Apple Fritters

So if you're gonna deep fry, do it right.

Honestly, I really dislike foods that need to be deep fried, because I hate the work that comes with deep frying.  The fact is, it isn't that much work to set up the deep frying stuff, but rather the work that goes in to the prep of the food... so I don't deep fry very often at all.  And when I do, I want to make the most of it, so I try to make everything deep fried. Last night's dinner was a one-dish type of food: pirozhkis. I had never made these before, and I had only eaten them once before from a food truck, so it was experiment night to be sure.  My husband's grandma is Russian, so he had pirozhkis growing up for different special occasions, which added another layer of difficulty since I never got a chance to try the ones his mom and grandma made.  Needless to say, I had my work cut out for me, but I'm a trooper!

Okay, now I know you are probably confused as to the title being Apple Fritters yet I'm rambling on about pirozhkis.  I just felt I needed to explain how hard this meal was so I can get some sympathy. ;)  Actually, I am going to do a pirozhki blog some day when I am totally happy with the turn out, and I need a little practice.  My husband liked the pirozhkis but the filling (which I made up) wasn't anything like his mom's so I think I will do it again and test her filling out.  So, since I spent all that work on a deep fried dinner, I wanted a fast and easy deep fried dessert.  Hence, Apple Fritters.  Basically, pancake batter with apples and cinnamon and the optional (for some) icing.  Here's the low down:

In a mixing bowl add in:
-two eggs
-2/3 c milk
-1 tbsp oil
-3 shredded apples
-1 tbsp ground cinnamon

Mix thoroughly then add in:
-1 1/2 c flour
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/4 c white sugar
-2 tsp baking powder

Stir until it is all combined.  It should be a somewhat thick, but still loose batter.  Drop spoonfuls into your oil (heated to about 360) and let it fry until golden brown.  You should let it cook about 45 seconds to 1 minute on each side.  If they are light brown, turn the oil up a little bit. 

Once they are done frying, drain them on some paper towels for a few minutes, then plate them and drizzle with a simple powder-sugar icing, or toss them in cinnamon and sugar, or eat them plain!  It will all taste good, I promise. 

Gluten Free Onion Strings

My sister (Heather pictured left with my sweet 12 week old son Cade) is here to visit (yay!), so my world has been filled with food since last Thursday.  It is the way the girls in my family 'vacation,' whether we are on a trip somewhere else, or someone is here in town.  Not so good for my diet, but GREAT for my soul.

So we've hit a few new restaurants, a new winery and cooked/baked a ton too!  One of my sister's all time favorite dishes is green bean casserole, so my mom decided to make the meal of her choice while she was here - meatloaf, green bean casserole and mashed potatoes.  The only issue with the menu is that the 'classic' way of making green bean casserole is full of gluten and my mom has Celiac Disease so gluten is off the menu whenever possible.  Problem solved: Heather and I took on the task of making our own gluten free french fried onions!  Making them was so easy, and a thousand times more delicious than what you buy at the store! Oh, and of course we've got to thank Ree Drummond for her recipe!

Step 1:

Thinly slice two white onions and soak them for about an hour in buttermilk.

Step 2:
Mix two cups of your favorite gluten free flour with salt, pepper and a good hit of cayenne to offset the sweetness of the onion.  Also, put some oil on to be getting hot to deep fry your onions.

Step 3:

Once the oil is ready, put some of the onions from your buttermilk into the flour and coat them well.  Then dunk them into your oil and let them fry for about 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown.  Once they reach the golden state of deliciousness, put them on a paper towel-lined plate to get rid of some excess oil.  Then, if you are me, you will eat a lot of them right away.  Or, if you would like to use self-control, you can use them for green bean casserole later.

PS-

If you are interested in a few of the new restaurants we tried, I will give you my take on them here, with a separate post for Bear Track Winery later:

The Lodge Sasquatch Kitchen - in the Foothills Mall plaza

The decor and atmosphere was like a hunting lodge which I thought was pleasant and fun, though I know that isn't everyone's cup of tea.  The service was good, though they were pretty dead as we were there during a monsoon so I don't know what a busy time would be like for them.  As far as the food goes, it was a 7 out of 10, maybe even a 6 out of 10 for the price.  When I go to places like this, I expect something like a burger to be done perfectly, and we all agreed that the burgers weren't anything exceptional.  The nachos, fried pickles and bacon-wrapped peppers were very good, but perhaps a little over priced.

The new Thunder Canyon Brewery  - downtown Tucson
We LOVED the new TCB!!!  The one at the Foothills mall is very good, but can sometimes feel a little cramped.  The new TCB off of Congress is awesome!  Inside it is very large and open, so you feel like you have tons of space around you (even with my newest family member Cade in tow), and the ambiance is great.  The food was also quite delicious.  We had bangers and mash, a red beans and rice plate and the pub mac and cheese.  We thought all of the dishes were wonderful!  I will definitely be going back--and I would even be fine bringing my kids along!  They also have some excellent happy hour incentives.