French Fries & Aioli

On his mission in the Canary Islands, Brandon and his companions used to make aioli to serve with french fries or spanish tortillas. A couple of weeks ago, he made some french fries and some of this delicious aioli. I had him make some more for us today for lunch - yum!

-Brandon

French fries

Peel and cut potatoes using the large grid on a french fry cutter or a large knife

Place in a large bowl and cover with cold water while waiting for oil in deep fryer to come to 375-400

Remove from water and pat dry using paper towels

Fry potatoes until they float to the top and are lightly browned (do not crowd the fryer - fry in batches if making a lot)

Wait until oil comes back up to temperature before adding the fries back to the oil for a second fry. Fry until crisp and golden brown - remove to paper towels to drain and salt immediately.

Alioli

Crack 1 egg in a small bowl

Add 3-4 minced garlic cloves and a pinch of salt

Add a small handful fresh parsley, if desired

Using an immersion blender, gradually add olive or canola oil until the mixture thickens and resembles mayonnaise.

Add approximately 1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar or lemon juice, if desired

Add more salt to taste

Best if chilled before serving

Mini 'Cheeseburgers'

We had fun with these! I've seen other versions using full size Nilla Wafers, but we had the mini size, so I created these - perfect for little mouths too! If your Starbursts are too hard to flatten, pop them in the microwave for a few seconds to soften.

Buns -Mini Nilla Wafers
Sesame seeds - moisten wafer slightly with water to adhere
Burgers - Junior mints
Mayo - White frosting
Cheese - Orange Starbursts, flatened and squared off
Lettuce - Coconut tinted with green food coloring

Corn Dogs

I'm sure I get my love of trying and testing new recipes from my mom! This recipe is one I specifically remember her making for the first time - it's a winner! A deep fryer definitely helps make these a little easier to prepare. After dipping in the batter, I drop the corn dogs into the oil, wait until they rise to the top, and then roll them constantly for even browning.

- Mom Pulsipher

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal (finest grind preferred)
1 cup flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
1 egg, beaten
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
dash of pepper
10-16 hot dogs (We like Oscar Meyer weiners for corn dogs)
Additional flour
vegetable oil for deep frying
bamboo skewers, trimmed to 8"

Soak bamboo skewers in water while preparing batter - this is so they won't burn while frying.

In a bowl, mix cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, milk, egg, paprika, mustard and pepper. Pour mixture into tall glass.

Remove skewers from water and pat dry. Dredge hot dogs in flour and shake off excess. Dip in batter and deep-fry at 375 until golden brown (about 2 minutes). Drain on paper towels. Yields 10-16 corn dogs.

Spicy Orange Garlic Shrimp

This is what I had for lunch today. Yum.... Every once in awhile I can't stomach another lunch of leftovers or PB&J and I make myself something yummy.

I purchased the frozen shrimp and old bay seasoning a couple weeks ago and have been dying to try this recipe. I think next time I'll half the Old Bay and Cayenne because my mouth is still burning and I think the celery salt flavor from the Old Bay could be dialed down a bit.

-Pioneer Woman/Pastor Ryan

24 pieces (26-30 Per Pound) Deveined Shrimp (I used the 60-80 size that were already peeled and deveined - easy!)
2 cloves (to 4 Cloves) Garlic (1 tsp. minced)
¾ cup Orange Juice
1/8 -½ teaspoons Ground Cayenne Pepper
1/2- 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
3 Tablespoons Salted Butter

Thaw and peel the shrimp. Thaw them by running them under cold water for a few minutes. Dry the peeled shrimp by draining them on a paper towel or two.

Thinly slice your garlic cloves. Add the garlic to ¾ cup of orange juice. Use a nice high quality orange juice. Measure out and add all of the spices to the orange juice as well.

In a large skillet over high heat melt 2 tablespoons butter. Once butter has melted add your shrimp. Cook them for about 30-60 seconds and begin flipping them over starting with the ones you placed in the pan first so they don’t get overdone. Cook for another 30-60 seconds. Remove the cooked shrimp from the pan, leaving the heat on high.

Once the butter and drippings begin to smoke ever so slightly add the spicy orange garlic mixture to the pan and give it a good stir. Add the last tablespoon of butter to the sauce and after a few minutes of cooking and occasional stirring your sauce should be slightly thicker.

Return the shrimp to the pan and give them a nice toss to coat them in the sauce.

Butterfingers

I was looking for a recipe yesterday and came across this one among my old recipe cards I had handwritten a long time ago for a Young Womens project. I had completely forgotten about this one - what a pleasant surprise! Once the sugar reaches about 290, the temperature begins to rise very quickly, so don't leave it unattended. After you add the baking soda, the mixture will begin to seize, so work very quickly. The less you move it after pouring it on the pan, the more you will get the characteristic Butterfinger layers. The humidity did funny things to the chocolate, but they were still delicious. Enjoy this one!

-Mom Pulsipher

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup Karo syrup

1 cup water

Cook to hard crack (310 degrees) before removing from stove.

Add:

2 cups peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp. baking soda

Pour onto buttered cookie sheet. Mark with greased bench scraper or knife right away down to the pan. Must work quickly as it sets up fast. Cool completely and dip in chocolate.

French Breakfast Muffins

My kids always eat the top of these muffins first, but the bottom half is equally delicious!

-Aunt Kristi

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup melted butter (1/4 cup if only dipping top)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 15 (12) muffin tins (I use paper liners). Thoroughly mix shortening, 1/2 cup sugar and egg together. Stir in flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg alternately with milk. Fill muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake 20-25 minutes. In separate bowl, mix 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon together.

Immediately after baking, roll muffins in melted butter, then in cinnamon mixture. Serve hot.

Mango Salsa

I love the savory/sweet flavors of mango salsa. This recipe is a combination of several different recipes and was quite tasty!

3 medium ripe mangos, peeled, pittted and diced
1-1/2 cups diced seeded roma tomatoes
1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chilies or if you like more heat: 2 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped
1/4 cup each diced green, red and yellow bell peppers (whatever you have on hand)
1/4 cup chopped green onions
2 Tbsp. lime juice
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 -1/2 tsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp. sugar
1-1/2 tsp. lime zest
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Serve with tortilla chips.

Warm Bacon Cheese Spread

I've been wanting to try this recipe for a long time and last night's National Championship game provided the perfect opportunity! It took about 1 1/2 hours at 325 for my spread to be heated all the way through. Yummy 'loaded potato' type flavor. Make sure you have extra bread cubes on hand!

-Kristin Topham

1 (1 lb.) round loaf sourdough bread
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 c. sour cream
2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
3/4 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 c. chopped green onions

Cut the top fourth of the loaf of bread; carefully hollow out the bottom, leaving a 1 inch shell. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese. Add the sour cream, Cheddar, and Worcestershire sauce until combined; stir in bacon and onions. Spoon into bread shell. Wrap in a piece of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 325 for 1 hour (1 1/2 hours) or until heated through. Serve with crackers and reserved bread cubes. Makes 4 cups.