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Craving something sweet? Check out this delicious and easy recipe for fried apples – perfect as a snack or dessert!

A fried apple a day may or may not keep the doctor away, but it is still a source of fiber and vitamin c.

One of the many marvels of Southern cuisine is the region’s ability to take even the healthiest foods and turn it into a high calorie, sugar-laden dish. As the name suggests, in the South, we’ll fry anything – even apples.

Southern fried apples might not keep the doctor away, but they will stave off intense dessert cravings.

This delicious fruit dish is very easy to prepare and can be served in a variety of ways.

Southern Fried Apples

Ingredients:

 4 large Red Delicious apples
 2 tablespoons lemon juice
 2 tablespoons of butter
 3 1/2 tablespoons of sugar
 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
 Dash of salt

Preparation:

1. Core, but do not peel apples. Slice into ½ inch wedges.
2. Heat butter in a medium skillet.
3. Fit the apple slices to cover bottom of skillet evenly.
4. Mix the sugar, cinnamon and salt and cover apples with half the mixture.
5. Cook slowly for 5 minutes.
6. Cover with remaining sugar mixture and cook over low heat for 15 minutes, frequently turning apples with spatula.
7. Cook apples until they are soft, but not mushy.
8. Serve warm. Leftovers can be refrigerated or frozen.

For a richer, creamier dish, add 1 cup of apple juice. Use cornstarch to thicken the mixture if necessary. Apple pie spice can also be substituted for cinnamon and sugar.

If you prefer a more spicy dish, add a pinch of ground cloves and/or a pinch of ground allspice.

Which apples varieties are better for frying? It’s truly up to personal preference. For some, Granny Smith apples are optimal, whereas other people enjoy using red apples. It all depends on taste. Leaving the skin on is also optional (though apple skins are known to provide more nutrients).

Fried apples can be served warm with breakfast, as side dish (specifically with roasted pork or ham), or for dessert (served warm with a scoop of French vanilla ice cream on top).

Left over apples can be used to prepare apple fritters or turnovers.

For easy to make apple fritters, lightly roll out some canned biscuit dough, fill with a dollop of left over fried apples, fold the pastry over and crimp with a fork. Fry the fritters in cooking oil, then drain on paper towels. Drizzle with pre-made icing or sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar and serve warm.

Forget takeout! This fried chicken recipe will help you make your fried chicken crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside every time.

Fried chicken makes some think of Sunday dinners long ago but we can still make fried chicken for our own families. Fried chicken gets some bad press because of the fact that it is usually fried in lard. But you can use the cooking oil of your choice and if you research lards and other cooking oils you will find they each have something good about them, depending on which review you read.

Back to the fried chicken recipe some people are not comfortable with frying because you can burn the chicken if the heat is too high and you do get a lot of pops and splashes from the grease. Just take your time in frying and don’t fry the chicken on high heat.

Before getting started please remember to keep your hands and work areas clean after each handling of the raw chicken. You might also want to bring out the cast iron skillet for these recipes.

How to Make Fried Chicken

 1 chicken, cut up
 1 cup flour
 1 teaspoon salt
 1/4 teaspoon pepper
 Cooking Oil

1. Mix the flour, salt and pepper together.
2. Add the cut up chicken to the flour mixture and coat.
3. Tap off the excess flour on the chicken.
4. Put cooking oil in the frying pan.
5. When oil is hot put the chicken in. Be very careful at this step. The oil may splash and pop.
6. Cook on one side until brown.
7. Turn to brown the other side.
8. Cover the chicken with a lid and turn the heat down and fry the chicken slowly.
9. Turn it often.
10. Fry in this manner of turning the chicken until the chicken is cooked tender and juices run clear, about 30 to 45 minutes.
11. Remove and lay the chicken on paper towels to remove excess cooking oil.
12. Serve.

Extra Tips for How to Fry Chicken

1. Use a large bowl or plate to put your flour coating mixture in so you will have lots of room to work.
2. A brown paper bag or large zipper plastic bag can also be used to put the flour coating in and then add your chicken pieces and hold or seal the bag shut and shake to coat the raw chicken. Remove the chicken and throw the bag away. This makes clean up easier.
3. Cast iron skillets or an electric frying pan are good to use for frying the chicken.
4. Add hot sauce to the flour mixture for an extra kick.
5. Cooking oil temperature should be about 375 degrees. Drop a small drop of water to the oil and when it splashes and sizzles it is time to add the chicken.
6. You will need enough oil to nearly cover the chicken while frying.

Southern fried chicken is an art and takes practice to get it just right.

A simple tutorial on how to make perfect hard boiled eggs every single time. Check out my tips and tricks for the best egg possible!

Hard boiling eggs is the basis for many dishes. Whether coloring Easter eggs, making deviled eggs or bulking up on protein by eating egg whites. Here’s how to make them.

Whether it is to make a wonderful egg salad sandwich, deviled eggs or even to color eggs around easter time, making hard boiled eggs takes only a few short minutes. Though the process is pretty quick there are some tricks to the trade that will allow for the best hard boiled eggs possible. Here is a look at how to hard boil eggs for salad, appetizers or coloring!

Use Eggs That Are Older

This might seem to go against conventional wisdom as many people love the taste of farm fresh eggs. However when it comes to hard boiling eggs, an egg which is slightly older will be easier to peel once it has been boiled. Obviously check the expiration date to make sure that the eggs haven’t turned, but hard boiling eggs closer to that date will make them easier to work with once they are done.

Consider Adding a Little Vinegar to the Water

When it comes to boiling a batch of eggs, there are inevitably one or two that might crack. By placing a little vinegar in the water it will stop those cracked eggs from running all over the place. It should be noted that if an egg does crack, that particular egg might have a certain “vinegary” taste to it. This taste may bother guests, though it should be mild.

Always Start with Cold Water

This may seem to go against conventional wisdom as it would seem if the water needs to reach a boiling temperature, then why not just start with it hot? However, placing the eggs in cold water is closest to the temperature that they are kept in the fridge. This will give them a lower probability of cracking as they are brought to a boil.

How to Hard Boil Eggs

Now that the tips are out of the way, here is a sure fire way to hard boil eggs the next a recipe, or the Easter Bunny is requesting a few eggs.

Things You’ll Need

 Eggs
 Pot for boiling
 Water
 Salt
 Vinegar (optional)

Steps for Hard Boiling Eggs

1. Place the eggs in the pot for boiling in a single layer.
2. Cover the eggs with a couple inches of cold water over them.
3. Add a healthy tablespoon of salt to the water.
4. Bring the water to a boil.
5. Removing the pan from the heat source as soon as the water starts to boil
6. Reduce the burner back to low and place the pot back on the burner.
7. Allow the eggs to simmer for one minute.
8. Remove the eggs from the burner and allow them to sit for 10 minutes.

Couple More Egg Tips

If working with the eggs right away, run them under cold water to bring them back to a workable temperature. And if preparing a large amount of eggs, consider using multiple burners on the stove so that several batches may be prepared at once.

Learning how to make sushi is easier than you think – Meta Description:and it’s a great way to entertain your friends and family! This guide will show you how it’s done.

Making sushi relies on two things; fresh ingredients and a big helping of patience. The first is a given – when fish is going to be eaten raw it has to be the best quality possible and the second is just a fact of life; making sushi can be fiddly and trying but with a little practice anyone can enjoy the best quality sushi in their own homes.

Choosing Fish for Sushi

Firstly you need to select your ingredients. As previously mentioned the best quality fish is a must and it’s worth making friends with your local fishmonger; they’re very helpful and usually willing to offer tips and advice so take advantage of their experience.

There are several little ways you can tell yourself if a fish is fresh enough for sushi.

 The eyes should be clear and not cloudy.
 Take a peek behind the gills - it should be bright red not dark and bloody.
 The flesh should feel firm and springy to the touch.
 Surprisingly, fresh fish doesn't smell overly "fishy", it should merely smell pleasantly of the sea.

If in doubt tell your fishmonger you are making sushi or sashimi and they will be able to help you choose fish that is suitable to be eaten raw.

Sushi Toolkit

Your basic sushi toolkit should consist of the following:

 A bamboo rolling mat
 Nori, that is dried sheets of seaweed
 Sushi rice, which also needs to be good quality and is cooked with less water than regular rice. Follow the instructions on the pack for the best results.
 Wasabi paste
 Your choice of filling, usually fish or vegetables.

All of these are relatively easy to get hold of in supermarkets these days, along with other staples of Japanese cuisine like mirin and sake, but if you are having trouble there are several websites you can order Asian food from.

There are several different kinds of sushi but here we’ll cover the basics – maki rolls.

Making Maki

1. Place your bamboo mat onto a chopping board. Fold and tear a sheet of nori in half and lay it onto the mat shiny side down.
2. Grab a handful of prepared sushi rice and squash it into a sausage shape, and then spread it evenly onto the nori, leaving a gap of about a centimetre at the top bare.
3. Press a shallow trench into the middle of the rice and dab a little wasabi paste along it (wasabi has a strong flavour so go easy) and place your filling of choice, cut into lengths, along the trench.
4. Lift the edge of the mat nearest to you and fold it over the filling to meet the top edge of the rice. Hold the filling in place with your fingertips.
5. Remove your fingers and continue to roll until the two edges of the nori meet.
6. Cover the roll with the mat and give it a squeeze to press it into a neat roll.
7. Grab a knife and wet it with a little water or the rice will stick to it and make a mess, and slice the roll into six equal pieces.
8. Enjoy!

Sushi rolls are like a sandwich – you can choose any filling you like, but popular choices are salmon, avocado, cucumber, tuna steak and Japanese rolled omelettes.

These are tricky to make first time but keep at it, you will get the hang of it with practise and these maki rolls are yummy enough to be worth the extra effort.

Learn how to make delicious iced coffee drinks with this simple guide. With easy recipes and step-by-step instructions, you can make tasty beverages in no time!

Making iced coffee can be simple, easy, and a great way to enjoy coffee beverages in the hot summer time (or if you are one who enjoys cold drinks in the winter time!). For general iced coffee it is really really easy. You can make other iced coffee drinks for a wide variety of great taste and several options.

Iced Coffee

Iced coffee is much like iced tea. It is simple to make. First brew some strong coffee. If you use coffee ice cubes instead of regular ones, you can make it the strength you normally make coffee at. If you are going to be using regular ice cubes you will want to make your coffee stronger.

Once it has brewed and cooled a little, stick it in a pitcher and put it in the fridge. This will cool it down. Add ice to a glass and pour the cold coffee over the ice. You can also make iced cubes using leftover coffee by pouring your coffee into ice cube trays. These make the best iced coffee and makes it so you don’t waste coffee and you also don’t water down your iced coffee.

If you want iced coffee right away you can pour the hot coffee over the ice. However, it won’t be as cold as if the coffee was cold to start with. You might also need to add additional ice to make it cold and not warm.

Adding to Iced Coffee

Many people like coffee best when it has things added to it. You can do this with iced coffee just as you would with hot coffee. You can add sugar to the hot coffee so that it dissolves best, or you can add it when you make your coffee. You can also add cream or milk. If you want to get really creative you can add chocolate syrup or hot cocoa mix (best added with the hot coffee before it is chilled) for an iced mocha type of drink.

Throw it in the Blender

There can be a lot of great things done with coffee and ice. You can throw it in the blender for an icee type of experience. You can also blend it up with your favorite additives. A blended mocha is great treat. For a super great treat add a scoop of your favorite ice cream!

Getting Very Creative

You can make juice or fruit teas into ice cubes and add one or two to your iced coffee for something new. Start with only one or two in case you come up with a bad combination. Flavored syrups can also add a lot of yummy goodness to coffee including iced varieties.

You can buy these at many coffee shops. Sprinkles make for great additions as well. These include cinnamon, cocoa powder, and nutmeg or other spices. You also can experiment with hot cocoa mixes, flavored creamers, and “cappuccino” mixes. All are rather inexpensive and you could find a drink you never want to leave behind for the expensive coffee shop!

However you like your coffee or your iced coffee, you can have it quickly and simply. It can be a great at home treat with little work and awesome results. You don’t have to pay two dollars for an iced coffee!

This article will teach you how to make two easy mousse recipes that are sure to impress any guest!

The tastes of espresso coffee and spicy-sweet cinnamon join with bittersweet chocolate, whipped cream, and eggs to make an easy dessert with South-of-the-Border flair.

Nothing complements the flavor of chocolate more distinctively and classically than the taste of strong coffee. Indeed, the two flavors together are commonly known as “mocha,” after the name of the port in Yemen whose distinctive coffee variety has a rich, chocolate note.

And no seasoning complements both chocolate and coffee more enticingly than cinnamon. Together, the three distinctive ingredients capture a flavor combination often found in the desserts of Mexico. Chocolate, coffee, and cinnamon join forces in the easy chocolate mousse recipe that follows.

Mexican Chocolate Mousse

Serves 18

Ingredients:

 1 cup heavy cream
 3/4 pound semisweet chocolate, broken into 1-inch pieces
 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
 1/2 cup hot espresso-strength brewed black coffee
 6 egg yolks
 12 egg whites, at room temperature
 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
 1/2 teaspoon coffee extract
 18 cinnamon stick pieces, each 2 to 3 inches long, or chocolate shavings, for garnish

Directions:

1. In a heavy saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat until bubbles just begin to form around the edges.
2. Put the chocolate and ground cinnamon in a food processor fitted with the stainless-steel blade. Pulse until coarsely chopped. With the machine running, pour in the hot cream and the brewed coffee. Continue processing until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth and thick, 30 to 45 seconds. Scrape down the work bowl with a rubber spatula and return the lid in place.
3. With the machine running, add the egg yolks and continue processing until smooth, about 20 seconds more. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and set aside.
4. In a clean mixing bowl, using a hand-held electric mixer with clean beaters, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks that hold their shape when the beaters are lifted out. With a rubber spatula, gently fold about a quarter of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture until only a few streaks remain; then, fold in the remaining egg whites until smoothly blended.
5. Divide the mixture evenly among 18 attractive individual serving containers, such as wine glasses, wide champagne glasses, or glass dessert bowls. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the mousse is well chilled and set, at least 3 hours.
6. Before serving, beat the whipping cream until it forms firm peaks, gradually adding the confectioners’ sugar and the vanilla and coffee extracts. Pipe or spoon a dollop of the whipped cream in the center of each serving and garnish with a piece of cinnamon stick or chocolate shavings.

The resulting dessert is elegant and flavorful enough to serve for a holiday buffet. But it’s also so easy that, by cutting the ingredient quantities by two thirds or three quarters, it can also be enjoyed for a weekday or weekend family meal.