If you mention fried green tomatoes outside of the South, usually people will think you mean the movie but it is actually one of those truly southern foods that people just do not make often enough. It used to be that many families fried these bad boys up back in the day, growing their own tomatoes they were easy for those families to come by. Now, green tomatoes are pricey and served in the most fancy of restaurants. They are not available all year here where I live so when I see some, I snag them up quickly.

I love chicken. I love sandwiches. Back when I was in college there was this chicken place that served nothing but wings and chicken tenders. They had my favorite which was the Professor Plum. That was fried chicken tenders topped with a tangy plum sauce and mozzarella.  It was the best ever. They also had a sandwich that was dusted with bbq rub, slathered in honey and then drizzled with bbq sauce. This is my attempt at that sandwich. Nothing is like the original but with this sandwich being a complete hit with everyone I served it to, I must say it is pretty dang good.




I made my own chicken tenders but you can use store bought or frozen.
If you make your own, you will need:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cups of all purpose flour
2 tbsp of Creole Seasoning or your favorite dry rub
1 cup of cold water  or buttermilk
Vegetable Oil for frying

Clean your chicken and slice them into tenders.  In a bowl mix your flour and seasoning. In a smaller bowl, fill with either cold water or buttermilk.  Dip your tenders in your flour and coat. Quickly dip into the liquid and then back into the flour mix. Make sure to coat by pressing down. You can do this one more time. I flour mine a total of three times for a nice crunchy coating.

Heat your oil on meduim and once oil is hot, place your tenders in. Remove when they are golden in color. Place on paper towel to drain grease.




The idea of this sandwich is more assembly then recipe. My mom made a batch of bbq sauce in preparation for Thanksgiving and I snagged a half a cup of her sauce. You can use your favorite bbq sauce or make your own.

For the Sandwich:

Texas Toast
Honey
BBQ Sauce
BBQ Dry Rub
Mozzarella
Fried Chicken Tenders

In oven toast your bread, before it is completely toasted, add slices of mozzarella to the bottom slice of bread.  Allow it to melt in the ovena and remove.

Place your chicken tenders on top,  sprinkle with a bit of your BBQ dry rub, drizzle your honey on top and then add about a tablespoon of BBQ sauce on top of that. Top with the remaining slice of bread.

And there you have it, a big fat tex sandwich that is HUGE and so filling.

Yesterday, I made fried green tomatoes. Even though they are my absolute favorites, it was not for me.  I had a friend visiting from Chicago and she had never tried them. She said she could not leave Mississippi without giving them a go. And give them a go she did. She loved them!

Fried green tomatoes are truly a southern delicacy. I can't get enough of them and whenever I see green tomatoes in the store I always load up on them. I do not like red tomatoes raw but the tartness of the green ones get me everytime.

I can't remember the first time I had these but I know I was an adult. It was one of those things that I never thought I could make but when I found out how easy it was I could not stop. The only problem is finding green tomatoes! If you happen to find some at your local grocery, stop and pick up a few. You have to try these.

My mom prepares her fried green tomatoes differently from me. She likes to use flour while I prefer the crunch you get with using cornmeal. Like I do with most fried foods I double batter my tomatoes for an extra crunch as they tend to get soggy fast if you do not.

You will need:
2 green tomatoes
1 cup of yellow cornmeal
3 tbsp of all purpose flour
2 tablespoons of Creole Seasoning ( or salt and pepper mix)
1 cup of water or buttermilk

2 cups of vegetable oil for frying


In a bowl, mix your dry ingredients. Pour your water or buttermilk into a separate bowl.

Heat oil in skillet or pot on meduim high heat.




Slice your green tomatoes into your desired thickness but remember that the thicker they are the more likely they are to not be as tender on the inside without burning the coating.



Coat your slice in the cornmeal mix on both sides, pressing down so that the mix sticks to the tomato from the moisture inside of it. Quickly dip the slice into the water or buttermilk and back into the cornmeal mix, patting and pressing down for a nice coating.



Once all are coated, place into frying oil.  Remove when golden brown.




Here in the South, we usually coat these bad boys in hot sauce and eat them that way. I like to add a bit of hot sauce and ranch dressing for dipping and it is so good!

You can also serve them with a nice remoulade and they are perfect on turkey sandwiches!

One of the things the South is known for is fried chicken. There is not one restaurant you can go into that does not serve or offer their own version of this Southern classic. Of course, I am all for spice. We keep a bottle of hot sauce in the cabinet and when I do dine out, I always go for spicy chicken.

A lot of people use buttermilk for fried chicken but I use water. I like to season the bare chicken pieces with creole seasoning and then add the seasoning to the flour as well. That way you get the flavor all the way through each bite.



You will need:
(similar to my recipe for fried chicken here with step by steps, minus the Habanero)

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs (you can use boneless skinless tenders as well)
2 cups of all purpose flour
Creole seasoning
1 habanero (blended in food processor)
1 bowl of cold water
Oil for frying


Rinse your chicken and place into a bowl. Sprinkle it generously  with creole seasoning. You will need three bowls. One with the seasoned chicken, one full of cold water and another with your flour.

When it comes to seasoning the flour, I do not really use measurements. About 4 tbsp should be good. I always sprinkle enough to coat the top of the flour and then mix it.  Add in your habanero to the flour and mix well.  Take your seasoned chicken and dip it into the flour, coating it. Immediately dip the floured chicken into the water and transfer back to the flour, coating again. You will notice a nice floured surface forms on the chicken. This makes it to be really crispy.



Place the floured chicken into hot oil and cook for about 10-15 minutes until golden brown or no cloudy juice comes out when you stick a fork in it.  Place on paper towel to get rid of excess grease.

I love fried green tomatoes. I love sandwiches, especially those sandwiches that feature bacon. and turkey. and fried green tomatoes.

This is not a recipe, sometimes I just like sharing ideas. Like this idea for a fried green tomato turkey blt. Yes. I know. It is not a true blt because I added turkey, but oh my word, pair this with a bit of honey mustard and it is so good.

You can find my recipe for fried green tomatoes here. If you ever should happen upon some at your grocery, give them a try. The green tomatoes have a tart flavor and when fried, they are fabulous.

To make this sandwich, fry your green tomatoes following the steps in this recipe, add your lettuce, turkey and bacon. Top with a bit of honey mustard for a little added sweet tartness.