Praline Dipped Oreos

So I had this idea to do a little something different with Oreos than the regular old dipping-them-in-chocolate-or-white-bark routine that I always do.

Because, you know, that is SOOOOOO last Christmas.

But my idea was to dip Oreos in a praline coating.  So I did.  And it worked.  And they were delicious.  And I made myself sick on them.  And I never, ever want to eat another one for the rest of my life.  Ever.  Times a hundred.

But who am I to deny the entire internet the chance to get equally as sick of these as I have?  

So.......drum roll, please........I give you.....

PRALINE DIPPED OREOS!!

Oreos.  Dipped in praline coating.  Double Stuf Oreos.  Coated in praline candy.

You may need some extra insulin after eating these.  Just a warning.

Here are my notes:

-I don't ever make regular pralines.  I love them , I just don't ever make them, so I am not a praline expert.  That might be why there was some spotting in my candy coating.  I sifted the powdered sugar, but still, it was spotted.  Someone should advise me about why this happened.  (Probably sugar crystallization?)  (And I know this is not a true praline recipe because I didn't use a thermometer to see if it was soft ball stage.)  But trust me when I say this--it does NOT affect the taste AT ALL.

-Work quickly.  Very quickly.  Have all your ingredients setting out so you can begin to dip right after you mix in the powdered sugar.  I dipped about 3 at a time, then sprinkled them with pecans, then started dipping again.  The coating sets up fast.  Really fast.

-If the praline coating starts to harden in the saucepan (and it will), heat it over low heat while whisking and you should be able to get some more dips out of it.

-I just love using salted pecans with this.  These are so sweet, I thought they needed a little bit of saltiness. 

-I got about 22 Oreos out of this recipe.

Praline Dipped Oreos

Printable Recipe

1 cup finely chopped pecans

1 teaspoon butter, melted

1/4 teaspoon salt

22 Double Stuf Oreos

1/4 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1/3 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place pecans in a bowl and add 1 teaspoon melted butter and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Toss to coat well.  Spread on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes or until fragrant and toasted.  Place them in a bowl and set aside.

Line a large baking pan with waxed paper.  Take Oreos out of package so that they are easy to grab.

Place 1/4 cup butter, the brown sugar and the heavy cream in a small saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring often.  Boil 1 minute; remove from heat and whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. 

Immediately start dipping the Oreos in praline mixture using a fork, letting the excess drip off.  Place each Oreo on the waxed paper lined pan and immediately sprinkle the tops with the chopped pecans.  Work quickly.  When the praline mixture begins to set up, place over low heat and whisk until smooth again, then dip some more.  You might have to do this several times. 22 Oreos.   

Succotash Salad with Fried Okra

I love the South.

And even though I was not actually born on southern soil, most of the time I feel 100 % southern and that is a great feeling.

That is, until I try to bread and fry my own okra, and then I become painfully aware that I was born in a large metropolitan hospital out West. 

Breading and frying my own okra usually results in one, big, breaded blob of gunk instead of individual bites.  And it's kinda funny because I have no problem breading and frying other things.  Fried okra is the thorn in my side and one of the few things that is preventing me from making application to the Secret Society of Truly Southern Women.

So I've made peace with the bags of frozen breaded okra.  I've had to.  Those I can do well.

And the other day I was in the beauty shop and I picked up an older issue of Taste of the South magazine, and I thumbed through it while I sat at the dryer, just like a scene from Steel Magnolias, except no one was in there named Ouiser.  Or Truvy.  That I know of.  But anyway, there was a succotash salad recipe in there with fried okra that really caught my eye, but since I'm all polite and mannerly, I did not rip it out of the magazine.  I did come home and search for the recipe on their site, but it wasn't there.  So, through the miracle of modern social networking, I left a comment on their Facebook page and an editor responded promptly and hooked me up with the recipe.  (Now that is service!  And maybe Santa will bring me a subscription to their magazine, because I was dying over their recipes and photography!   DYING I SAY!!!)

(And you know when I say that I was dying over something, that doesn't literally mean I was dying, right?  Kay. )

I was going to make this for Thanksgiving, but never got around to it, but I made it today and just like I imagined, it was delicious.  

Here are my notes:

-I wish I could link up to the original recipe, but they don't have it on their site.  The original recipe had pieces of ham, but I substituted bacon.  It also had arugula but I had to use spinach because my grocery store was lacking.  Both worked out nicely.

-I used rice vinegar, not rice wine vinegar like the original recipe calls for, but I'm thinking they are the same?  Too lazy to Google right now.

-I would love to make this with fresh roasted corn cut off the cob.

-Also, I loved the vinaigrette, but I am wondering about adding a little sugar or honey to it next time?  Maybe.

-I LOVE that this has fried okra in it.   It's like the okra acts like croutons.  I think this is brilliant.

-I have some Christmas goodies coming soon.  So you better eat some veggies while you can and build up your system.  You're fixin' to be hit with sugar overload on this blog.

Succotash Salad with Fried Okra

Adapted from Taste of the South

Printable Recipe

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil       

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

5 ounces spinach leaves

1 cup grape tomatoes

1 (16-ounce) package frozen lima beans, cooked and drained

1 (11-ounce) can white shoepeg corn, drained

1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced 

4 slices thick cut bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 (16-ounce) bag breaded okra, fried to crispy, then well drained

In a jar with a tight fitting lid, add the olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Shake vigorously.

Add the spinach, tomatoes, lima beans, corn, and red onion to a large salad bowl.  Drizzle with the dressing, then toss to evenly coat.  Toss in okra and bacon.

 

Tortilla Soup

It's a bit chilly here in Mississippi and I am loving it.  Me and hot weather just don't get along well.  Give me mittens and gloves and scarves and soup.  Give me lots and lots of soup. 

I first saw this recipe a couple of years ago on one of my favorite blogs, Big Mama.  (Have you ever read her?  She keeps me in stitches.)  This recipe comes from The Mansion at Turtle Creek, but, like most recipes, it's been adapted, and now I am adapting it again because this is what works in my kitchen.

I made this last night for my crew and it is one of our very favorite soups.  Ever.  I haven't been able to make it this season until now, because I always make it when I can get good avocados and cilantro and I haven't been able to find either at the same time until this week.

Here are my notes:

-I always go the extra mile when I make this soup and put out an array of toppings--shrimp, chicken, sour cream, cheese, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, diced avocado, and the most important part, fried tortilla strips. I just think the toppings make this soup, although the broth is excellent on it's own.

-I usually cook up a couple of chicken breasts with some butter and blackened seasoning in a cast iron pan, and I do the shrimp the same way.  I know that blackened seasoning is cajun and this soup is Mexican, but the flavors are fine together for us.

-I think what makes the broth so flavorful is processing the onion and tomatoes into a puree.  That's what originally caught my eye about this recipe.

-I use fire roasted tomatoes, but regular ones would be fine too.  I have a freezer full of frozen fire roasted tomatoes in little bags equivalent to the amount in a can.  Remember when I was all awesome back in the summer by putting up tomatoes?  Yeah, I'm glad I did that.  *Pats self on back for the 30 millionth time*

-Those diced tortillas will soak up the oil fast, so just cook them for a few minutes.  Some of the other recipes I've looked at say to cook the tortillas until they start to crisp, but there is not enough oil in the pan, so I just cook them for a few minutes, then add the broth.

-The tortillas will start to break apart in the soup, but this is a good thing.  It thickens the soup and provides flavor.

-I love avocados with this soup.  One of my favorite toppings.

Tortilla Soup

(Adapted from the Mansion at Turtle Creek)

Printable Recipe

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 corn tortillas, diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
4 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon cumin
2 tablespoons chili powder

8 cups chicken stock or broth, or 8 cups water and 8 chicken bouillon cubes

2 (15-ounce) cans diced fire roasted tomatoes

1 large onion, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Toppings:  chopped avocado, fried tortilla strips, cheese, sour cream, chopped cilantro, lime juice wedges, cooked shrimp, cooked chicken

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large pot until hot.  Add the diced tortillas and garlic and cook until soft.  Add the cilantro, cumin, and chili powder and stir to evenly coat.  Add broth. 

Process the tomatoes and onion in a blender until smooth.  Stir into soup.  Bring to boil, then let simmer for about 30 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

To serve, ladle soup into bowl, then add whatever toppings  you desire.