Thursday, July 16, 2009

Fried Eggplant





I love eggplant from my head right down to my bossy toe. I could eat it everyday; almost anyway you want to fix it. Thanks to my dad’s outstanding eggplant growing abilities, I am able to have them all summer long. As I said before, dad grows a fairly BIG garden for all his church friends, sisters (and sister in-law), and ME…. Thank the LORD he loves me enough to plant, hoe, spray, pick and bring me eggplant all summer long.
He grows his garden along side his 80 acres of watermelons. He finished loading melons about the middle of June, but has continued to reap the goodness from his garden. A couple of weeks ago, he commented that the cows were needing to be turned on the melon patch, but he knew how much I loved the eggplant and had decided to wait a little longer. I hope it’s after the eggplant bushes quit producing before he turns the cows in the field. Usually after a visit with my mom and dad, mysteriously eggplants are left on my counter or in my car…yum yum.


Fried Eggplant

1 medium eggplant
1 cup milk
lots of flour self rising or all purpose will do
salt
HOT grease.

Cut the prickly end and bottom off . Peel the purple skin off. Cut the eggplant in to thin slices about ¼ in inch thick.
Recently, I have started cutting them into strips like French fries. I think my family likes them better in the strips. Then lay them on paper towels. First sprinkle salt on the eggplants.


The secret to excellent fried eggplant is DRY**WET**DRY.

Then coat them with flour.
When your grease is good and hot, dip the eggplant into the milk, then flour a second time. Place in the HOT grease. Cook until lightly brown and flip over.
Place on a cookie sheet or plate lined with paper towel to drain off the excess grease. Sample to see if they need additional salt added. Serve immediately. I love them so much, that I eat them cold.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Bacon Wrapped Chicken


This is a recipe I had gotten from a friend of mine, Wendy, when she was on the Atkins’s Diet. My family enjoys this during summer grilling months. It is quick and easy but most important—it is delicious.



Bacon Wrapped Chicken on the George Forman

2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
½ cup soy sauce
thinner sliced bacon
salt
pepper
Morton’s Nature’s seasoning

Cut the chicken breast into thirds.
Marinate the chicken in the soy sauce and season to taste.

Soak for twenty minutes.
Preheat the George Forman.

Wrap the chicken in slice of bacon.
Place on the grill and cook until done.


Wendy cooks hers in the oven. A few minutes before the chicken is done, she places cheese on the top.