Coleslaw Gone Wild

ColeslawBetter than Restaurant Coleslaw!

Oh I’m sure you think you know how to make coleslaw.  After all it’s just a side dish, so it doesn’t have to be perfect, right?  Wrong!  There are a lot of people out there that don’t like coleslaw very that very reason.  Most recipes are so very basic, your everyday average Joe can just whip out a real simple and typical version of it and serve it up with just about anything these days.  But that’s the very reason why so many people refuse to put it on their plate; it just doesn’t do it for them.

IMG_0996There really isn’t anything extra special about my recipe either, it just tastes better.  In fact, anyone that ever told me they didn’t care for coleslaw, that tried mine, usually served themselves an extra helping.  You don’t believe me?  My own wife hates Coleslaw, and won’t even eat it at KFC’s.  Yep, true fact.  But she eats the hell out of my recipe.  She just loves it!  Especially if I serve it with Barbecue Pork. That combination for some reason is just unbelievable with these ingredients.  So let’s shake up a classic recipe and throw in a little pep.  Not only will you not regret it, I’m pretty sure that this recipe will very quickly become your new favorite!

Coleslaw Ingredients:

1 pkg Coleslaw mix (1 lbs)
1 cup Mayonnaise
1 tsp Honey Dijon Mustard (mix 1 to 1 parts of Honey and Mustard if you don’t have it)
1 tsp Worcestershire
1/4 cup Whipping Cream or Half and Half
1/8 cup Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Black Pepper

Mix and Combine all the above ingredients and refrigerate for at least one hour and serve.  The longer it sits in the refrigerator, the better it’s going to taste because all of those wonderful ingredients are going to wrestle in and marinate the Cabbage and Carrots so it can take your pallet to a whole other level.  And remember, this Coleslaw recipe goes great with Barbecue Pork.

Crispy Fried Shrimp – Southern Restaurant Secrets

Fried ShrimpFried Shrimp at it’s Finest!

Oh I love me some Fried Shrimp.  Popcorn Shrimp, Jumbo Fried Shrimp or Coconut Shrimp, lay it on me. I won’t complain.  And in all honesty I don’t really have a favorite.  In fact the worst thing for me is the shell peeling and that’s just because it’s tedious.  But, it’s got to be done and it’s really easy to do if you know the technique.  But when it comes to Southern Fried Shrimp, you’r going to want to use a larger shrimp, jumbos even, and you’re going to need to leave on the tail for dipping.

This recipe is very simplistic and very easy for anyone to follow, based on very basic seasonings most everyone already has, right in their own kitchen.  Sure it can be perverted and spiced up like some kind of secret chicken recipe but it isn’t really necessary, unless you’ve just gotta have more kick.  But that’s entirely up to you.  Flour, Salt and Pepper, some Paprika and an egg wash with hot sauce will set your pallet off after you’ve fried these crustaceans!

Southern Fried Shrimp Ingredients:

2 lbs pealed Shrimp
2 cups Flour
2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Black Pepper
1 tbsp Paprika

2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 tbsp Hot Sauce (Louisiana hot sauce is great)

Oil for Frying (I use Peanut Oil)

Peel and de-vein your shrimp.  Mix all the dry ingredients in one bowl and all the wet in another.  Place the shrimp in the dry ingredients first, then in the spicy egg wash and back into the flour a second time.  Fry at 350 degrees for 5 minutes or until golden brown.  Be sure the oil is hot and don’t over crowd the fryer.  I eat Southern Fried Shrimp with or without cocktail sauce.

Corn Tortilla Chips

White or Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips!

When I go to any Mexican or Tex Mex Restaurant, I expect Corn Tortilla Chips and salsa.  I want my chips hot and salty, like they just came out of the fryer.  Then I eat at least an entire bowl for myself before the help even has a chance to bring me my food.  It’s kind of funny.  Aren’t the Corn Tortilla Chips and Salsa food?  No, that’s the food before you get the food.  The food before the food!  Though it usually fills me up, its still just Chips and Salsa.  But, don’t you crave this at home?

First things first.  If you don’t already have a Deep Fryer, go get one.  They’re only $30 bucks and they really go a long way. Now, when you’re deciding what kind of tortilla you want to use, it’s really simple, because there’s only a few choices.  Sure you could get all exotic and go for the Blue corn, but most likely, all you’re going to find at your local grocer are the basic yellow and white corn tortilla’s.  So, all of you got to do is choose your favorite.  I personally like a lighter corn taste, so I go with the white corn tortilla’s for that reason, and that reason alone.  This video will show you how easy it is.  Fry the tortilla slices at 350 degrees for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes and salt heavily.  Then sit down and enjoy your fresh Corn Tortilla Chips with my Fresh Salsa recipe.

Corn Tortilla Chips Ingredients:

1 Bag of Yellow or White Corn Tortilla’s
Oil for frying
Salt to taste

Slice the Fresh Tortilla’s into fours and fry for 2 minutes at 375 degrees F and then salt the Corn Tortilla Chips to taste.