Looking for ways to express your love for that special someone in your life this Valentine’s Day? Why not delight that person with a home-cooked meal using these one-of-a-kind recipes taken from our State Fair of Texas Creative Arts Cookbook. Everything you need for a special, home-made three-course meal is right here, so put on your chef’s hat and give the best gift of all: time spent creating deliciousness. Better yet, get inspired to create your own recipe to enter into a 2019 Creative Arts competition. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Appetizers
TYPICAL SOUTHERN GIRL MEETS TYPICAL ITALIAN BOY CLASSIC FRIED GREEN TOMATOES MARRIES MARINARA
By Lynda Sanders
Trophy Club, TX
2nd Place – Farm to Fork
3 med. green tomatoes, sliced, 1/3-inch thick
Vegetable oil for frying
2 (8-oz.) pkgs. Mozzarella, divided, shredded
1½ tsp. kosher salt, divided
1 ½ c. all-purpose flour, divided
Spicy, chunky marinara with garden vegetables & garlic
½ c. plain cornmeal
½ tsp. ground black pepper
May use jarred sauce, if desired
1 c.whole buttermilk
1 lg. Egg
Fresh basil for topping, it desired
Place tomatoes in single layer on paper towels. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt. Place ½ cup flour in small bowl. In shallow dish, whisk together cornmeal, pepper, remaining 1 cup flour and remaining 1 teaspoon salt.
In another small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and egg. Dredge tomato slices in flour, shaking off excess. Dredge in buttermilk mixture, letting excess drip off; dredge in cornmeal mixture. Place on a wire rack and let stand for 10 minutes. Pour oil to a depth of 14 inch to a ½ inch in
a large cast iron skillet and heat over medium heat until a deep fry thermometer registers 350°. Fry tomatoes in batches until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Let drain on paper towels or clean wire rack
Sprinkle tomatoes with additional salt, if desired. Spread a little marinara on bottom of 9 X 13-inch pan. Lay fried green tomatoes in pan. Cover with spicy marinara, then top with cheese. Bake at 350° until cheese is melted. Remove and top with fresh basil, if desired. Serve immediately.
ARMADILLO PIES
By Molly Hayes
Fort Worth, TX
3rd Place – Tex-Mex Contest
1 (9-oz.) pkg. pork chorizo,cooked & drained
4 c. jalapeño slices
12 c. refritos
1 c. grated cheddar cheese
1 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
2 c. onion, minced
2 c. canned tomatoes with
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 roll refrigerator pie crust
1 c. nacho-flavored tortilla chips, crushed
1 T. water
Hatch green chiles, drained
Mix chorizo, jalapeños, refritos, cheese, cilantro, onion, tomatoes with chiles, cumin, oregano and garlic powder in skillet; heat through. Keep on low while you make crusts. In mixing bowl, combine pie crust and crushed tortilla chips thoroughly. Add 1 tablespoon water and mix until dough is easily formed. Roll walnut-sized ball and press into a mini muffin tin, shaping bottom and sides. When dough is used up, fill each cup with mixture in skillet. Bake for 9 minutes at 450. One pie crust yields 14 Armadillo Pies.
BEST-EVER CHICKEN FAJITA CHOWDER
By Jill Spears
Prosper TX
2nd Place – Tex Mex Contest
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken, chopped
1 each med. red, orange & yellow bell peppers, chopped
1 med. onion ped
2 T. olive oil
3 c. water
2 c. frozen corn
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 c. green enchilada sauce
4 c. canned chopped green chilies
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. (4 oz) shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 c. (8 oz.) sour cream
Tortilla chips (opt.)
In Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook and stir chicken, peppers and onion in oil until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in the water, corn, rice, enchilada sauce, chilies and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat cover and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove
from heat; stir in cheese and sour cream until cheese is melted. Serve with chips, if desired
Main Courses
COWGIRL CASSEROLE
By Shea Hook
Denton, TX
2nd Place – Dinner’s On Me, Age 13-17
1 ½ c. cornmeal + ½ tsp. salt
½ c. flour
1 ½ c. milk, divided
2 eggs
1 lb, beef + ½ tsp. salt
1 onion
½ jalapeño, pitted & cut into pieces
1 sm. bag spinach
2 potatoes
3 T. butter
Mix cornmeal, flour, ½ cup milk and 2 eggs together to make cornbread batter. Cook beef in a frying pan until it is brown all the way through Sauté onions and jalapeños. When onions start to brown, add spinach and sauté until the leaves wilt. Heat potatoes for 5 minutes 30 seconds: place in a bowl and add a cup of milk and butter; mash all together. Pour mashed potatoes over meat and pour cornbread on top. Bake for 20 minutes at 400°. Garnish with a pinch of paprika and sugar.
MY HUSBAND’S FAVORITE FRIED CHICKEN
By Anna Johnson
Keller, TX
1st Place – Southern Comfort Food
2 (2 ½ – to 3-lb.) chickens, cut into 10 pieces each
Brine:
5 lemons, halved
24 bay leaves
4 oz. fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 oz. fresh thyme
1 head garlic, cut through middle
¼ c. peppercorns
2 c. kosher salt
½ c. clover honey
2 gal. water
Combine lemons, bay leaves, parsley, thyme, honey, garlic, peppercorns, salt and water in a large pot; cover and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute; stir to dissolve salt. Remove from heat and cool completely, chill before using. Add chicken and refrigerate for 12 hours no longer or chicken may get too salty. Fill pot with at least 2 inches of oil and heat to 320. Set cooling rack over baking sheet.Line another sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
Coating:
6 c. flour
1 T. + 1 tsp.cayenne
¼ c. garlic powder
1 T.+ 1 tsp. kosher salt
¼ c. onion powder
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 T. + 1 tsp. paprika
Combine flour, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne, kosher salt and black pepper in a bowl: transfer to another bowl.
Dredging and Frying:
Canola oil for deep frying
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 quart. buttermilk
Pour buttermilk into another bowl; season with salt and pepper. Set up dipping station: chicken, coating, buttermilk, coating, parchment sheet. Just before frying, dip thighs into coating; pat off excess then into buttermilk. Allow excess to run off then back into coating. Place on sheet pan then do the same with drumsticks. Fry thighs for 2 minutes move around and cook another 11 to 12 minutes. Keep an eye on temperature. Place on cooling rack, skin side up. Follow and fry
drumsticks the same way; sprinkle with fine sea salt. Turn heat to 340 Coat chicken breasts and wings the same way the thighs were done. Fry breasts for 7 minutes until golden brown; sprinkle with salt. Fry wings for 6 minutes. Turn off heat and add herbs to crisp up a few seconds. Place chicken platter, top with herbs. Let rest for 7 to 10 minutes
Garnishes:
Fine sea salt
Rosemary sprigs if desired
Thyme sprigs if desired
To reheat chicken, place on sheet pan and place in 400° oven for 1 to 2 minutes to ensure crispness and chicken is warm.
SHEET PAN CATFISH TACOS WITH AVOCADO SOUR CREAM
By Lynda Sanders
Trophy Club, TX
1st Place-One Pot Wonders
1 ½ c. sliced mini sweet peppers
½ med. red onion, sliced
3 T. olive oil, divided
1 ½ tsp. kosher salt, divided
1 ½ tsp.ground cumin, divided
1 c. panko crumbs
2 tsp. ground paprika
1 tsp. lime zest, divided
2 to 3 catfish fillets
1 pt. grape tomatoes, halved
1 med. jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Preheat oven to 450°. In a medium bowl, toss together peppers, onion, 1 tablespoon oil, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon cumin. Place on one side of 18 x 13-inch rimmed baking sheet (sheet pan). In small bowl combine panko, paprika, 1½ teaspoon zest, remaining 1 teaspoon salt and remaining 1 teaspoon cumin. Drizzle catfish with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Sprinkle panko mixture over catfish. Place catfish in center of pan. In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, jalapeño, garlic and remaining 12 teaspoon zest. Place on other side of pan. Bake for 25 minutes.
Avocado Sour Cream:
1 avocado, mashed
¼ tsp. cayenne
1 (8-oz.) ctn. sour cream
¼ tsp. onion powder
¼ tsp. garlic powder
4 tsp.dried parsley
Warm flour tortillas, to serve
Lime wedges, fresh cilantro leaves (garnish)
In medium bowl, combine avocado, sour cream, onion powder, garlic powder, parsley and cayenne. To Serve: Place chunks of catfish in tortillas. Top with tomato mixture, pepper mixture and Avocado Sour Cream. Garnish with lime, cilantro and zest, if desired.
Dessert
SWEET DESSERTS TOGETHER – CHOCO FLAN
By Linda Cigainero
Sachse, TX
3rd Place-Tex-Mex Contest
Cake
1 bottle or jar caramel sauce
½ c. water
1 ⅔ c. all-purpose flour
½ c. butter, softened
1 tsp. baking soda
1 ¾ c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 eggs
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate 1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. instant coffee
¾ c. milk
Flan:
1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated)
1 c. milk
4 eggs
Heat oven to 350°. Grease 12-cup fluted tube cake pan with butter. Pour ¼ cup of caramel topping in bottom pan. Refrigerate remaining caramel topping for serving. In large mixing bowl, whisk together all purpose flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. In microwave-safe mixing
bowl or large measuring cup, melt chocolate, coffee and water by microwave on high for 30 seconds;stir. Continue to heat in 10 second intervals, stirring in between, until completely melted, combined and smooth; set aside. In bowl of electric mixer, cream together butter and
sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition. Scrape down sides of bowl; add vanilla and mix well. With mixer running, add chocolate in a steady stream and mix until fully incorporated. Starting and ending with flour, add flour mixture alternately
with the milk until all is used. Pour batter over caramel topping in pan.
Flan: In blender, place sweetened condensed milk, milk and eggs. Cover; blend on high speed until smooth, about 40 seconds. Slowly pour mixture over batter. (Flan mixture will mix with batter but they will separate during baking, forming 1 layer of cake and 1 layer of flan.) Place cake pan in large roasting pan; add 1-inch of hot water to roasting pan. Bake about 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove cake pan from water bath to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Place serving plate upside down on cake pan; turn plate and pan over. Remove pan. Cut choco flan into slices; serve with reserved caramel topping or drizzle with caramel. Store in refrigerator.
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