Sweet Home Alabama

We jumped right in and started our cooking across the country today.  If you guessed Alabama was the first state in the alphabet you were correct.

What a great meal to begin with!  Alabama is known for many dishes but blackened chicken is my favorite!  Add in fried green tomatoes with sriracha sauce and dill potato salad and this girl is sold!
The meal turned out perfect and tasted delightful!


Blackened Chicken:
Here's where Chad gets to shine on the trusty Big Green Egg of his!  He loves to grill as much as I enjoy eating the foods he cooks on it.  Together we make a great team!  He put a dry rub on three boneless chicken breasts and let them sit in the fridge for 30 minutes.  Our new favorite is Blackened Seasoning by Rex- just enough spice to give it a kick.  He grilled it on direct heat (about 300 degrees) for 30+ minutes. 

See the before picture...

 

And the after...look at those grill marks!

 

Fried Green Tomatoes:
Oh...My...Stars!!! These were delicious and much easier than I intended them to be.  I started out with 3 green tomatoes.  Interestingly, I have never bought green tomatoes before and just learned they are nothing special- just unripe red tomatoes.  (Note to students, we are ALL life-long learners).

I cut them in 1/4 inch slices, layered them on a paper towel, and sprinkled them with salt.  I let them rest for about five minutes.

The next steps got a little messy.  First, I gathered my ingredients: flour (whole wheat), milk, one egg white, and panko bread crumbs.  

Then, I divided the ingredients to make a dry, wet, dry breading.

 Here is what they looked like:

 

Next step...into the hot oil.  I let them fry on each side until brown and crispy.   I used a cast iron pan which only seemed appropriate to add to the southern flair!

When I took them out of the pan,  I drained them on paper towels. 

The next part was the best, dipping them in the srircha sauce!  Just mix a cup of your favorite ranch dressing and 2 teaspoons of the srircha sauce.  If you are feeling the need for a little heat, add a full tablespoon - it's worth it!


Dill Potato Salad:
Honestly, the potato salad took the longest to make but by doing it in the morning the flavors melded and were ready to compliment the spicy chicken and dipping sauce!  I started by boiling 8 small red potatoes. 

While they were cooking, I made the dressing for the salad. 

In a bowl went 1/2 cup mayo, 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt, teaspoon apple cider vinegar, 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.  I whisked it all together.

Once the potatoes were cooked and cooled, I cut them into bite size pieces.  I chopped 1 small onion, and 2 stalks of celery.  I gradually folded them into the dressing. 

I used my handy-dandy egg chopper and let it do its magic!  In went two boiled eggs.

Finally, I added 3 teaspoons of fresh dill.  I topped it with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge and headed to the beach for the day. 

Dinner was wonderful along with none other than a tall glass of sweet tea.  I think I'm going to enjoy this year's staycation!