August is National Catfish Month - Here's an Old-Fashioned Oklahoma Fish Fry

I love fishing.  It's probably my main hobby with cooking coming in a close second.  I'm not a huge fan of eating fish.  Lake fish that is.  Take me to the coast and I'll put away some serious seafood.  The rest of my family are complete opposites.  They would eat fried fish every night.  So my fishing hobby and their eating hobby mesh up very well.  Yesterday we celebrated my Dad's 88th Birthday.  There was absolutely no question that the event would be a Fish Fry.  I really only had to decide what kinds of sides to make and what kind of birthday cake we would be having.  I know I talked about National Catfish Month, but what we ate yesterday was mainly Striper and Crappie.  Occasionally when we're fishing for a big mess of fish, we will catch a catfish and go ahead a fillet it as well.  The preparation is the same for all three species, and all taste equally delicious, although I think my family would unanimously agree the Crappie is the absolute best eating.  Mr. Devilish Dish has evolved his own fish fry method, inspired by his brother the chef in New Orleans and my family will also agree this method is the tastiest.  The running family joke is the preppy golfer I married over 30 years ago is now CATCHING, AND frying fish on the patio for all family occasions like my grandfathers and uncles did in the past.  If you enjoy fishing, then give this method a try.  And if you're ever at Lake Texoma or Lake Fork I will share the information for both our Striper Fishing Guide and Crappie Fishing Guide.  We've gotten to know these guys pretty well and if you want to catch a mess of fish and host your own family fish fry, I highly recommend the experience. Not only is it rewarding to catch your own meal, but they even fillet the fish for you!

A proper Oklahoma meal.  We even had Smoked
Bologna (which is hilariously known as Oklahoma Prime
Rib.  I plan on sharing the recipe for that soon!)

Place your fish fillets in a bowl and coat
them with hot sauce.  Just a light coating
to help the breading stick.

Place the breaded fillets in the deep fryer.

Fry away!

They will turn golden brown and float when 
they are done.

Drain those golden, crispy fillets on paper towels.

Enjoy with your family's favorite sides.

Mr. Devilish Dish's Fish Fry Technique:

-4 Parts Louisiana Fish Fry Breading Mix combined with 1 part Cajun Seasoning or Dry Cajun Boil Mix (He uses spicy breading mix and a secret dry Cajun boil mix that I do not have permission to share)

-Crystal's Hot Sauce (He uses this as a binder.  You do not taste that heat of the hot sauce.  It's just to help the breading stick.  I've seen old timers do this same technique with yellow mustard but I'm a fan of this Cajun flavor)

-Peanut oil for frying (We use an electric deep fryer.  You could totally do this in a big skillet but I love the ease of the deep fryer for this. It's honestly the only time we use it.  And I'm sure you could use an air fryer too, I've never tried it that way.  I'm just an Okie girl cooking fish the way my ancestors taught me.  

Pat your fish fillets dry with clean paper towels.  In a bowl toss together fish fillets with a small amount of hot sauce.  Combine the fish fry breading mix and the Cajun seasoning or dry Cajun boil mix.  

Toss the fillets in the breading mix, shaking off any excess.

Fry in peanut oil that has been heated to 350 degrees F. Depending upon the size of your fillets, you'll fry them anywhere from 2-4 minutes.  Basically until they are golden brown and start to float.

Immediately turn the fried fish pieces out on to a paper towel to drain any oil.  This will help keep them crispy.  We like ours with more Crystal's Hot Sauce, but if you like cocktail sauce or tartar sauce feel free.

NOTE: I didn't use specific amounts here, as I don't know if you'll be frying two fillets or 12 pounds of fillets.  This is just the technique and products we use and enjoy.

FISHING GUIDE INFORMATION:

Lake Texoma Striper Fishing Guide: Steve Ford 

Lake Fork Crappie Guide: BJ Shelton

Mom's Banana Pudding - It's National Banana Pudding Day!

Way back when Mr. Devilish Dish was merely my Devilish Boyfriend, he told me that he liked Banana Pudding.  So I made him a big ol' batch of this.  I must have doubled or tripled it because whenever he tells this story he makes sure to gesture that the bowl was "THIS BIG."  I do remember buying the biggest plastic bowl that Walmart had back then.  It could have been in the wash tub department, I don't remember because that was quite a while ago.  He loved it.  He was also a poor, starving college student so he patiently ate his way through that gigantic batch of banana pudding and kindly asked me to never make it again.  I was young and taking the whole, "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach" idiom very seriously.  It worked because we've been together well over 30 years.  Once he mentioned that he liked Pineapple Upside Down Cake and quickly added, "But I don't want you to make me one." Needless to say, I don't make this Banana Pudding for him that often, but I do make it for tailgates and other events.  My Mom's recipe is my favorite.  I think because instead of the traditional "cooked" pudding, this version is so light and fluffy.  It is the most decadent "homestyle" dessert you'll ever try.  It does fill a good-sized bowl (not a wash tub though) so I made it last week in Colorado while there were several of us to eat it.  I didn't want Mr. Devilish Dish to have flashbacks to the time he had the banana pudding diet.  He still likes it. He ate MOST of the serving I gave him.  I ate mine, AND finished his.  Like him, this recipe is the one and only for me.  It's that good.

If you've got a glass bowl, you can place the vanilla 
wafers around the sides between layers of pudding
for a fancy presentation.

This is one of my favorites.  It is so light 
and fluffy and full of bananas and vanilla wafers.

I quicky made this while the Littlest Devils were taking 
their afternoon nap.  I tried to make it look pretty,
but I was rushed and also stepping over two golden
retrievers.  It still came out looking pretty good.
Try to set aside a few unbroken vanilla waters to decorate
the top.

This is truly the best recipe.  Thanks Mom!

MOM'S BANANA PUDDING

2 large (5.1 oz) boxes Jell-O Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix
1 can condensed milk
3 cups cold milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 large container Cool-Whip (16 oz)
Bananas (5-6 depending on size) sliced
1 box Vanilla Wafers

In a stand mixer, or a large bowl with a hand mixer: Combine pudding mixes, condensed milk, whole milk, and vanilla together.  Fold in Cool Whip until smooth and combined.

Begin by layering vanilla wafers in to the bottom of a refrigerator-safe dish or bowl.  Add a layer of the pudding mixture and a layer of sliced bananas.  Keep repeating the layers ending with a smooth layer of pudding and decorate the top with vanilla wafers.  Cover and chill several hours.  If you use a glass bowl, you can place your vanilla wafers around the sides for a pretty presentation. 

National Pot de Creme Day - Easy Kahlua Pot de Creme

Pot de Creme (pronounced "poh duh krem" is a French dessert that literally translates to "Pot of Cream."  It's traditionally a baked custard that is served chilled, similar to Creme Brulee.  It's usually a little thicker in texture than a traditional creme brulee. Kind of like a firm pudding.  Sometimes served with sauce, it's an impressive dessert that is easily made ahead of time.  I love this version because it is kind of a "cheating" pot de creme.  There is no cooking of the custard and no baking.  The blender and hot coffee do all of the work for you.  The texture is still pretty close to the real thing and it is so simple to put together and then pour the custard from the blender carafe into the ramekins to chill.  So a while back, my Devilish Nephew and his family moved to Colorado.  Whenever we visit, cooking is a family affair and I love to make dessert for them.  I am not however well versed in high-altitude baking, so my desserts when I visit now are typically tiramisu, mousse, or this easy version of pot de creme.  The last time I made it, they didn't have the correct sized ramekins, so I used low-ball cocktail glasses and that worked wonderfully.  Even a wine glass would do.  This decadent dessert, flavored with the Kahlua liqueur and strong coffee is dark and rich.  A big dollop of whipped cream really compliments the rich chocolate flavor.  If you've never had a pot de creme, or have been intimidated to try a baked custard, this shortcut version is a great way to try your hand at this dessert.  The same way I need to try my hand at high-altitude baking!

A luscious, silky smooth dessert. 
Definitely serve with whipped cream because
the chocolate flavor is so decadent.

Literally only 6 ingredients.

Let the blender do all the work for you.

Blend until smooth in texture.

Pour straight from the blender carafe into
your serving vessels.

6 Pots de Creme ready to refrigerate.

Top with whipped cream.
Chocolate shavings are optional, but look so fancy.

EASY KAHLUA POT DE CREME

1 (12 oz) Bag Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
4 Large Eggs
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

1 Tbsp Kahlua Liqueur
pinch of salt
1 Cup (8oz) Coffee (I used plain Guatemalan or Colombian) VERY HOT!

In the carafe of  a blender combine the chocolate chips, eggs, vanilla extract, Kahlua Liqueur and salt.  Blend until combined and the chocolate chips are broken up in to small pieces.  Pour in the piping hot coffee and continue to blend until the mixture is very smooth and combined.  Pour in to ramekins, custard cups, wine glasses, etc.. (I used 6oz custard cups not quite full and yielded 6 servings.) Let the mixture cool, and the refrigerate for at least 4 hours.  Serve cold, topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings (optional)

National Charcuterie Day - Charcuterie Board Fun!

It's National Charcuterie Day - A day set aside annually on August 26th to celebrate the art of all things charcuterie.  It's a day dedicated to appreciating and enjoying the creativity and work that goes into a creating a charcuterie board.  In French, "charcuterie" translates literally "pork butcher's shop" or "cooked flesh" and historically the boards were initially made from pork products.  As the art of charcuterie evolved, the boards have expanded to include other types of meats, and in modern times the boards often don't even include meat at all.  Most traditional boards feature a variety of cured meat, cheeses, fruits, nuts and often some kind of honey, mustard, or traditionally: quince paste.  While these are all delicious, and I am a sucker for a "grown-up Lunchable" - I have never been known to copy the norm.  A couple of years ago I purchased a large, but inexpensive board from Amazon, for one event and find myself using it quite often.  Not only do I use it for tailgates, taking to holiday parties and more - I've even used it a few times here at the house just for serving Mr. Devilish Dish and I.  I guess what I am saying is there are no rules when it comes to creating a charcuterie board.  It may not be a true "charcuterie" board by the strict definition, but it is guaranteed to be a hit at your next event.  I thought I'd share some boards I've done in the past, some of them are from so long ago, I only have pictures.  So I'm not including an actual list of ingredients.  I'm just sharing to celebrate the day and hoping I inspire you on some boards of your own!

I called this one a Sweet & Savory Dinner Board
for Mr. DD and I - half was meats, cheeses,
olives, crackers, shrimp cocktail and veggies while
the other half had fruits, sweet dips, cookies and more.  

I can't remember the occasion but I think it was 
some kind of holiday or birthday because I spied a
Prosecco bottle in the background.

I've seen boards like this called "BBQ Grazing Boards"
or "Memphis Grazing Boards" Mr. Devilish Dish
grilled and sliced up several types of smoked sausages,
and we included crackers, cheese, pimento cheese
spread, along with mustards, pickles and pickled
okra.  I've made this board a couple of times for both
a Super Bowl Party, and tailgating. 

I created this board for a dinner party at our house.
I used a combination of store-bought frozen Asian
items like egg rolls and crab rangoons, and then made
my own fresh rolls and dipping sauces.  Fresh
veggies and edamame helped fill in the gaps and add color.

This was so colorful and tasty!

I've made this board more than once for the
4th of July.  In addition to my Fruit & Brownie
Skewers, I added Little Debbie Snack Cakes,
and any kind of red, white or blue candy 
I could find!

I made this board for a breakfast tailgate
that just happened to fall on Halloween. 
It was a hit with all of the kids 
(and grown-ups too)

A Walking Taco Board - Seasoned taco meat in the 
pot in the middle, bowls of onions, salsa, sour cream
cheese, tomatoes etc.. All nestled on a bed of shredded
lettuce and cheese surrounded by small bags of 
chips.

My All-Time Favorite:
For our friend Noah's White Trash Bash Birthday Party!
Mr. Devilish Dish smoked a whole bologna and
diced it up.  (If you're from Oklahoma then you know this is
traditionally a Christmas treat) and I added Easy Cheese
and Crackers, Moon Pies, Fritos and Frito Lay Bean Dip, 
Swiss Cake Rolls, Twinkies, Honey Buns and Pigs in a Blanket.
I am not even joking when I say I came home with a completely empty
board after this party!

I hoped you enjoyed looking at some of my favorites. Leave me a comment if you are inspired to make your own board, or drop a pic on one of my social media accounts.  

Happy National Charcuterie Day,

Frozen Sangria in the Ninja Slushi Professional Drink Maker

My hometown is famous for a couple of things.  Sooner Football and the Sooner Swirl.  The Oklahoma Sooners football team - 7 time National Champions need no introduction.  But I should introduce you to the Sooner Swirl.  Similar to my Miami Vice Cocktail, the Sooner Swirl is a red and white concoction of frozen margarita and frozen sangria swirled together.  Just about every restaurant around town serves one, and it is tasty.  Especially on a hot game day!  I saw a post a while back from the Ninja Kitchen folks that said if they choose one of your recipes, you could win a free Slushi Machine.  I've tried desperately all summer to win one, because dang it, we want to make swirls.  Of course we could substitute our blender, but we are dying to have two Ninja Slushi machines next to each other on our bar like our local restaurants.  That way we could make Sooner Swirls at tailgate.  Yes, Ninja makes a carrying case for the Slushi Machine, and I'm just crazy enough to haul those things to campus every Saturday this fall.  The world needs to know about the Ninja Slushi machine, and they definitely need to know about the Sooner Swirl!  One of the first things we made with our Slushi machine was a Frozen Sangria.  Mr. Devilish Dish is a red wine lover and frozen sangria was the first thing he wanted to make.  We cheated and bought a big jug of ready to drink sangria at the store.  (By the way, those glass jugs are really cute and I hate to admit I have several in my garage just waiting for a crafty idea to pop into my head.) Mr. Devilish Dish just "doctored up" said sangria by adding some freshly squeezed fruit juice and a little club soda.  The result was a refreshing concoction that has made numerous appearances on my patio all year.  Now I just need the good folks at Ninja to bless me with a second machine so I can do frozen margaritas at the same time. 

This is the easiest, tastiest drink.
The color is gorgeous and the flavor
is so refreshing.

 

Simply combine store-bough sangria,
fresh fruit juice and club soda.

Delicious! Now...Imagine this swirled with a frozen
margarita?  Sooner Perfection in a glass!

FROZEN SANGRIA in the NINJA SLUSHI PROFESSIONAL DRINK MAKER

32 ounces Ready to Drink Sangria Wine
2 ounces Fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 ounces Fresh squeezed orange juice
2 ounces Fresh squeezed lime juice
4 ounces Club Soda

Combine all ingredients in the Ninja Slushi and freeze.

Apple & Manchego Cheese Salad

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned before that Mr. Devilish Dish is obsessed with his smoker.  Don't get me wrong, some of the stuff we've smoked has been fun and delicious.  (Crab legs, pizza rolls, queso, etc...) I don't mind the smoked meats and main courses so much, but I get pretty tired of the traditional barbecue side dishes.  I make a mean Macaroni and Cheese but I don't want it every weekend.  Now my husband on the other hand will always suggest, "Baked Beans and Potato Salad?"  NO!  I don't want those that often and I sure don't want them as often as he wants to use his smoker.  So I'm constantly on the search for non-traditional side dishes that still go well with barbecue and smoked meats.  Last week we went to Colorado to see the Devilish Nephew, his beautiful bride and the Littlest Devils.  OF COURSE the men had to smoke something, and of course it was pork ribs much to the chagrin of the women.  However, the meal was redeemed by my side dishes which were a "little less caveman around the fire" and a "little more ladies who lunch."  I did make the macaroni and cheese because when is that not a hit??? And I made a Jalapeno Popper Cucumber Salad (coming soon) AND this salad.  Which was a huge hit.  It's light and crisp and so simple.  It was an ideal accompaniment to any meal, but apples always compliment pork so it made a great side for the this particular evening.  The cool, crisp and tangy salad was so good alongside the hearty and spicy ribs.  Of course we rounded out the meal with my Peach Cobbler, using those famous Colorado Palisades Peaches.  Give this one a go!  It's only 5 ingredients, goes together quickly and makes a light and healthy side or lunch.

This light and crisp salad is the perfect compliment
for any meal, especially pork.  

Manchego cheese is delicious in this salad.
It has a soft texture and grates well, similar
to Swiss but with a slightly nutty, salty 
flavor similar to a light Parmesan.
It was so flavorful I didn't even add salt or pepper. 

This light salad makes a lovely presentation
in a pretty salad bowl.  Make sure you cut your 
apples into consistent-sized matchsticks.

All you need is the juice of one lemon,
and only olive oil for the dressing.  Trust 
me, the flavors of the ingredients are so 
good, it doesn't need much for them to 
shine through.

An ideal side dish for any meal, 
ESPECIALLY if you have a lot of barbecues
or serve a lot of smoked meat.  This is a 
light and tasty accompaniment, and a 
welcome change from the traditional barbecue
side dishes.

APPLE & MANCHEGO CHEESE SALAD

2 Honeycrisp Apples, cut into matchsticks
2 Granny Smith Apples, cut into matchsticks
1 lemon, juiced
6 ounces Manchego Cheese, grated
2 Tablespoons freshly chopped Chives
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil


Place chopped apples into a bowl, and immediately toss them with lemon juice to prevent browning.  Add in the grated Manchego cheese, chives and olive oil.  Toss together.  Serve immediately, so refrigerate a few hours before serving.  This is at its best when served the same day, but I have found it will keep for about 2 days before the apples lose their crispness.

Cucumber & Sweet Pepper Salad

I'm sure by now you've heard the term "Girl Dinner." Typically it consists of Caesar salad, truffle fries and a martini.  Sometimes it involves oysters and champagne too.  One of our local restaurants even offers a "girl dinner" happy hour with the aforementioned items sharable for a group of girlfriends.  While that all sounds delicious, my favorite "girl dinner" is some type of Asian salad.  Mainly because Mr. Devilish Dish doesn't like it so it's a rare treat I get to enjoy when he's not home for dinner.  My go-to meal when he's away is typically my Asian Chicken Chopped Salad, but lately I've been enjoying this Cucumber & Sweet Pepper Salad. This recipe has been circulating on social media for several years, with variations featuring chicken, tuna, and even sushi nori.  But I love it as is. Fresh mini cucumbers and sweet peppers with everything bagel seasoning, chili crisp, and of course my own Japanese Restaurant Style Ginger Salad Dressing.  Most of the online recipes use a store-bought dressing, but I really like using my own homemade dressing on this recipe.  It's so simple to put together, and the crisp veggies are so colorful.  It is an ideal side dish for any Asian meal, but I've made it plenty of times as a side for barbecue dinners or cook-outs as a side dish for hamburgers and hot dogs. It is always a hit, as the fresh peppers are sweet, not at all spicy.  You can adjust the amount of chili crisp you add if you want a little more kick.  Not only is it perfect for a girl dinner, it is perfect for any dinner!

A crisp, colorful salad, ideal for any summer meal.

The Line Up.  Definitely make your own
Ginger Dressing.  It's worth it!

Slice your mini cucumbers.

Slice the mini sweet peppers.

Pour your Homemade Ginger Dressing over
the sliced veggies.  Toss together to combine.

Add the Everything Bagel Seasoning.

Add the Chili Crisp

Toss to combine.

Serve and enjoy for your own "girl dinner"

CUCUMBER & SWEET PEPPER SALAD

4 Mini Cucumbers, sliced
8-10 Mini Sweet Peppers, thinly sliced (I don't really worry about seeding them, the seeds kind of fall out on their own)
1/4 to 1/2 Cup Japanese Restaurant Style Ginger Salad Dressing (RECIPE HERE)
1 Tbsp Everything Bagel Seasoning
1 Tbsp Chili Crisp (Chili Crisp is a condiment, similar to chili oil, but with the addition of crispy fried ingredients like garlic, shallots and chili peppers.)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Add sliced cucumbers and sliced peppers to a salad bowl.  Pour in salad dressing and toss until coated.  Add bagel seasoning and chili crisp. Season with salt and pepper.  Toss and enjoy immediately.  I think it tastes best fresh, but it can be stored up to 2-3 days in the refrigerator.  

Japanese Restaurant Style Ginger Salad Dressing

Summer is my favorite season for cooking.  Mainly because Mr. Devilish Dish does most of it outside and my kitchen stays cool and clean.  A few years ago for Christmas, I surprised him with a Blackstone Griddle.  A BIG one.  Imagine me trying to get that thing at Lowe's into the back of my car on my lunch hour and then hiding it in my parent's garage.  I wrapped up the Blackstone cover as his gift, and when he unwrapped it he was a little confused.  Why did I buy him a cover for a piece of equipment he didn't own?  Then I told him the rest of his gift was hiding in my parent's garage.  And after that loading and unloading it was his problem.  We've really enjoyed that thing because it is so multi-purpose.  We can make an entire breakfast on it outdoors including bacon, eggs and pancakes all at once.  It's great for Oklahoma-style onion burgers.  It's great for griddling Twinkies for Strawberry Shortcake.  It's also the best place to make a big batch of fried rice.  Earlier this year we had a crawfish boil and had a little bit of crawfish left over.  He used the leftover crawfish tails and andouille sausage and made an awesome Cajun-style fried rice.  And on that note - it is also like having your own hibachi on the patio.  All Mr. Devilish Dish needs to do is learn to make an onion volcano and flip a shrimp into my mouth from across the room.  Seriously he can whip up the best Asian dinner with steak, chicken or shrimp and a big pile of tasty grilled vegetables.  My contribution to the meal is a crisp salad with that tangy, sweet ginger dressing.  We love this dressing on a salad as an accompaniment to an Asian-style meal, but it also makes a great sauce or glaze for salmon or chicken.  My favorite way to use it, is to dress a cucumber-pepper salad which will be an upcoming post, so stay tuned!

Here's the ingredient list.

The carrot gives it such a vibrant color.

Elli's favorite use for the Blackstone Griddle
is when her dad prepares her a Gotcha Day or
Birthday Cheeseburger!

JAPANESE RESTAURANT STYLE GINGER SALAD DRESSING

1/2 Cup Avocado Oil (can use vegetable or canola but we prefer avocado oil)
1 1/2 Teaspoon Ginger Puree (can use fresh ginger but I like the ease of the squeeze bottle)
1 Medium Carrot, peeled and rough chopped
1 Shallot, peeled and rough chopped
1 Clove Garlic, peeled
2 Tbsp Honey
2 Tsp Sesame Oil
4 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce or Tamari
salt & pepper to taste

Add ingredients to a food processor or blender.  Pulse until smooth and combined.  Use on lettuce salad, cucumber salad or as a glaze on roasted fish or chicken.