OKRA GUMBO WITH SHRIMP AND CRAB

2 lb. cleaned and deveined med. to sm. shrimp
1 (8 oz.) can crabmeat, claw or white meat, or fresh crabmeat or gumbo crabs
1 lb. okra, cut in 1/4 inch rings, cleaned
1-2 onions, chopped
3 toes garlic, chopped
2-3 stalks celery with leaves, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
3-5 green onions, chopped
2-3 tbsp. parsley
1 ripe tomato, cut in sm. pieces or can of tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
Season to taste with salt, pepper, red pepper, thyme, basil

Start gumbo in 5-quart pot. Make roux with 2 large tablespoons shortening to 1 large tablespoon flour. Stir until medium brown. Add seasonings and shrimp and cook until shrimp are pink and onions soft. Add hot water to half fill pot. Always keep gumbo at a simmer, never boil.

Add tomatoes and sauce. Fry off okra in well-greased frying pan on low fire and turn frequently to keep from burning. Cook until it loses its ropiness, and drain on paper towels, about 15-20 minutes. Add okra and crabmeat to gumbo and simmer for 30-45 minutes.

Serve over hot fluffy rice, with French bread or crackers. Tabasco may be added to plate, also gumbo file, if desired. Water may be added to thin, it should be a rust color, the combination of the roux and tomatoes.

Peach Cobbler

Ingredients

* 8 fresh peaches - peeled, pitted and sliced into thin wedges
* 1/4 cup white sugar
* 1/4 cup brown sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
* 2 teaspoons cornstarch
*
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/4 cup white sugar
* 1/4 cup brown sugar
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
* 1/4 cup boiling water
*
* MIX TOGETHER:
* 3 tablespoons white sugar
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, combine peaches, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Toss to coat evenly, and pour into a 2 quart baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine flour, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Blend in butter with your fingertips, or a pastry blender, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in water until just combined.
4. Remove peaches from oven, and drop spoonfuls of topping over them. Sprinkle entire cobbler with the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Bake until topping is golden, about 30 minutes.

Buffalo Shrimp

Ingredients

* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 tablespoons Creole-style seasoning
* 1 tablespoon garlic powder
* 1 tablespoon ground cayenne pepper
* 1 teaspoon onion powder
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails attached
* 4 cups oil for frying
*
* BUFFALO SAUCE:
* 4 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 1/2 tablespoons butter
* 6 ounces hot pepper sauce
* 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Directions

1. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the flour, Creole-style seasoning, garlic powder, ground cayenne pepper, onion powder, and ground black pepper. Seal the bag and shake a few times to combine the ingredients well.
2. Rinse the shrimp under cold water and place them in the plastic bag with the flour mixture. Seal the bag and shake to coat all of the shrimp well with the flour mixture.
3. Place the coated shrimp on a cookie sheet and place in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes. Save remaining flour mixture in the bag.
4. In a mixing bowl, whisk together garlic, butter hot sauce and cayenne pepper; set aside. In a pot, heat the oil to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
5. Remove shrimp from refrigerator and shake a second time in flour mixture.
6. Place the shrimp in hot oil and fry until pink, about 2 to 3 minutes. Immediately coat with buffalo sauce.

Fried Chicken

Growing up in the south, I was introduced to fried chicken at an early age. All of my family would come over on Sunday afternoon to enjoy a feast that included fried chicken and various side items like okra, green beans, corn on the cob, sweet potatoes, and cornbread. Not only was the food delicious but the company was great as well!

Today, I wanted to share with you some history on fried chicken and also provide you with some really good fried chicken recipes. First, let's discuss some of the history behind fried chicken...

"Fried chicken has a dual origin in the rural American South. The Scots had a tradition of deep frying chicken in fat, unlike their English counterparts who baked or boiled chicken. Later, as African slaves were introduced to households as cooks, seasonings and spices were added that are absent in traditional Scottish cuisine, improving the flavor. Since slaves were often allowed to keep only chickens, frying chicken as a special occasion spread through the African American community. After slavery, poor rural southern blacks continued the tradition since chickens were often the only animals they could afford to raise. Since fried chicken could keep for several days, it travelled well, and also gained favor during segregation when blacks normally could not find places to eat and had to carry their own food. Southern whites also continued the tradition of frying chicken. While not limited like blacks socially, poor whites were no better off economically. Therefore, fried chicken continued to dominate as "Sunday dinner" or on other special occasions."

The first recipe that I am going to share with you actually ties together an English style of cooking along with Scottish and Southern influences. I say this because the recipe is an oven fried chicken recipe. Don't worry if this is not your cup of tea! We will be sharing traditional fried chicken recipes below this one.

Oven Fried Chicken

2 1/2 - 3 lbs. chicken pieces 2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp pepper 1 cup flour 2 tsp. paprika 1/2 cup oil or crisco melted

Coat chicken with combined flour, salt, paprika and pepper. Dip in oil and place skin side down in pan. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes and turn chicken and bake 30 minutes or until done.

Obviously, this is not how we usually do it down here, but it's a good recipe that I wanted to share with you. Now for the good stuff! Next, I want to share with you a good southern fried chicken recipe.

Simple Southern Fried Chicken

1 frying chicken, skin removed if you want lower fat. I leave the skin on. 3 teaspoons Lawry's Seasoned Salt 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 cup all purpose flour 1 cup vegetable oil

1. Season chicken with all seasonings.

2. Roll chicken in flour until covered. Shake off excess flour. Sprinkle additional seasoning.

3. Simply fry chicken in frying pan until golden brown. I like it crispy so I cook it a little longer than most.

You can start out with the oil very hot and then reduce it later. This seals in the moisture and flavor, then cooks it.

My hope is that you enjoy these fried chicken recipes. We will be providing more great recipes and resources so be sure to check with us real soon! In the meantime, I encourage you to check out the following resource. You'll be glad you did!

How To Cook The Tastiest Chicken Dishes You've EVER Had... GUARANTEED! fried chicken recipes

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chadwick_Sanders

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