Onward we go to Fat Tuesday! Friday was a bust, I spent all day trying to ‘bake’ beignets. Yes, bake them and after 4 batches, standing there covered in powdered sugar, I learned one thing – somethings are just better fried!

My sister is notorious for calling me while she is in the grocery and asking me how to make something. I even went so far to make her a cookbook one Christmas that had all of our favorites and she still calls from the store. So this is my attempt to start a new collection of our favorites and maybe she will print these off before heading to the store!

Recipe:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup low-fat buttermilk

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tbsp Tony’s Cajun seasoning

Hot Sauce

Whole Wheat Slider Buns or Dinner Rolls

Iceburg Lettuce

Spilt each chicken breast lengthwise, then pound until 1/4″ to 1/2″ thick, cut each piece in half to make 8 small chicken cutlets.

Place chicken in a large baggie, pour in buttermilk and a few drops of hot sauce. Seal bag and make sure all chicken is well coated. Chill in fridge for 1-2 hours.

Take chicken out of the fridge and let set out for about 15 minutes. Mix together flour and cajun seasoning. Take chicken from the buttermilk mixture, shaking off excess buttermilk and dredge in flour.

Place chicken on a wire rack that has been generously sprayed with oil spray and is sitting on top of a cookie sheet. Place in a 375 degree oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken. The turn the broiler on for about 5 minutes until the chicken has browned on top.

For Easy Remoulade Sauce:

1/2 cup 0% Fage Greek Yogurt

1 tbsp Hellman’s Mayo

1 tbsp creole mustard or stone ground mustard

1 tbsp sweet pickle relish

1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp paprika

Combine all ingredients. Chill before serving.

To assemble, spread a teaspoon of remoulade on the top and bottom of the slider bun, add chopped iceberg lettuce and oven fried chicken.

Notes:

Soaking the chicken in buttermilk tenderizes the meat so that when it is baked it doesn’t dry out.

Mama always says that “nothing good ever happens after midnight” , so growing up I had to be home way before midnight. Anyone that’s from the south, knows one thing good does happen after midnight - Krystal. Sure they’re great for breakfast, lunch or dinner but after midnight those little square burgers really hit the spot.

Once I was in college, the after midnight rule was out the window and yes, I would be in line at the Krystal with hundreds of other souls, standing there with their mouths watering, waiting to get their hands on a sackful of little square burgers!

Recipe:

1 lb lean ground beef

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper

8 tsp reduced fat blue cheese crumbles

lettuce

Place ground beef in a mixing bowl, season with Worcestershire, salt and pepper, mix together well and form 8 slider patties.

Cook in a large pan over medium-high heat, about 4 minutes each side, when done let sliders rest and top with 1 tsp blue cheese on each patty.

Place sliders on bun with lettuce, top with caramelized onions and hot jalapeno sauce.

For caramelized onions:

1 tsp olive oil

1/2 sweet onion, sliced

Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a small saute pan on low heat, add onions and let cook slowly while you are cooking the sliders. Onions usually take 15-20 minutes to caramelize.

For hot jalapeno sauce:

1 tbsp Hellman’s mayo

2 tbsp stone ground mustard

1/2 tbsp hot jalapeno pepper jelly

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Chill before serving.

Notes:

Can’t find slider buns? Just use a large square dinner roll. I like to use Sara Lee classic dinner rolls.

Some southern foods are in a category all by themselves and never make it much past the Mason-Dixon line. This southern delicacy is cheesy, creamy, tangy and everybody has their favorite. It is so important that it can bring together Tennessee and Alabama fans on a football saturday tailgate, it’s the sandwich of choice at The Masters and can comfort a crowd after a funeral.

We’re talking Pimento Cheese! Ask any good southern cook, they’ll tell you there’s pimento cheese recipes you date and then there is the one you marry.  Find a good recipe with the perfect balance and hang onto to – it’ll serve you well.

Here’s my lightened up version, take her on a date and see what you think!

Recipe:

3 tbsp light cream cheese, softened

1 cup low fat  or 2% sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup low fat or 2% cheddar and monterey jack blend cheese

1 tbsp Hellman’s mayo

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tbsp pimentos, diced

Blend all ingredients well. Chill and serve your favorite way!

 I like my pimento cheese toasted on french bread rounds, how do you like yours?

I love a good burger! Perhaps on this bitterly cold Ohio winter day my brain is longing for a warm sunny day on Center Hill Lake in Middle Tennessee. When I was no more than 6 months old my parents had me on a boat and throughout my life this wonderful place has always been a refuge. Diving into the crisp, green water felt like all the stress and worries were just washed away and after a day of playing hard with sunburned skin nothing tasted better than a ‘lake burger’.

Let me explain, a ‘lake burger’ is probably the best thing you will ever eat in the burger category. It could be the grilled flavor, the crispy iceberg lettuce or sitting in the middle of the water and enjoying every last bite that makes it so great. There just something about pulling the boat up to a dock restaurant picking up your order and speeding off over the water to find the perfect place to enjoy that burger.

This is not quite a ‘lake burger’ but a healthy combo of flavors that I love and happen to be craving – enjoy!

 Recipe:

1 lb ground sirloin

1 tsp Cajun seasoning

pepper to taste

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp fresh parsley, minced

Franks Red Hot to taste

4 whole wheat buns

Crispy iceberg lettuce

White cheddar cheese slices, reduced fat

Combine all ingredients well and form into 4 equal patties. Set aside and let come to room temperature before cooking. In the mean time start the onions. While they are cooking, whip up the comeback sauce and place in the fridge. As the onions are finishing up, cook the burgers to desired temperature. Make sure to let burgers rest a few minutes before assembly.

Caramelized Onions:

1 large sweet onion, sliced

1 tsp olive oil

Salt

In a fry pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 15-20 minutes until onions are a deep brown color. You may add a little salt if desired towards the end of cooking.

Lolleigh’s Comeback Sauce:

1/3 cup 0% Fage Greek Yogurt

1 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp ketchup

1 tsp worchestershire sauce

1 tbsp Hellman’s Mayo

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp paprika

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

4 dill pickle chips, chopped or 1 tbsp dill pickle relish

Frank’s Red Hot to taste

Cayenne pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients. Add hot sauce and cayenne to taste, more for a spicier version. I used my rocket blender to combine everything but a bowl and whisk would work just fine.

To assemble burgers:

Be generous with the comeback sauce put on both sides of the bun. Place lettuce on bottom, add burger, caramelized onions and top with a slice of white cheddar – now sit back and enjoy!

Notes:

I don’t solely shop at Whole Foods but I do prefer some items – their bakery-fresh whole wheat hamburger buns are really good.

My tried and true Cajun seasoning of choice is Tony Chachere’s.

And yes that’ me. I was probably 6 or 7 years old enjoying a lake day!