Fried BBQ/Plain Pork Tenderloin Medallions

So I wanted something different, well also fried. I found this recipe in a magazine, changed it up a little. I left some plain and coated others in honey BBQ sauce. Turned out good and had no complaints. 

1 Pork Tenderloin
Buttermilk (Enough to cover meat to marinade)
Hot Sauce, about 4 TBSP's
4 Cups of Canola Oil
4 Cups of All-Purpose Flour
4 TBSP's of Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning
1 Cup of Milk
3 Eggs

Slice tenderloin into small medallions.
Combine buttermilk and hot sauce in a bowl.
Add medallions.
Marinate for 1 to 2 hours

Bring oil to 325 in a deep pan.

Combine eggs and milk and whisk.
Combine flour and seasoning, mix well.
Remove Medallions from the buttermilk
Dredge meat in flour, dip in egg, dredge again in flour.
Deep fry until golden brown

Serve with a gravy, coat with BBQ Sauce, make buffalo wing sauce and coat...

Homemade Bratwurst

This was one of my sausage projects. I used a bratwurst seasoning package from LEM products.

What I made this weekend....

So to start, it was time for a fresh fruit salad.  It is so simple and tastes great, especially when topped with whipped cream. 

Just get a selection of your favorite fruits.  This one contained blueberries, strawberries, pineapples, mandarin oranges.   Once all the fruit is combined, use a packet of Kool-Aid Tropical Punch to cover the fruit.  Mix and adjust for taste.

Peppers to Powder

Not being able to purchase jalapeno powder in the local area, I decided to make my own.  I dehydrated some jalapeno peppers and cloves of garlic.  Once dehydrated, I ground them to a fine  powder.   Also, I bought some already dried arbol chili and made my own powder.   The freshly ground peppers add a nice heat to my bbq rubs.

Meat Loaf Gyros...

I love a good gyro and instead of driving 25 miles to get one, I found this recipe on the Taste of Home web site. I wasn't unable to find any ground lamb, so I had to grind my own.

Also, with the tzatziki sauce...I thought more was needed, I added a cup of sour cream, TBSP of vinegar and squeezed out the juice of the cucumber.

Ingredients
•1 egg, lightly beaten
•6 garlic cloves, minced
•3 tablespoons dried oregano
•1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
•1 teaspoon pepper
•1 pound ground lamb
•1 pound ground beef

In a large bowl, combine the egg, garlic, oregano, kosher salt and pepper. Crumble lamb and beef over mixture; mix well.

Pat into an ungreased 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pan. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 60-70 minutes or until no pink remains and a meat thermometer reads 160°. Cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

Tzatziki:
•1 cup (8 ounces) plain yogurt
•1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped (Juice squeezed)
•2 tablespoons lemon juice
•2 garlic cloves, minced
•1/2 teaspoon salt
•1/4 teaspoon pepper
(Added a cup of sour cream, TBSP of Vinegar)

In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, cucumber, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

•Gyros:
•8 whole pita breads
•3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
•tomato
•onion, halved

•Brush pita breads with 1 tablespoon oil; heat on a lightly greased griddle for 1 minute on each side. Keep warm. Cut meat loaf into very thin slices. In a large skillet, fry meat loaf in remaining oil in batches until crisp.

•On each pita bread, layer the tomato, onion and meat loaf slices; top with some tzatziki sauce.

Stuffed Shrimp Beignets

I found this recipe in a cookbook and it sounded pretty good. Only one problem, the recipe called for crawfish. None to be found here, so I used shrimp.

Filling:
1/2 Cup Chopped Onion
1/2 Cup Chopped Celery
1/3 Cup Butter
2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
Cajun Seasoning to Taste
1 Pound of Crawfish or Shrimp
1/4 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/4 Cup Shredded Swiss Cheese (I used Colby)
1 1/2 TBSP Green Onion
1 1/2 TBSP Parsley, Chopped

Sauté onion and celery in butter until tender. Add garlic, seasoning, and shrimp. Simmer 8-10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Set aside and let cool completely. Add cheese, green onions, and parsley. Prepare dough. Heat oil to 350.

Beignet Dough:
2 Cups Biscuit Mix
3/4 Cup Water
(If short on time, use 2 containers of 8 refrigerated biscuits.)

Mix together with a fork. Roll out dough and cut with a 4 inch circle cutter.
Place filling on one half of the dough.
Fold other half over filling and seal edges with fork dipped in flour.
Fry beignets until golden brown.

I topped the beignets with a jalapeño cream sauce.