Fried Chicken Sandwiches

Welcome ladies, gents, and food lovers! Tonight we will be making delicious fried chicken sandwiches. I saw this recipe while scrolling through pinterest. I have to say, I'm addicted to the food and drink section of the site. Well, anyway. This recipe was floating around and it really struck my fancy. I thought it would be perfect to share here with you all.

This recipe comes from Son of a Gun in Los Angeles, and they include a really awesome slaw and spicy mayo. They remind me of uuber fancy Chick-Fil-A sandwiches. If I had to choose between Chick-Fil-A and this sandwich, this sandwich would take all the trophies, the medals, and the pretty banners! Now, I'm rather excited to get into the kitchen and make this recipe. I welcome you all to join me. I'll see you there!

Fried Chicken Sandwiches

Yields 4 Servings

For the Spicy Mayo and Slaw:

• 1 garlic clove, finely grated
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon Louisiana-style hot pepper sauce
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
• 4 cups thinly sliced cabbage
• 1/2 cup Bread-and-Butter Pickle slices, plus 1/4 cup pickle juice

For the Fried Chicken and Assembly:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 (8-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breasts, halved crosswise
• Peanut or vegetable oil (for frying)
• 4 white sandwich rolls
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

Ready?

1. To make the Spicy Mayo and Slaw, mix the garlic, mayonnaise, and hot pepper sauce in a small bowl, then cover and chill. 
2. Toss the onion, jalapeño, cabbage, pickles, and pickle juice in a large bowl to combine, then cover and chill also.
3. Meanwhile, whisk flour, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a shallow bowl. 
4. Pour buttermilk into another shallow bowl. 
5. Working with 1 piece at a time, dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, shaking off excess. 
6. Dip in buttermilk, allowing excess to drip back into bowl. 
7. Dredge again in flour mixture, shaking off excess.
8. Pour oil into a large heavy skillet to a depth of 1/2-inch. 
9. Prop a deep-fry thermometer in oil so the bulb is submerged. 
10. Heat over medium heat until thermometer registers 350 degrees.
11. Fry chicken until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. 
12. Transfer to a wire rack set inside a baking sheet, then season with salt.
13. Spread the cut sides of rolls with butter. 
14. Heat another large skillet over medium heat. 
15. Working in batches, cook the rolls buttered side down until browned and crisp, about 1 minute. 
16. Spread with spicy mayo. 
17. Build sandwiches with rolls, chicken, and cabbage slaw.
18. Enjoy!

Enjoy this scrumptious sandwich, and be sure to share with your friends and family. They will more than love this fancified chicken recipe. If not, well, to each their own. As usual, I'll be back soon with another yummy recipe, but until then: have a great day, and happy blogging to all!

Dani Wednesdays: Caramelized Peach and Onion Salad

A few weekends ago, I was eating at a restaurant and ordered a salad with caramelized peaches. Cannot remember the protein on the salad, so feel free to use what you have. Needless to say the salad was awesome. I recreated it for my family tonight and it was marvelous. Still wishing I had made a bigger portion. This recipe is simple and so darn good.

Caramelized Peach and Onion Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 large peaches(firm) – sliced
• ¼ of a red onion - thinly sliced
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tbsp of butter
• ¼ of blue cheese
• About 20 raspberries
• Left over Pork chops or Chicken. Optional
• 1 package of your favorite greens, I like baby ruby reds.
• Vinaigrette recipe to follow

1. Melt butter over medium heat
2. Add Peaches (no need to remove skin), red onion and thyme
3. Sauté until onions are softened. About 5-6 mins
4. Allow to cool a bit
5. In the meantime, arrange greens on 4 different plates.
6. Once peaches have cooled down, place on top of greens
7. Then sprinkle cheese and raspberries
8. Lastly, top with protein and salad dressing, as you like

Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 2 tsp thyme
• ¼ c red wine vinegar
• ¼ c extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 1 tsp honey

1. Shake your heart out until all is emulsified

Enjoy! This is a wonderful summer salad and it is a true delight for your taste buds.

Chipotle Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Salsa Verde

Hey foodies! Welcome to a new entry to The Tasteful Texan! Today we will be making shrimp tacos. I'm fairly certain that it's been awhile since we made shrimp tacos, if we've made them ever. My memory fails me. Anyway, these tacos will have a small kick to them, but the avocado will keep things nice and cool, and that's exactly what we need in this awful Summer heat!

This recipe makes 4 servings, and only takes about 40 minutes total, so your time in the kitchen will be short. Actually, the longest thing about this recipe is the prep work. That will take up 3/4 of your time right there. The cooking only takes 10 minutes. So, with that being said, I'm ready to get this prep work over with so we can enjoy these scrumptious tacos. Will you meet me in the kitchen? Great! I'll see you there!

Chipotle Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Salsa Verde

Serves 4

For the Salsa, you will need:

• 1 small onion, quartered
• 1 jalapeno, quartered, seeds optional
• 1 garlic clove, smashed
• 4 medium tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 Hass avocado, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks
• 1.25 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

For the Shrimp, you will need:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chipotle or blended chili powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 pound medium shrimp (about 20), peeled and deveined
• 8 corn tortillas
• 8 sprigs cilantro for garnish
• 2 limes, cut into wedges

Ready?

1. Put the onion, jalapeno, and garlic in a food processor and finely chop. 
2. Add the tomatillos, avocado, and salt and pulse until chopped but still chunky. 
3. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the cilantro.
4. Heat a stovetop or outdoor grill to medium-high. 
5. Mix the olive oil, chipotle or chili powder, and salt in a large bowl. 
6. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. 
7. Grill the shrimp until translucent, about 1.5 to 2 minutes on each side.
8. Grill tortillas, until slightly charred and pliable, about 20 seconds per side. (Alternatively, wrap in a damp paper towel and heat in a microwave.) 
9. Spoon sauce on the tortilla, then top with about 2 or 3 shrimp and a sprig of cilantro. 
10. Serve 2 tacos per person, with a lime wedge on the side.
11. Enjoy

I'll be back soon with yet another mouth watering recipe! Stay tuned for Dani Wednesdays as well. Dani will be serving up yet another one of her original recipes. I can't wait! Until then, have a great day, and happy blogging to all!

Turkey Pesto Onion Cheese Sliders

Hey foodies, friends, and bloggers! We're posting this entry a bit early considering that tonight is the start of the NFL season. If you haven't heard, tonight's game is Miami Dolphins versus Dallas Cowboys. Guess who we're rooting for? NOT Miami. Haha.

Anyway, we wanted to do something that would be appropriate for a little get together. Sliders are the perfect finger food, and they only take about 45 minutes to make, and that's including prep time. Obviously, any hardcore sports fan will not want to be cooking during the first game, or any game their team is playing in, so this was a great idea. So, I'm going to high tail it into the kitchen (game starts in 35 minutes), so I'll meet you all there!

Turkey Pesto Onion Cheese Sliders

Yields 12 servings

You will need:

• 1 lb deli turkey thinly sliced
• ½ lb swiss cheese slices
• 2 pkg hawaiian sweet dinner rolls
• 1/2 cup pesto
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 medium sweet onion, sliced and sautéed
• ½ cup butter
• 2 Tbsp prepared mustard
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire
• 1 Tbsp poppy seeds
• ⅓ cup brown sugar

Ready?

1. Heat 2 Tbsp. butter in medium pan. 
2. Thinly slice the onion; sauté in the butter for about 5 minutes, or until clear and cooked.
3. Leaving the (24) rolls attached, horizontally slice the top off; set aside. 
4. Place the bottom (attached 24 pieces) rolls in a 9×13 foil-lined baking pan. 
5. Spread the pesto evenly over the bottom bread.
6. Next layer on top of the pesto the turkey, sautéed onions, and cheese slices.
7. Place the top section of the rolls that you already removed back on top of the sandwich.
8. In a medium sauce pan bring the 1/2 cup butter to a soft boil. 
9. Add mustard, worcestershire, poppy seeds, and brown sugar.
10. Pour sauce over the 9×13 sandwiches.
11. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. 
12. Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes.
13. Serve hot or cold.
14. Enjoy!

Okay peeps, I'm out of here to go root for my Cowboys. Happy first game day of the season! I'll be back soon with another recipe, but until then, have a great day (or night), and happy blogging to all!

Breakfast Saturday: Pastrami-Veggie Hash and Fried Eggs

Good morning friends, bloggers, and foodies! Today we will be making a wonderful breakfast hash and fried eggs. I know that some people are particular about how they like their eggs (I am), so if fried eggs aren't your thing, feel free to adjust the recipe for something you DO like. I like my eggs fried hard, so no runny yuckiness. I can also settle for scrambled well. As you can tell, runny, watery, goopy eggs turn me off from breakfast.

Like I said earlier, we will be making a hash. My husband makes thing amazing potato hash, like seriously. This is not a potato hash, however. It's a veggie hash full of zucchini, parsnips, sweet potatoes, and a bunch of other delicious (and healthy) things. Yum, right? Yes! I'm getting hungry just thinking about this meal. Would you all care to join me in the kitchen so we can whip us up some breakfast? Okay, cool. I'll meet you there!

Pastrami-Veggie Hash and Fried Eggs

Makes 4 servings

You will need:

• 2 medium zucchini
• 1 sweet potato, peeled
• 1 parsnip, peeled
• Salt and pepper
• 1 baking potato
• 8 thin slices pastrami, cut into strips
• 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 8 eggs

Ready?

1. Using a box grater or a food processor with the shredding disk, shred the zucchini, sweet potato and parsnip, then transfer to a colander. 
2. Toss with 1 tsp. salt and let stand for 20 minutes. 
3. Peel and shred the baking potato, roll it in a towel and squeeze out the excess liquid, then transfer to a bowl. 
4. In the towel, roll up handfuls of the zucchini mixture and squeeze to remove the excess liquid. 
5. Add to the baking potato. 
6. Add the pastrami, 2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper, then toss.
7. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil over medium-high heat. 
8. Spread the hash mixture evenly in the pan, lower the heat to medium and cook, undisturbed, until hash is golden-brown on the bottom, about 10 minutes. 
9. Using a heatproof spatula, divide the hash into sections, then turn and cook until golden outside and tender inside, about 5 minutes. Divide the hash among plates.
10. In another nonstick skillet, heat 2 tbsp. olive oil over medium heat. 
11. Fry the eggs to the desired doneness, adding the remaining 2 tbsp. olive oil if needed. 
12. Top the hash with the eggs.
13. Enjoy!

Have a happy morning and weekend. I might be back tomorrow, or I might take the day to rest. I'm not sure yet, but until then I hope you enjoy your breakfast! I'll see you all later. Happy blogging to all!

Children Edition: Thing 1 and Thing 2 Push Pops

Welcome mommies, daddies, and kiddos! Today we are doing a special childrens edition entry to The Tasteful Texan. Just a warning, this entry is FULL of sugary goodness that your children and their playmates will enjoy. This entry is Dr. Seuss-based. If your family has seen or read The Cat In The Hat, then you will be familiar with Thing 1 and Thing 2. If not, let's introduce you to them!

Thing 1 and Thing 2 are from The Cat In The Hat book. The Cat released them from a box that he brought to show Sally, Conrad, and the fish. They are mischievous, havoc-wreaking, silly things. They flew kites in the house, which caused items to be knocked down, but luckily Conrad was able to stop them with a net. As you can tell, they just wanted to have fun! Today's recipe translates just that. It's whimsical, sugary, and will have your children bouncing around. Are we ready to get things started? Yes? Excellent! I'll meet you in the kitchen!

Thing 1 and Thing 2 Push Pops

Serves 6 to 8

You will need:

• 1 box white cake mix, prepared according to package directions
• 1 small bottle red food coloring
• 1 stick butter, softened
• ½ cup marshmallow creme
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• About 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 packet Duncan Hines Cotton Candy Frosting Creations
• White nonpareils
• Blue raspberry cotton candy
• Push-up pops (found at Michael’s craft store)

Ready?

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Liberally grease a jelly-roll cake pan with cooking spray. 
3. Add the red food coloring to the cake batter and stir to combine. 
4. Pour the red vanilla batter into the pan, spread evenly, and bake until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, approximately 15 minutes. 
5. Do not overbake. 
6. Remove from oven and cool completely.
7. Using the actual push-up pop, cut circles out of the cake, then set aside. 
8. Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer, prepare your frosting: cream together the butter, mallow creme, and vanilla. 
9. Gradually add the powdered sugar, until light and fluffy. 
10. Add the Cotton Candy packet to combine. 
11. Gently pour the frosting into a piping bag – you don't even need to attach a tip to it; just snip the end off.
12. Place a red cake circle into the bottom of the pop. 
13. Pipe with a generous tablespoon or so of frosting, then sprinkle with white nonpareils. 
14. Add another cake circle, frost, and repeat once more. 
15. Frost the tops and add a tuft of cotton candy to create the crazy hair.
16. Serve immediately, or cover with the included lids. 
17. Note that the cotton candy won’t last very long on the cake pops and will begin to melt, so adorn them with the cotton candy before serving.
18. Enjoy!

Thanks for joining me for a fun-filled day! I'll be back tomorrow for Breakfast Saturday. Tomorrow will be less sugar and more savory, so to speak. Until then, have a great day, and happy blogging to all!

Bacon Mac 'n Cheese Pie

Hello foodies and friends! Today we've got a yummy treat for all you bacon and mac and cheese lovers out there. This little treat is the epitome of delicious food. I'm a mac and cheese addict. I can't get enough of those little blue boxes with the processed cheese. I know, I know... I'm going against everything that I've talked about, processed food wise. Mac and cheese is my deal breaker. I will consume as much of it as I can. I don't know why.

This recipe also has a wonderful lattice of bacon on top. Man food? Yes. Bacon lover recipe? Yuppers. Mac and cheese addicts unite? Ooooh yea. Seriously, this meal is perfect. It takes a little bit of prep, but it'll be worth it when your family steals away every single piece. Well, I'm going to make my way into the kitchen, so I'll see you all there!

Bacon Mac 'n Cheese Pie

Makes 1 (9") deep pie or 1 (10") regular pie

For the pastry, you will need:

• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 6 oz. extra sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
• 2/3 cup butter, cold and cut into cubes
• 1 Tbsp tabasco sauce
• 5 Tbsp ice water

For the filling and topping, you will need:

• mac n'cheese (you can use boxed, or your own recipe if you'd like)
• seven deep-fried mac'n'cheese balls
• bacon

Ready?

1. Combine the flour and salt in a bowl.
2. Using a pastry cutter, cut in the grated cheddar cheese and cold butter into the flour until the size of small peas.
3. Gradually add the tabasco sauce and the ice water one tablespoon at a time until, when you press the dough between your fingers, it holds together. Do not overmix!
4. Wrap the dough in parchment paper or plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
5. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
6. Remove the dough from the refrigerator roll it out, about 1/8" thick. 
7. Place the dough into the pie plate and crimp the edge. Using a fork, pierce the bottom of the crust several times.
8. If the dough has become soft from rolling, place the prepared pie plate in the freezer for about 5-10 minutes.
9. Line the inside of the pie crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dry beans.
10. Bake for 15-17 minutes, then remove from oven. 
11. Remove the beans and parchment paper and line the edge of the pie crust with foil. 
12. Return to the oven for 5-7 more minutes until the crust is golden. 
13. Remove. 
14. Keep the oven on.
15. Spread a layer of mac'n'cheese at the bottom of the pie. 
16. Top with the seven deep-fried mac'n'cheese balls and fill the pie with the remaining mac'n'cheese.
17. Create a lattice top with bacon, making sure to cut the bacon strips long, since they will shrink in the oven.
18. Return to the 425 degree oven for about 8-10 minutes until the bacon is cooked. 
19. Remove.
20. Serve with hot sauce and maple syrup.

Thanks for joining me today! Stay tuned tomorrow because we will have a kid-approved snack that any Dr. Seuss lover will enjoy. It'll have the little ones smiling (due to the sugar content), and it'll have you adults wishing for fruits and vegetables. Once again, that too will be worth it when your kid's eyes light up brightly. Anyway, have a great afternoon and I'll catch you on the flip side! Happy blogging to all!