Fried Green BLTs

I think we all love a good BLT. I mean, it's a classic. But have you ever felt like you weren't getting that extra element of crunch? Sure, the bacon is supposed to pull triple duty as the salty, meaty, crunchy component to that sandwich, but still, sometimes you just need more. How about frying the tomatoes? Perfect.

On a particularly pleasant day, it's good to throw on your sun hat and shades, and your perfectly dainty fan to keep the heat at bay, and enjoy a nice, Southern-style sandwich out on the back porch. You're meant to enjoy food in warm weather, and you're most definitely not meant to spend a lot of time in the kitchen preparing it.

These fried green BLTs are not only a super-fast, very fresh lunch option, they're also totally perfect for a spontaneous summer picnic. They hold up and travel very well, and I may just be imagining it, but I think they actually taste ten times better when eaten al fresco. That might just me though.

All you need is an egg, unripe green tomatoes, some cornmeal, a little vegetable oil, some nice crispy bacon, some baby spinach, a little mayo, and fresh thick-sliced bread (don't forget to toast it!), and you've got a totally fresh take on a pretty traditional sammie. Now all you need is a tall glass of ice-cold sweet tea to wash it down, and you've got the perfect summer day. Aaaaaahhhhhhh.

FRIED GREEN BLTs

What You'll Need:

• 4 slices of bacon
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• Salt
• Fresh black pepper
• 1 pound unripe green tomatoes, sliced (Note: I've found that using a serrated knife not only makes it easier to cut the tomatoes, but it also keeps them from getting mashed, releasing too much of their juices, and bruising)
• Canola or Vegetable oil
• 8 thick slices of your favorite bread, toasted
• Mayonnaise
• Baby spinach or arugula

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with two layers of aluminum foil. Lay your bacon on the foil, and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until it has reached your desired level of crispiness. Once out of the oven, drain your bacon on paper towels.

Fill three separate bowels with flour, your egg and water mixture, and cornmeal. Season the cornmeal with plenty of salt and freshly ground pepper. Dip each tomato slice in the flour, then the egg mixture (shaking gently to remove any excess) and then finally into the cornmeal, making sure that every bit of it is covered. Place the slice on a wax-paper lined platter or plate. Repeat the process until all of your slices are perfectly coated.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable or canola oil until it is shimmering. Add the tomatoes, and cook over medium-high heat, turning once, until golden brown and crispy. This should take about five minutes. Drain your tomatoes on paper towels.

To Assemble:

Lay four slices of toasted  bread on a cutting board, and lightly spread some mayonnaise on each. Next, add at least two slices of tomatoes on top. Next, cut your slices of bacon in half, and add two halves of each on top of the tomatoes. Top with a few spinach leaves.

Now, if you like open-faced sandwiches, then you're done! If you like a classic sandwich, top each with another slice of toasted bread, and cut in half. Enjoy!

SOURCE: Delish

Making My Dad's Favorite: Pecan Pie

Thanksgiving is all about tradition, whether it be old or new. And while I was planning on starting a new tradition at my house (one that included delicious pumpkin pie because there is literally nothing better in this entire world), I was overruled by a standing pie tradition: Southern-style Pecan Pie.

Apparently it's been a staple at our table since I was born, but I never noticed because my grandmothers have been making stellar sweet potato pies, and caramel pies with homemade icings for as long as I can remember. But this year, I spent Thanksgiving with just my immediate family in Wisconsin, and there could only be room for one dessert. And while I was hoping that dessert would be delicious, fall-appropriate pumpkin pie, a dad that only periodically ventured into the kitchen (probably to stay out of the crossfire of my mother and I both being in the kitchen), had other plans. But it's fine, because  when you love to bake, it doesn't always really matter what it is.

And anyway, I was just happy that I:

1) Finally got to contribute to the Thanksgiving Meal

2) Got to practice my pie-making skills!

Fact: a homemade pie crust always tastes better. It just does. Store-bought pie crusts are okay, but there is just no comparison when you taste the love (and butter!!!) that goes into a crust made especially for that pie, completely from scratch. And I have to say: for this being only the third time that I've made the pie crust, things went pretty smoothly.

Joy the Baker first taught me how to make a pie crust (and my first pie). Instead of rolling out the dough, she uses a "press-in" technique where she presses the dough into the pie plate. It's incredibly easy, and eliminates a few steps. But in the rest of my pie cookbooks, it's essential that you roll out the dough, then use the rolling pin as a tool to get it into the pie plate. And you know, the people on Food Network always make it look so insanely easy. Like, the dough always perfectly rolls up onto the rolling pin, and they simply and gracefully place the delicate crust into the plate. Well, I'm here to tell you that it's not that easy, I dropped the pie crust into the plate very ungracefully, and I actually had to flip a section of it that refused to stay on its side of the plate. But I made it without having to take it out and re-roll it, and all was well in the kitchen.

This time around, I even got to take a stab at decorating the crust, something I hadn't tried before. And I loved it! Sure, the balls were all different sizes, and I left fingerprints in the dough, but isn't that what makes homemade crusts charming? Store-bought crusts lack a certain something, and I think that something is charm and character. Maybe even a little personality. That pie crust is totally unique, and I never, ever, will buy a store-bought crust again.

Okay, apparently this post has turned into a love letter for homemade pie crusts...sorry, I'm not sorry.

Pecan Pie is actually really easy to make. You just mix the butter and the sugar together, then literally throw the rest of the ingredients in the mixing bowl, and you're done.

And this pie was a big hit, if I do say so myself.

PECAN PIE:

What You'll Need:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon  flour
• 1 cup pecans
• 1 unbaked 9 inch pie crust (Preferably homemade!)

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

-Cream sugar and butter

-Add remaining ingredients

-Bake for 40 minutes

Each recipe serves 6-8 people

SOURCE: Recipes from Miss Daisy's

I hope you all had a fantastic holiday, and that you're recovering from your food comas well!!