Eating For The Fun Of It!

Sometimes food should just be fun, carnival fun, food on a stick fun, fried ooey gooey fun. Hopefully leaving behind no regrets, nothing more than a full stomach and a sticky lipped smile. Save sensible for the remaining eighty percent of the week or ninety percent if you have to be really, really careful.
Sure sensible foods can be made to be fun like riding a Merry-Go-Round fun but sometimes you just need the exhilaration only a Roller Coaster can deliver!

Deep-Fried Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (This one is from the Food network and it is a definite keeper)!

Recipe courtesy George Duran

Dough:

• 2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup pasteurized eggs or 2 whole eggs 

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 2 cups (12-ounce package) chocolate chips

Batter:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 large egg (or 1/4 cup pasteurized eggs)

• 1/2 cup seltzer water or club soda, plus more if needed

• Vegetable oil, for frying

Directions

For the dough: Put the flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl and stir it with a whisk to combine. Set aside. Using a hand or stand mixer, beat the butter until it is lighter in color. Slowly add in sugars and beat until it is light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time and beat until they are incorporated. Stir in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture using the low speed, then stir in the chocolate chips. Set aside.

To form the cookies: Use 2 teaspoons of the dough and roll it into balls. Put the balls onto a cookie sheet. When they are all made, put them into the freezer for about 30 minutes to firm up.

For the batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and baking powder. Add the egg and half the seltzer and whisk well to combine. Add more seltzer as needed until the batter is thick and the consistency of heavy cream.

To make the cookies: Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer to 350 degrees F.

Dip the chilled dough balls in the batter and carefully place them into the hot oil. Fry a few at a time, turning them over from time to time, until they are golden brown, about 3 minutes total. Drain on paper towels and serve while still warm.

DEEP-FRIED CANDY BARS

1 egg

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of salt

Candy bars (Mars, Snickers, Almond Joy, Kit Kat or Twix work well; use mini versions if you wish)

1. Chill or freeze the candy bars.

2. Combine egg, milk and vegetable oil in a cup.

3. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well with a wire whisk. Cover and chill for a few minutes while the oil heats.

4. Remove batter from the refrigerator and adjust the consistency if necessary. Heat about 4 cups of oil or shortening to 375 degrees F.

5. Dip the chilled candy bar in the batter and gently place into the oil. Cook only until the outside is golden. Remove and drain on brown paper. Allow to cool for a minute as the inside can easily burn your mouth.

Deep-Fried Stuffing on a Stick

This recipe courtesy of who else but Miss Paula Deen

Stuffing:

• 5 tablespoons butter, divided

• 1 pound breakfast sausage, bulk

• 1 cup diced onion

• 1/2 cup diced carrot

• 1/2 cup diced celery

• 1 bag unseasoned bread cubes, for stuffing

• 1 sleeve saltine crackers, crushed

• 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes

• 2 teaspoons ground sage

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 quart chicken stock

• 4 eggs, beaten

For Frying:

• Oil, for frying

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• Special equipment: 12 wooden ice cream sticks or skewers

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter.

Brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it is cooked through. Transfer to a plate, while spooning off the excess grease, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the skillet. Add 4 tablespoons of the butter and melt. Add the onion, carrot and celery and sauté until softened. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, toss together bread cubes, saltines, poultry seasoning, parsley flakes, sage, salt and pepper. Stir the sautéed vegetables into the mixing bowl. Pour in the chicken stock and eggs and toss together. Turn the stuffing out into the prepared baking dish.

Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 45 minutes until the top is golden brown and the juices in the stuffing are bubbling.

Preheat oil in the deep-fryer to 350 degrees F.

Cool the stuffing completely. Cut it into 12 squares. Remove each square from the dish and wrap it around a wooden stick, pressing it onto the stick with your hands. Make the stuffing form a log shape around the Popsicle stick, leaving 2-inches of the stick exposed for the handle. This should look somewhat like a lumpy corn dog.

Roll the stick in the flour, coating it well and then shaking off the excess. Gently lower the sticks into the hot oil and fry until golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain.

Stuffing My Face

                                          

                                                                                                 Photo/Rak/Flickr

For me the absolute best part of Thanksgiving dinner is hands down the stuffing. If that is all that is served for dinner I will be just fine....well, I will require just a little bit of gravy to pour over the top. We all have our holiday favorites, for me it just happens to be the stuffing and a close second would be the crispy skin of the turkey.

You can actually be quite creative with stuffing just by changing the types of bread that you use. I was watching Rachel Ray the other night and she made her stuffing using store bought pumpkin muffins and then just changed up the spices a bit.
If you think about it we have also been enjoying stuffing as a dessert for years; "Bread Pudding"! Bread pudding is really just the sweet rather than savory version of stuffing.
All I know is any way you slice it, cube it, season it, moisten it "Ima gonna stuffa my face with it"!

FYI- People often ask what the difference is between stuffing and dressing, they are technically both the same. The term stuffing came about because we use to actually stuff the stuffing into the cavity of the bird to bake (before it became so dangerous) and it was always referred to as dressing when it was being cooked in a separate pan outside of the bird. Just call it whatever it is you are accustomed to calling it you will not be breaking any culinary laws.

Apple Sausage Stuffing

1 lb. mild sausage (roll not links or patties)
1/2 lb. hot sausage roll
2 lg. onions, chopped
9 sm. stalk celery, chopped
1 1/2 pkg. cubes for stuffing
3 eggs, beaten
4 lg. red apples with skin, chopped
Apple cider

Mix everything together. Add enough apple cider to dampen the stuffing. Stuff as usual. This is enough for an 18-20 pound bird.

Old Fashioned Corn Bread Dressing

2 (8 in.) pans cornbread, already made
1 lg. pkgs. Pepperidge Farm bread stuffing
2 to 3 cans Swanson chicken broth
1 tbsp. sage
1 tbsp. parsley flakes
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 stick of butter, melted
2 eggs
Chopped celery
Chopped onions

Mix cornbread with bread stuffing. Add plenty of chopped celery and onions. Add eggs, butter and all seasonings. Add cans of soup. Add enough chicken broth to make mixture almost runny. Pour into large baking pan that has been greased. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Cover with aluminum foil at first. Take off and brown for last 15 minutes.

Oyster Stuffing

3/4 c. chopped onion
1 1/2 c. chopped celery
2 tbsp. butter/butter
9 c. dry bread cubes or Pepperidge Farms
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. crushed sage leaves
1 tsp. thyme leaves
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 c. chopped parsley
2 (8 oz.) cans standard oysters, chopped
2 eggs
1 3/4 c. oyster liquid and milk

In large pan, melt butter. Cook and stir onion and celery until tender but not brown. Add bread cubes, seasonings and mix. Stir in chopped oysters. Beat eggs into oyster liquid and milk. Add liquid gradually and toss lightly to evenly coat.