EASIEST FRIED CHICKEN

Photo by Carol Guilford

Of course, any part if the bird can be fried, but I like to fry the legs—substantial finger food.

Here’s a picture of Bob Park, a hunk gnawing on this simple Texas-style fried chicken. He manned up—the first batch was a tad pink at the bone. I upped the time from 15 minutes per side to 20 minutes.

Look for legs with the most skin covering the flesh.

Best utensil:  An electric skillet is good, but I used my 12-inch Wolfgang Puck fryer that will hold 5 legs. For fewer legs, a smaller pan is good as long as the oil is a least ¼ -inch deep. 

chicken legs

salt, pepper

flour

   I use King Arthur, organic, unbleached white flour

olive oil

 ¼ inch deep is about 1 to 1¼ cups.

1. Rinse the chicken quickly in cold water.  Pat dry.

2. Liberally salt and pepper both sides of the chicken.

3. Heat the oil until the oil is moving around and a drop of water (stand back) sizzles.

4. Just before frying, coat the chicken with flour, shaking off the excess.

5. Fry, uncovered for 20 minutes, then turn and fry 20 minutes on the second side. Check a couple of times to make sure the the chicken is not burning, so that you can adjust the heat.  

6. Drain on paper towels to remove the excess oil for a result that will be brown and crisp  on the outside, moist and tender on the inside. 

EASIEST BRAISED SWEET AND SOUR RED CABBAGE

I wrote on “About Carol Guilford” blog page how I wanted the blog to be fun, having written copiously about the adulteration in our food supply and especially the lethal artificial sweetener, aspartame, in diet colas and gum.

I have tried to keep my word, but last week, I realized it has been ten years since I wrote an article about a bizarre case involving a woman, Diane Fleming who was convicted to 30 years in prison for poisoning her husband with Krystal Cleer, an antifreeze. It was and is my belief today that Charles Fleming was a “death by aspartame.”

Here is the link to my article about Diane Fleming on the D. L. Dewey site, especially for you crime buffs. 

Let me know what you think at guilfordcarol@gmail.com.

Diane Fleming has been in Fluvanna prison, in Troy, Virginia, since 2002.

Back to fun and easy:

Photo by Carol Guilford

Rick Kurek bellied up to the bar and gave me this German-style recipe, a condiment for any roast meat or sausage. Can be made the day before and the result is scrumptious but lovely to look at, a beautiful purple hue.

Best Utensil:  I used my deep 12-inch stainless steel (Wolfgang Puck) skillet. 12-inchers are sometimes called chicken-fryers. I used my new “simmer-ring”.  The old one lasted about a year and for $6.59 on (E-bay) affordable to replace.

1 small red cabbage (about 12 cups, shredded)

¾ stick butter

½ cup vinegar*

2 tablespoons sugar*

salt, pepper to taste

1. To shred the cabbage, cut out the core, cut in half and slice thinly down the cut half. This is the same method to make coleslaw.

2. Sauté the cabbage in butter for 10 minutes.

3. Add vinegar and sugar.

4. Simmer, covered for 2 hours.  Stir occasionally. So interesting that 12 cups of shredded red cabbage reduces to 2 cups, a reminder of how much water is in vegetables.

5. Rick says sometimes he puts a peeled, sliced  Granny Smith spple in 10 minutes before the dish is done.  I didn’t do it. 

*Rick used cider vinegar.  I didn’t do that either.

*Rich uses  brown sugar. I used my regular organic cane sugar.

  

EASIEST BEEF AND BARLEY MUSHROOM SOUP

Photo by Carol Guilford

Marv’s deli is owned by Herman and Donna. Long have I looked for a good barley soup, flavorful, not too thick and, of course, easy. Donna's fills the bill.

Preparation Time: ½ hour

Cooking Time: 1 hour

1 cup pearl barley*

1 quart beef broth

  (organic is good; in a pinch look for broth with the least chemicals)

½ pound mushrooms

  Cook’s choice. I used baby Bellas. Clean them with a wet paper towel. Cut off the tough end of the root. Slice them on the diagonal.

1 cup peeled, chopped onion

1 cup peeled, diced carrots (about 3-4)

4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped or sliced thinly

water

salt and pepper, to taste

1. Put barley, beef broth, mushrooms onion, carrots and garlic in a soup pot and simmer for one hour. I did not cover it. Checked it out and stirred occasionally.  Add water at the end, if soup is too thick. Salt and pepper to taste.

*The barley does need some attention.  I remembered what my mother did with it when she made vegetable soup.  Because the barley (as in a careless deli soup) can be gluey.  Put the cup of barley in a 2 cup measurer, cover with water, stir, pour off the water. Repeat 3 times.  Then, put the barley in a quart container, cover with 3 cups water and let let stand overnight. Refrigeration is not necessary.

 

EASIEST PIP̀̀̀ERADE

 Photo by Carol Guilford

From the Basque country, in Spain, a scramble of tomato, pepper and egg.  Frothy and creamy.  One of my favorite “single chef” treats and lovely for 2, too, augmented with a piece of brie cheese with small crisp crackers. In my photo above I have used seedless grapes. However, they may look like olives which would work too. 

3-6 eggs*

olive oil

2-3 tablespoons peeled, chopped sweet onion

½ -1 can (5-10 ounces) original RO*TEL DICED TOMATOES & GREEN CHILIES  (gives a nice kick)

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

salt, to taste

1.      Use enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the chopped onions and sauté them, stirring, for about 5 minutes or until they wilt over medium heat.

 

2.      Add the diced tomatoes and chilies and garlic powder. Cover the skillet and cook on the lowest heat (I use my “simmer ring”, too) for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, or so.

  3.  Beat the eggs lightly, as for scrambling; add to the pan and cook over the lowest heat, until they are just set... about 10 minutes.  Serve as soon as possible.     

* Let me explain. When I make it for just myself, I use 3 eggs and my 8-inch skillet.  When I make it for 2, I use 4 eggs and my 10-inch skillet.  For 3 or 4, the 10-incher also works with the extra eggs.

EASIEST CRISP FRIED PORK CHOPS

Photo by Carol Guilford

From  Carol Guilford’s Main Course Cookbook. The chops should be thin. About 4 chops in ¾ pound. Will fit and fry in a 12-inch skillet.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

4 thin (1/4-inch thick) loin pork chops

1 egg

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon onion powder

1 cup bread crumbs *

½ cup olive oil

1. Beat the egg with salt, garlic and onion powder.  Spread out bread crumbs on a plate.

2. Pat the pork chops dry with a paper towel, then dip both sides into the beaten egg. Coat thickly and well with bread crumbs. Allow to set 15 minutes before frying. (If prepared in advance, the chops can be refrigerated until 30 minutes before cooking time.)

3. Heat the oil in the skillet over medium heat. When a drop of water sizzles in the pan, fry the chops for 2-3 minutes on each side, turning carefully with a fork, tongs or spatula. Drain on paper towels. Serve as recipes are fond of instructing, immediately.  Have salt and pepper available on the table.

In summer, sliced tomatoes are perfect with  corn (recipe in Easiest Bar-B-Q beef)

In winter, I open a can of mandarin oranges or cranberry sauce.

*I’m through with making fresh breadcrumbs.  PITA—pain in the you know what. I buy them now at Whole Foods, 365 Panko.