Fried Oysters

In the fall I always think of Fried Oysters and my recipe is the best. My Stud Muffin loves my Fried Oysters and he frequently requests them. Also homemade cocktail sauce. A must for Fried Oysters. The prepared cocktail sauce you buy in the store does not taste as well. It is so easy to make your own and inexpensive as well.

• Saltines or cracker meal
• 2 cups flour
• 2 pints select oysters
• ½ cup milk
• 1 egg beaten
• canola oil

Whirl saltines in a blender or food processor until fine crumbs. In a large bowl whisk together 2 cups flour and 2 cups cracker crumbs. Set aside.

Drain oysters in colander. Meanwhile, whip together milk and egg mixture. Dip oysters into egg mixture (I like to work with 4 oysters at a time) then into flour mixture being careful to coat evenly. Lay on top of a large platter covered with paper towels. You will need more than one platter. When all oysters are breaded place in refrigerator for at least 45 minutes uncovered. They need to dry so that flour mixture will stick to them when you fry them.

In a large skillet add enough oil so that it is about 1 inch high. When oil is hot add oysters and cook for 3 minutes on first side, then turn over and cook for 2 minutes on other side. Remove to platter covered with a few layers of paper towels to drain excess oil. Serve immediately with cocktail sauce. You will probably need to cook these in 2 to 3 separate batches.

These are the best fried oysters I have ever eaten.

Cocktail Sauce

1 cup ketchup
¼ tsp. mustard powder
¼ cup horseradish in jar
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Mix together above ingredients well. You may make this a few hours in advance. It is so easy to make. Always use fresh lemon juice.

This blows away expensive store bought cocktail sauce in a jar.

Pumpkin Bread

• 1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin
• 1 cup canola oil
• 4 eggs
• ⅔ cup water
• 3 ½ cups flour
• 3 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1½ tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. nutmeg
• 3 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 °. In a large bowl mix the pumpkin, oil, eggs, water, and sugar. Sift the rest of ingredients together and slowly add to the pumpkin mixture. You may mix this by hand or use an electric mixer. Mix well.

Pour into greased and floured 3 loaf pans, 8½ x 4½ inches, or 2 loaf pans, 9¼ x 5¼ inches. Bake at 350 ° for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 20 minutes before removing from pan.

Eat one now and freeze a few for later or make some friends or family happy with some pumpkin bread. This is a favorite of Kathy's. I prefer the smaller loaves.

Maryland Crab Soup

This is the best time for crab season, and here is the perfect recipe to take advantage of that. Maryland Crab Soup is perfect for a chilly fall day in Maryland.

I made this recipe for a group of friends, and one of them insisted that his recipe was better than mine, but when he got to try it he told me he liked mine better. So, here it is. Enjoy!

• 1 (16 oz.) bag frozen petite peas
• 1 (16 oz.) bag frozen butter beans
• 1 (16 oz.) bag frozen corn
• 1 (20 oz.) bag frozen cut green beans
• 2 cups diced raw potatoes diced with skin on
• 1 cup chopped fresh cabbage
• 1 ½ cubs fresh carrots, diced
• 1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
• ¼ cup chicken or crab base*
• 10 cups water
• 3 Tbsp. Old Bay seasoning
• ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 lb. pasteurized lump crab meat

In a large 8 qt. or larger soup pot add water, tomato paste, base, Old Bay, black pepper and salt. Stir well with wire whisk, breaking up base. Bring to a boil then add peas, butter beans, corn, green beans, potatoes, cabbage and carrots. Bring to a boil again. Lower heat to a simmer and cover with lid. Simmer for 2-3 hours stirring occasionally.

Just before serving add crab meat and mix well. Heat for a few minutes then serve immediately. Leftovers freeze well.

*If you do not use base you may use 10 cups chicken broth instead of water and base.

Teriyaki Wings

Now that football season is here, try some Teriyaki Wings for a nice change of flavor. Wings and football go together like peanut butter and jelly.

• 2 cups Teriyaki sauce
• 1 cup white wine
• 2 tsp. freshly grated ginger root
• ½ tsp. garlic powder
• 4 to 5 lbs. wing sections
• cooking spray

Mix first four ingredients together and set aside. In a large roasting pan sprayed with cooking oil layer wings over bottom of pan in a single layer. Stir marinade well, then pour over top of wings in pan. Cover and refrigerate for 2 days in pan (no need to thaw out frozen wings), turning wings over every 12 hours.

Preheat oven to 450 °. Place roasting pan in oven and bake uncovered for 45 minutes, then remove pan from oven. Using tongs turn wings over and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and serve wings. You will want them to caramelize and they will be dark.

These are so delicious it is hard to stop eating them. Make sure your refrigerator is large enough for the roasting pan. If not you will need to marinate in another container making sure wings are coated well and turned every 12 hours.

My favorite brand teriyaki sauce is Kikkoman marinade and sauce. Other brands are higher in sugar and will burn. You can buy fresh ginger root in the produce department. Keep it in the freezer as it will grate much easier and last longer. Just peel skin away on a small portion and grate. I also like to use frozen wing sections. You can buy them in bulk at wholesale food clubs. Also you do not need to cut and separate them this way.

Only use a wine that is good enough to drink. If you can't drink it, don't cook with it. Enjoy!
These will make your fat cells sing!

Cucumber and Onion Salad

3 Burpless or regular cucumbers
1 sweet Vidalia onion
1 cup cider vinegar
1 cup sugar or Splenda
⅛ cup canola oil
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper


Skin cucumbers and slice very thin, I like to use a food processor. Mix together vinegar with sugar or Splenda. Add all ingredients in a large airtight container and refrigerate overnight. Serve the next day. It will keep for several days. This is a refreshing summer recipe.

Grilled Stuffed Peppers

• 1 loaf of crusty Italian bread
• 3 Tbsp. plus 1 Tbsp. of garlic flavored olive oil
• 3 yellow sweet bell peppers
• 1 ½ cup mozzarella cheese cut into cubes
• 1 ½ tsp. dried basil
• salt and pepper to taste
• pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• Shredded Asiago or Parmesan cheese (optional)

Slice bread, remove crust and cut into 1 inch croutons until you have 1 ½ cups. Saute bread in a nonstick skillet with 3 Tsbp. olive oil over medium heat until browned. Set aside.

Cut tops off of peppers and reserve for caps, remove seeds and membranes. In a bowl mix together croutons, 1 Tbsp. olive oil, cheese, basil, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Mix well. Stuff peppers with mixture dividing evenly between peppers. Place pepper caps on top of pepper. If peppers will not stand up, roll up a long strip of aluminum foil and wrap around base to hold them in place.

Over indirect medium heat on your grill cook peppers for 15 minutes or until tender, you do not want the pepper to lose it's shape. When peppers are cooked remove to platter and cut in half lengthwise.

You may serve this way or you may also sprinkle on some Asiago or Parmesan cheese and broil for 2-3 minutes. I like to use a hearty grain bread.

Mango Salsa

• 2 ripe mangoes
• 3 jalapeno peppers (stems removed and deseeded)
• 1 Vidalia onion
• ½ cup of fresh cilantro
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 sweet yellow pepper (stems removed and deseeded)
• juice of one lime

Process in food processor until smooth. Serve with tortilla chips or as topping over grilled tuna or mahi mahi.