli and cauliflower and they’re all excellent salad co-stars. But it doesn’t stop with the veggies. You can work EVEN more nutrients and vitamins in by topping your salad with flaxseed, sunflower seeds, dried fruit, and/or chia seeds.

Salad Bar Salad
One of my favorite ways to enjoy salads is to have what I call a Salad Bar Salad. These fun and delicious salads are built from your favorite salad bar options, such as:

  • colorful lettuce – several varieties, preferably
  • deviled eggs or hard-boiled eggs
  • cherry peppers
  • olives
  • baby carrots
  • celery
  • pickled beets
  • broccoli
  • cauliflower
  • shredded cheese
  • bacon bits (extra points if they’re homemade)
  • cherry or grape tomatoes
  • spinach
  • radishes
  • pickled okra
  • chopped green onions
  • chopped bell pepper
  • pickled jalapeno slices
  • several dressings to choose from
  • Topping Ideas: sunflower seeds, chia seeds, flaxseed

My Favorite Buttermilk Dressing Recipe:

I’m as fanatical about making homemade salad dressings as I am about what I put into my actual salad. Pre-made dressings are filled with preservatives and, generally speaking, a lot of unnecessary sugar. It’s healthier, smarter, and a lot more delicious to simply make your own.

Think of your own favorite dressings and find or create recipes that blow you away. It’s always best to have quite a few in your arsenal. My favorite salad dressing is French (see the Best French Salad Dressing), so I almost always have a jar of homemade French Salad Dressing made up.

Another of my favorite “dressings” for salads is to simply drizzle the salad with really good olive oil, squeeze on some lemon juice, then top with freshly ground black pepper and a little salt. This is more delicious than it even has a right to be.

If you like creamy Ranch and Buttermilk dressings, you’re going to love the one below. It’s one of the best dressings you ever put a fork into. This is a recipe from an old Betty Crocker’s cookbook, called Buttermilk Dressing and it is the bomb diggity.

3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon instant minced onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash of freshly ground black pepper (or white pepper to keep the dressing whiter in color)
1 clove garlic, crushed

Mix all ingredients and cover with wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Refrigerate any left over dressing. Makes 1-1/4 cups dressing.

The cookbook also says that you can make this a Buttermilk Parmesan Dressing by adding 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese and 1/2 teaspoon paprika. I love the original so much I’ve never even tried this version – but now I want desperately to do just that!

Hmmmm, guess I’d better make a salad….

Salad Bar Salad with Ranch Dressing
 

The Best Potato Salad Recipe in the World… Period!

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Barefoot Contessa Recipe for Potato Salad

This Barefoot Contessa Potato Salad recipe calls for a Buttermilk and Dill Dressing (above) that’s so amazing I could eat it with bread… or without bread…

I watch the Food Network and The Cooking Channel so often my cats think Rachael Ray, Alton Brown, Ina Garten, and Ree Drummond are movie stars. As far as we’re concerned, they’re even better. They consistently lead us to deliciousness, after all.

Not only do I enjoy watching them, I collect every cookbook and kitchen product most of them come out with. I also search out their recipes because I trust them to be extraordinary every time.

Ina Garten has a couple of recipes that are staples in my kitchen. The woman knows her recipes!

Ina Garten’s Potato Salad recipe (below) is easily the most beautiful and delicious potato salad I’ve ever made or tasted.  It’s simply out of this world fantastic and will make you forget every other potato salad you ever knew.

In my version, I used Yukon Gold potatoes – not because I was being cute or trying to one-up an expert (far from it). My little grocery store simply didn’t have any small white potatoes.  The Yukon Golds worked beautifully though.  Everything else I did just as the Contessa suggested.

The recipe came from an episode titled Pooch Party (anyone who loves dogs is cool in my book).  I highly recommend clicking through and making the birthday sheet cake. The cake and icing looked uncommonly Heavenly. They’re on my “to make” list.  I plan on making the cake for New Year’s Eve.

As for the Potato Salad recipe (below the picture of my potato salad) – you MUST make this soon.  It would be amazing for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day (or any other day of the year). It’d be excellent served with leftover ham sandwiches.  Trust me, this recipe will blow your mind and your family will talk about it for weeks.

Best Potato Salad Ever

Barefoot Contessa’s Potato Salad Recipe


3 pounds small white potatoes
Kosher salt
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped red onion

Place the potatoes and 2 tablespoons of salt in a large pot of water. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are barely tender when pierced with a knife. Drain the potatoes in a colander, then place the colander with the potatoes over the empty pot and cover with a clean, dry kitchen towel. Allow the potatoes to steam for 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, Dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, dill, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Set aside.

When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in quarters or in half, depending on their size. Place the cut potatoes in a large bowl. While the potatoes are still warm, pour enough dressing over them to moisten. Add the celery and red onion, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Toss well, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Barefoot Contessa, aka Ina Garten,  I love you muchly for this recipe.