Caramel Corn with Peanuts and Dried Cherries

GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

Ingredients 

Pinch of  Paula Deen's House Seasoning
1   2.8-ounce can French-fried onion rings
1   10 3/4-ounce can cream of mushroom soup
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups sliced green beans
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup diced onions
1/3   stick butter
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Melt the butter in a large skillet.  Saute the onions and mushrooms in the butter. Boil green beans in chicken broth for 10 minutes and drain. Add the green beans, mushroom soup, onion rings, and House Seasoning to taste.  Stir well.  Pour into a greased 1 1/2-quart baking dish.  Bake for 20 minutes, then top the casserole with the Cheddar and bake for 10 minutes longer, or until the casserole is hot and cheese is melted.

Lemon Ice Box Pie

1. 14 whole graham crackers, broken
2. 1/4 cup sugar
3. 1/4 teaspoon salt
4. 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
5. Two 14-ounce cans sweetened condensed milk
6. 1 1/4 cups fresh lemon juice, plus 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
7. 8 large egg yolks

1. Preheat the oven to 325°. In a food processor, pulse the graham crackers with the sugar and salt until finely ground but not powdery. Add the butter and pulse until the crumbs are evenly moistened; transfer to a 9-inch springform pan and press into the bottom and two-thirds up the side. Set the pan on a rimmed baking sheet.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the condensed milk with the lemon juice. In another bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the lemon zest with the egg yolks until pale. Beat in the condensed milk mixture until smooth. Pour the filling into the crust.
3. Bake the pie for 25 minutes, until the center jiggles slightly and the edges are set. Transfer the pan to a rack; let cool for 1 hour. Loosely cover the pan with plastic wrap and freeze the pie for at least 6 hours.
4. Wrap a warm, damp kitchen towel around the side of the springform pan to release the pie; remove the ring. Using a hot knife, slice the pie, transfer to plates and serve.

Catfish Tacos

Ingredients

Coleslaw:

• 3 cups angel hair coleslaw mix
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 4 radishes, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro, optional
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Creamy Remoulade Sauce:

• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 green onions, minced
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill

Catfish:

• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 1 (15-ounce) catfish fillet
• 1 1/2 cups cornmeal
• 1 to 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
• 6 to 8 Fried Taco Shells, recipe follows
• Sliced avocado, optional
• Lime wedges, optional

Directions

For the coleslaw: In a medium bowl, combine the coleslaw mix, red onions, radishes, and cilantro. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, honey, salt, and pepper. Add to the coleslaw mixture, tossing gently to coat.

For the remoulade: In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, garlic, green onions, mustard, lemon juice, and dill. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

For the catfish: In a large Dutch oven, pour the oil to a depth of 2 inches and heat to 350 degrees F.

Cut the catfish into strips. Combine and whisk together the cornmeal and Cajun seasoning. Coat the catfish strips in the cornmeal mixture.

Fry the catfish, in batches if necessary, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Place 2 to 3 catfish strips in the center of each Fried Taco Shell. Top each evenly with the coleslaw mixture. Dollop with the remoulade. Serve with sliced avocado and lime wedges, if desired.

Fried Taco Shells:

• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 6 to 8 corn tortillas

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the tortilla into the oil, folding into a taco shape using heatproof tongs. (You will have to hold its shape with the tongs while it fries.) Fry until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

Southern Fried Catfish

Ingredients

• 1 quart peanut oil
• 1 cup stone-ground fine cornmeal
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon seafood seasoning (recommended: Old Bay)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon hot smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 (7 to 9-ounce) US farm-raised catfish fillets, rinsed and thoroughly patted dry
• 3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk

Directions

Heat the peanut oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven over high heat until it reaches 350 degrees F on a deep-frythermometer. Adjust the heat to maintain the temperature.

Whisk the cornmeal and flour together in a shallow dish. Combine the seafood seasoning, kosher salt,paprika, and pepper in a small bowl. Season the catfish fillets evenly on both sides with the spice mixture. Pour the buttermilk into another shallow dish. Dip each fillet into the buttermilk, flip once to coat both sides, hold over the pan and allow the excess to drip off. Coat both sides of the fillets in the cornmeal mixture. Set the coated fillets on a cooling rack and let rest for 5 minutes.

Gently add the fillets, 2 at a time, to the hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the fried fillets to a cooling rack set over a newspaper-lined half sheet pan. Repeat method with remaining fillets. Arrange the catfish on a serving platter and serve immediately.

Rose Sangria Spritzer

Ingredients

• 2 bottles cold rose wine
• 1 green apple, thinly sliced
• 1 orange, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 pint fresh raspberries
• Simple syrup, to taste
• Ice cubes
• Fresh mint leaves, for garnish
• Club soda, cold, optional

Directions

Combine wine, apple, orange, raspberries in a pitcher, add simple syrup, to taste. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day. Serve over ice, garnish with mint and top with a few splashes of club soda, if desired.

The Ultimate Barbecued Chicken

Ingredients

Brine:

• 2 quarts water
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed with the side of a large knife
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 6 chicken legs and thighs, still connected, bone in, skin on, about 10 ounces each

The Ultimate Barbecue Sauce:

• 1 slice bacon
• 1 bunch fresh thyme
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 cups ketchup
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika if available
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

For the brine, in a mixing bowl combine the water, salt, sugar, garlic, and thyme. Transfer the brine to a 2-gallon sized re-sealable plastic bag. Add the chicken, close the bag and refrigerate 2 hours (if you've only got 15 minutes, that's fine) to allow the salt and seasonings to penetrate the chicken.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Wrap the bacon around the bunch of thyme and tie with kitchen twine so you have a nice bundle. Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the thyme and cook slowly 3 to 4 minutes to render the bacon fat and give the sauce a nice smoky taste. Add the onion and garlic and cook slowly without coloring for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, give the sauce a stir, and turn the heat down to low. Cook slowly for 20 minutes to meld the flavors. Once the sauce is done cooking, remove about 1 1/2 cups of the sauce and reserve for serving along side the chicken at the table. The rest of the barbecue sauce will be used for basing the legs.

Preheat oven 375 degrees F.

Preheat a grill pan or an outdoor gas or charcoal barbecue to a medium heat. Take a few paper towels and fold them several times to make a thick square. Blot a small amount of oil on the paper towel and carefully and quickly wipe the hot grates of the grill to make a nonstick surface. Take the chicken out of the brine, pat it dry on paper towels. Arrange the chicken pieces on the preheated grill and cook, turn once mid-way, and cook for a total of 10 minutes. Transfer the grill marked chicken to a cookie sheet and then place in the oven. Cook the chicken for 15 minutes, remove it from the oven and then brush liberally, coating every inch of the legs with the barbecue sauce and then return to the oven for 25 to 30 more minutes, basting the chicken for a second time half way through remaining cooking time. Serve with extra sauce.