Fried Green Tomatoes & Spicy Remoulade-style Sauce

1 c. buttermilk

1 large egg

5 large green tomatoes, cut into 1/3-inch slices*

1 1/2 cups cornmeal

1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

6 tsp cayenne pepper (use less if you like less spicy)

*Note: Green tomatoes are sort of unripened heirloom tomatoes and can be difficult to find, especially outside the summer months--ask for them at your local farmer's market or green grocer.

Combine egg & buttermilk in a small bowl. Combine all remaining ingredients (except tomatoes) in a separate bowl. Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Heat vegetable oil about 1/2" deep in a deep-sided frying pan (to about 375 degrees Fahrenheit if you have a thermometer).

Next, taking one tomato slice at a time, dip the slice first into the buttermilk mixture, then into the cornmeal mixture, pressing firmly to ensure good coating with cornmeal. Gently drop the covered slice into the hot oil (it should begin bubbling around the edges immediately). Repeat with 2-3 more slices per batch. Fry until crisp (about 60-90 seconds per side), flipping them over once during cooking. Place on baking sheet in oven to keep warm and serve immediately with Remoulade Sauce (see below) for dipping.

Remoulade-Style Dipping Sauce

3 oz Heinz Chili Sauce

3 oz Best Foods Olive Oil Mayonnaise

1 tsp prepared horseradish

S'more's Pie Fest: Round 1

I have two recipes for this scrum-diddly-umptous-sounding pie, so this is the one I'm trying first, and it came from Disney's Family Fun website. Unfortunately, I only had 1 ready-made Graham Cracker crust in the cupboard, so Round 2 will have to wait until I can find some more Graham Crackers or pie crusts on my next visit to London.

Crust: (Or substitute one ready-made graham cracker crust)

1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs

1 1/4 cups sugar

4 tablespoons butter, softened

Filling:

2 tablespoons butter, softened

4 egg yolks

1/4 cup cornstarch

6 tablespoons cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups miniature marshmallows

Instructions

1. If using a ready-made graham cracker crust, skip to step #2. Heat the oven to 375ºF/180C. In a mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and 1/4 cup of the sugar. Add 4 tablespoons of the butter, rubbing it in with a pinching motion until evenly distributed. Press the crumb mixture into a 9-inch pie pan and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Allow the crust to cool.

2. Beat the egg yolks in a medium bowl and set them aside. Combine the remaining cup of sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder, and salt in a 2-quart saucepan. Set the pan over medium heat and gradually whisk in the milk, stirring until smooth. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly, then remove the pan from the heat.

3. Whisk 1/2 cup of the hot chocolate mixture into the egg yolks. Repeat with 1 cup of the chocolate mixture, then return the chocolate and egg mixture to the saucepan. Boil over medium heat for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

4. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the vanilla extract. Pour the filling into the pie shell and allow it to cool at least 15 minutes, or chill it in the refrigerator overnight.

5. Just before serving, heat the oven to broil. Cover the pie with the mini marshmallows and broil it on the uppermost rack for about 30 seconds or until the marshmallows are lightly browned. (Watch carefully, or the marshmallows will burn.) Serve warm or chilled. Serves 8.

Ultimate Sloppy Joes Sandwiches

This is another recipe from a chef who appeared on Oprah's show featuring "Easy Family Recipes". I've never made Sloppy Joes' (an American dinner classic for all you non-Yanks) from scratch before, but they were so easy and delicious that I'm a total convert. The recipe calls for ground/mince turkey, but if you don't have turkey on hand, it's just as tasty with beef.

Ingredients:

Extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, diced
1 1/2 pounds (750g) lean ground turkey or beef

Kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

2 cups (500ml) ketchup
1/4 cup (60ml) yellow mustard

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 Tbsp. cider vinegar

whole wheat hamburger buns

Directions:

1. Set a heavy-based pot over medium-high heat and add a 3-count of olive oil. Add onions and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until translucent. 2. Add ground turkey or beef, season well with salt and pepper and brown well all over, breaking it up with a wooden spoon—about 7 to 10 minutes. 3. Add ketchup, mustard, cayenne, brown sugar and tomato paste. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes. Finish with a splash of apple cider vinegar and season it once more before serving on toasted whole wheat hamburger buns.

Healthy French Toast with Banana Topping

Today I'm posting a link to another blog, Eating Bender, where I found this recipe (and photo).

http://eatingbender.com/sunday-brunch/french-toast-the-bender-whey/

I made it this morning and it was delicious! Since liquid egg whites aren't available here in the UK, I went ahead and used 1 large egg. I also used vanilla soy milk instead of vanilla almond milk, which I can't find here. I found Whey Protein Powder at Holland & Barrett's, and used about 1 Tablespoon. Finally, I doubled the topping and used 1 whole banana + 1 Tablespoon syrup. It probably adds some more calories, but I think it made it tastier. Enjoy!

Ice Cream Pumpkin Pie

I had 1/2 a can of Libby's canned Pumpkin Puree leftover from Thanksgiving in the fridge, so I decided to make another version of Pumpkin Pie that I found in The Junior League Centennial Cookbook. This recipe was originally published in Epicure, and was submitted by the Orange County, CA Junior League. I used the same gingersnap cookie (ginger biscuit) crust that I used for my Pumpkin Chiffon Pie instead of the store-bought shortbread pie crust called for in the recipe, so the substitution is noted below. It's yummy!--just like a second taste of Thanksgiving!

1 (9-inch) pie crust (or prepared gingersnap crust--see my Thanksgiving Treats post from Nov.)

1 pint (475ml) vanilla ice cream

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 tsp ground or grated nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1. Bake and cool pie crust per directions (or per my post if using gingersnaps).

2. Soften and spread the ice cream on the bottom of the pie crust. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the pumpkin with the sugar, spices and salt; stir until thoroughly blended.

3. Whip the cream until it forms soft peaks; add the vanilla. Fold into the pumpkin mix.

4. Pour the filling over the layer of ice cream and smooth the top. Place in the freezer for at least 6 hours or overnight. Cut into wedges 10-15 minutes before serving. Serves 6-8.

Thanksgiving Treats! - Pumpkin Chiffon Pie & Cranberry Rasberry Relish

I made a full Thanksgiving dinner for 6 English friends on Friday night (turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, glazed onions, honey cooked carrots, salad and croissants), but the dessert was everyone's favorite. This recipe for Pumpkin Chiffon Pie comes from my mom:

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

3 eggs (yolks and whites separated)

1/2 c. white sugar

3/4 c. brown sugar

1 1/4c. canned pumpkin (or pumpkin puree)

1/2 c. warm semi-skim milk

2 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. each salt, ground ginger, nutmeg and all-spice (mixed spice in UK)

1 T gelatin powder

1/4 c. water

Pie Crust

30 gingersnap cookies (20 ginger biscuits in UK)

4 T. melted butter (about 60g)

4 T. white sugar

Crust : Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Mix gingersnaps in food processor. Pour into pie pan and add sugar and butter. Mix together and press into pie pan. Bake for 6 minutes and cool.

Filling: Beat egg yolks with white sugar in top of a double boiler. Add pumpkin, milk, and seasonings. Cook until thick, stirring constantly. Add gelatin, which has been soaked for 5 min in 3 T of warm water, and stir until gelatin is dissolved into mixture. Cool mixture in refrigerator until pie filling begins to thicken. Add brown sugar and stir to mix. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form and fold into pumpkin mix. Pour into cooled pie shell and chill 4 hours or overnight for best results. Serve with whipped cream.

This cranberry relish is a sweet and refreshing addition to any roast meal, and also makes a great fruit filling for trifles!

Cranberry Raspberry Relish

16 oz./500g fresh cranberries, finely chopped in food processor

2 green apples, peeled, cored & finely diced in food processor

10 oz./310g frozen raspberries, thawed and drained

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. orange marmalade

1 tsp. lemon juice, or to taste

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and refrigerate up to 1 month. Serves 12.