Cajun Fried Eggplant

One of my favorite things about summer are the fresh vegetables from my husband Scott's garden.  I love watching him work in it, the relaxation he seems to get from it and we all enjoy the 'fruits' of his labor!  It's my daughter's and my job to pick and cook what we grow and I think that is a pretty good deal.

Each year I say we should have been zucchini and pepper farmers because we do a pretty good job of having an over abundance of them!  We also seem to do pretty well with our eggplant, growing both the Ichiban and Black Diamond varieties.  I love them both, but prefer the Black Diamond as they are the larger, more rounded eggplant most people are used to and are easier to peel. 

Last night, I fried some up to go along with the Craig's UnKabobs that we cooked a few nights before and we really enjoyed them.  I used Zatarains New Orleans Fish Fry Seasoned dry batter also seasoned with some extra Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning, water and fried them in Canola Oil, and then an added sprinkle of salt.  Along with a squirt of ketchup, I could make a meal out fried eggplant all by itself.

As my grandfather used to say, eggplant are a more 'educated taste'....that is that most kids don't like them.  But my girls always have loved eggplant, as trying them have never been an option.  Our motto at our house is that you never know what you might not love until you give it a try.

***You can also use the recipe below to fry zucchini or yellow summer squash!

Cajun Fried Eggplant

1 - 2 Black Diamond or Ichiban eggplants, pealed and cut in 1 inch round slices
2 - 3 cups Zatarain New Orleans Style Fish Fry - Seasoned already @ Zatarain's
4 cups Canola Oil or a good quality frying oil
1 teaspoon of Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning (we like it a little spicier)
salt to sprinkle on after frying


Wash and peel eggplants (cut purple skins off) and cut in to 1 inch round slices.  In a separate bowl place Zatarains Fish Fry meal along with 1 teaspoon of Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning and mix well. 

Dip each eggplant round in water and then immediately into the meal, pushing it firmly down to coat thoroughly on both sides. 

Using tongs, immediately drop gently in oil that has come to a low boil on your stove.  Cook on both sides until eggplant is slightly browned (see picture below) and wear an apron...(I can't tell you how many shirts I have ruined from grease stains - my Granny would be so proud of me wearing an apron as she was always harping on me about it). 

When eggplant are browned, take out with a tongs and place on a dish that has been lined with paper towels to 'sop' up the excess grease.  Sprinkle immediately with salt or sea salt(not too heavily) and eat as soon as possible. 

Side note:

***Last night as I cooked a huge portion. I turned the heat element on on my stove and placed the plate of fried eggplant in the oven between batches.   Remember if you allow the eggplant to cool too much and wait too long to eat it, they will become slightly soggy.

Serve these Cajun Fried Eggplant alongside any meal (with ketchup of course).  This eggplant is especially great with fried catfish, brim or bass.  We actually fry the eggplant along with yellow squash and zucchini in larger chunks when we serve this with fried fish in the same oil as we fry the fish, however we fry it last as the meal doesn't stick to the squash and eggplant as well as it does on the fish.

The Ranch Kitchen

Enjoy!   

The Ranch Kitchen's Coleslaw Dressing

One of my favorite couples to visit and camp with are our dear friends Larry and Alicia Bishop.  We've known each other for nearly thirty years and along with our children's friendships, our own has grown with each year.

As you grow older, your friendships are not necessarily with those who are you age.  Larry and Alicia, and their sweet and beautiful children are a few years (7 years older than us), but are likes and dislikes mirror each other!  Larry is an avid outdoor man  and his love of Crappy fishing always benefits fish fry gatherings!  My girls nicknamed him "Larry Queen" as he owns the local Dairy Queen in town.  He delights the girls after each camp out dinner by bringing out Dairy Queen ice cream snacks. It wouldn't be a camping without them! Alicia is one of my girls favorite people, as is Larry and never tires of playing with my girls.  Lindsey, the oldest daughter is happily married and a nurse in Houston who is what I would call a 'gourmet cook' and married to the sweetest, most 'handy' young man who can do just about anything in or out of the house! Logan, is my oldest daughter Ilissa's partner in crime, high school buddy and dear friend.  He to can cook some 'mean' Crappy that Ilissa one night mistook out of his fridge as chicken...it's a family joke now...  Logan is the hunter deluxe and spends his day running his outdoor store in Jacksonville, and then hunts deer, ducks, hogs, and anything that moves.  He is living the life as most men would love to live!

This past weekend we ran up to the lake to eat dinner with our friends the Bishops and enjoy one of my favorite fish, Crappy.  Crappy is a fish we find in most lakes in Texas and very delicate and without many bones if it is prepared 'cut' correctly.  To add to the meal I brought coleslaw, which is cabbage mixed with onion with a sweetened mayonnaise sauce.  It's a quick, easy preparation and in the deep south of the United States coleslaw is most always a side vegetable dish at fish fries. Most grocery stores in our area sell bottled coleslaw dressing.  However, making it yourself is very simple and I think my new recipes beats any I have ever tried.

You start making coleslaw by either cutting long thing strips out of your cabbage, once the hard core is removed, or you can cut the cabbage in to small pieces and pulse to the desired consistency in your food processor.  I really prefer thicker, chunkier strips of coleslaw that you can easily fork and not scoop with your utensils to eat.

I prepared my dressing in a separate bowl.  You can either wait until about ten minutes before you serve your coleslaw and mix the dressing with the cabbage or do like I did and mix them together two hours before.  Either way is fine depending on how soft or crispy you want your cabbage, as I like mine a little softer.

Most ingredients for my coleslaw dressing are readily in your pantry or cabinets.  The Salad Supreme is a seasoning that is hard to find to be honest.  But when you do, buy several and it's great on garlic bread or sprinkled over a green salad.

Next time you are invited to a fish fry I hope you'll try my dressing with coleslaw.  You can add any multitude of vegetables to it like thin sliced carrots, red or sweet white onions, red cabbage or even broccoli cuts.  Make it your own variation and your family will love it, I promise.  We had only seven people for dinner and one entire head of cabbage almost wasn't enough! With that said, a large head of cabbage may look like a lot for coleslaw, when honestly for a large gathering I'd double the recipe below so that you have plenty.

The Ranch Kitchen's Cole Slaw Dressing

Cabbage:
1 head of cabbage, sliced in 1/2 by 4 inch cuts
1 red onion, sliced in 1 inch chunks

Coleslaw Dressing:
2 cups Real Mayonnaise
4 teaspoons Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 - 2 tablespoons of Salad Supreme, optional

Mix Real Mayonnaise, Apple Cider Vinegar and sugar together in a bowl.  Add garlic salt and pepper and taste to see if you need more pepper.  Add 1 tablespoons of Salad Supreme seasoning and taste.  Add one more teaspoon of Salad Supreme to your taste (like or dislike).  The Salad Supreme adds a special seasoning to the dressing and nice pop of color.

Two hours or ten minutes before pour dressing over the coleslaw that is in a large bowl.  Mix well and serve in a chilled bowl placed on top of bowl full of ice if you are serving it outside in the heat.

Enjoy!  And let me know how you like it!

Alise