Recipes

I mentioned a black bean salad that I had made a couple of days ago. It turned out really good! Very delicious and lots of veggies. The cilantro totally makes the dish, so don't leave it out. Other than that, I think it is very forgiving, so you can mix and match what you have.

Black Bean Salad

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 (15 ounce) cans whole kernel corn, drained
8 green onions, chopped (I left those out)
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped (I put about 1/4 of green, 1/4 of red and 1/4 of yellow for more variety)
1 avocado - peeled, pitted, and diced
1 (4 ounce) jar pimentos (couldn't find at store, so didn't add)
3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped (I used two, an orange one and yellow one--both from the farm)
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime, juiced
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

I also added some cucumber from the farm.
DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, combine everything. Season with garlic salt. Toss, and chill until serving.




Gavin requested fried chicken for his party tonight. I tried out a new recipe and everyone at the party really seemed to enjoy it. It had a really great crust. Mother in law made some gravy and that really made this dish. I realized later I should have paid attention to how she made it because I am clueless with gravy!! I tripled this recipe.

Fried Chicken


30 saltine crackers
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons dry potato flakes
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 egg
vegetable oil
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (I used some chicken breasts, boneless thighs and drumsticks.)


DIRECTIONS
Place crackers in a large resealable plastic bag; seal bag and crush crackers until they are coarse crumbs. Add flour, potato flakes, seasoned salt, and pepper to bag and mix well.
Beat egg in a shallow dish or bowl; heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. (I put enough oil in the skillet that it was about 1/2 inchs worth.)
One by one, dredge chicken pieces in egg beat, then place in bag with crumb mixture, seal bag and shake to coat.
Reduce heat to medium and cook coated chicken in skillet for 15 to 20 minutes, turning frequently, until golden brown and juices run clear.