Fried Corn

I had heard about this fried corn business online and knew we had to try it. So glad we did because it was so good! Make this as soon as humanly possible!

Source: About.com

6 ears corn
2 tablespoons fresh bacon drippings or butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Slice the corn from the cob. Scrape the cob downward to get any remaining corn left near the cob. Heat a heavy skillet and add the bacon fat or butter. When hot, add corn and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring often. Sprinkle with the salt, sugar, and pepper. Serve hot.
Serves 4 to 5. (note: I had bacon from "making bacon drippings so I threw it in too. It would have been great either way)

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Sorry for the less than lovely picture, I was hungry. My dad taught me how to make perfect garlic mashed potatoes one year at Thanksgiving. I haven't made them any other way for years now. They are super easy!

Source: My dad

2 red potatoes per person, washed with skins left on (or off whatever floats your boat)
1 clove of whole peeled garlic per person
Salt
Butter
Milk or cream

Cut the potatoes into 1 inch pieces. Try to make them about the same size since this will help cooking all evenly. Throw them in the pot with the garlic and cover with water. Salt the water until it is "salty like the sea" as my dad would say. Make sure you taste the water and you say ugh salt water, then and only then is it perfect. This is your only chance to salt the potatoes and if you do it right they will be perfect. Bring the potatoes to a boil and cook until the are nice and tender. Drain off water and place them back in the pot. Keep them covered and do not mash them until you are ready to serve them, this will help them stay nice and hot. Warm your milk or cream to prevent it from making the potatoes cold, just makes sense. I usually heat it in the microwave but you could also heat it on the stove on low while you cook the potatoes. Mash the potatoes up with some milk and butter to the texture of your liking. Mike likes them with lots of butter and a little milk so that it how I usually make them. That's it...enjoy!

Eggplant Parmesan

I have never made or really ever even eaten eggplant parmesan. I had been craving it since I tasted some on our vacation to Atlanta. I got the basic idea of how it is made and threw this together. It was pretty quick and easy. Mike and I both enjoyed it.

1 eggplant, sliced into rounds
Italian breadcrumbs
2 eggs
olive oil
1 can tomato sauce
mozzarella cheese (sliced or grated)
pasta (any kind you like)
salt

Heat enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a large pan. Place breadcrumbs in a bowl big enough for the rounds of eggplant. Crack eggs onto a bowl the same size. Beat the eggs. Salt eggplant. Dip eggplant slices into egg them coat with breadcrumbs one at a time. Place in hot oil. Fry a few minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove from oil and place on paper towel to drain. Using a 9 by 13 baking dish spoon a layer of tomato sauce into the bottom, enough to coat the bottom. Place the fried eggplant rounds on top of the sauce. Spoon additional sauce on top of eggplant rounds. Top with cheese. Place in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Then broil for about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and slightly browned. Cook pasta as directed and mix with remaining tomato sauce. Place pasta on plates and top with eggplant rounds.

Classic Potato Salad

Mike and I were having friends over for BBQ and game night and I wanted homemade potato salad and remembered seeing this recipe on the Pioneer Woman's website. It is a very classic recipe and very good. Sometimes the simplest ingredients came make the best tasting things!

Source: Pioneer Woman

5 pounds russet potatoes

1 1/2 cup real mayo

4 tablespoons prepared mustard (regular Dijon or both)

5 green onions, sliced up to the darkest green part

8 small sweet pickles (or dill pickles) chopped

1 teaspoon kosher salt (more to taste)

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

4 hard boiled eggs, coarsely chopped

Cut potatoes in halves or thirds, then boil until fork tender. (make sure the water is salted, salty like the sea) Drain. mash potatoes or run them through a ricer or food mill to make them extra fluffy. (I mashed mine to get some chunks). Fold potatoes together with mayo, mustard, green onion, salt, pepper and other seasonings you like. Fold pickles and eggs, then taste for seasonings, adding more salt. mustard or mayo as needed. You may also splash in juice from the pickle jar if salad needs a little moisture.

Oye Vay..Latkes

Last year on the first night of Hanukkah Mike and I thought it would be fun to make latkes, no we aren't Jewish. They turned out okay. This year we wanted to do it again and we scored with a great recipe. Mike liked his with sour cream only. I liked mine with sour cream or apple sauce but not together.

From: Rachel Ray

1 (24-ounce) bag shredded potatoes for hash browns
1 large carrot, peeled (I left this out because I didn't have a carrot)
1 medium onion, peeled
2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons matzo meal, cracker meal or all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil, for frying
2 cups chunky apple sauce
1 cinnamon stick (left out)
1 cup sour cream

Directions
Heat 1/2-inch oil in a large skillet over medium to medium high heat. To test oil, add a piece of bread to the pan. It should turn golden brown in a ten-count. Adjust heat, as necessary.
Place potatoes in a large bowl. Using a hand grater, grate the carrot and onion into the bowl. Add eggs to the bowl. Add salt and baking powder, then sprinkle in meal or flour. Combine vegetables and meal with a wooden spoon.
Drop mixture into oil in 3-inch mounds, press down gently with spatula to form patties. Fry in batches of 4 to 6 patties depending on the size of your skillet, 1-inch apart, until golden, about 3 minutes on each side. Put chunky applesauce and the cinnamon stick in a saucepan over medium heat and warm for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain latkes on paper towels or parchment lined tray. Serve with warm applesauce and sour cream.

Mock Fried Rice

I have recently started eating low carb and low sugar. For me it is proving to be very effective for losing some weight. Last night I made "fried rice" I was a little worried about mom and Mike liking it but they loved it. Even my dad ate some (shocking, really) SO good! This recipe says it serves 4 but I think it is more like 2 so double it up.

1/2 head raw cauliflower (grated- I used a food processor)
3 green onions sliced (white and greens separated)
1 clove garlic minced (I probably used 3)
1/2 teaspoon ginger minced
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 eggs beaten
Olive Oil
Any cooked meat you like ( I used chicken but you could use beef, pork, shrimp, etc)

Coat the bottom of a large skillet with olive oil. Saute white parts of onion and garlic for 1 minute. Add grated cauliflower and fry for 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add soy sauce, ginger, green parts of onion and meat (if you are adding meat). Push "rice" mixture to one side add beaten eggs. Mix eggs and "rice" together. Once the eggs are no longer wet you are done. Grab and fork and get to it!

Cucumber Salad

In my on going quest to get Mike to eat more veggies I made this cucumber salad. It is like a salad we get when we go out to sushi and he likes. I could eat it all day.

1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 cucumber
1/2 carrot (I used a whole carrot)

Mix the white vinegar, black pepper, red pepper flakes and vegetable oil in bowl with sealing lid. Slice cucumber as thin. You can slice or grate the carrot, I grate it. Once everything is in the bowl put the lid on and shake to combined everything. It just gets better the next day. I like to try and make it the day before we are going to eat it.

Roasted Asparagus

I love asparagus and roasting is it is really easy!

one bundle asparagus
olive oil
salt
pepper

First bend one spear of asparagus until it breaks on it's own toward the bottom. Trim the rest of the spears to match. I also peel the asparagus. Arrange on cookie sheet. Drizzle olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15- 20 minutes.