Texas. The state where everything is not only bigger, but also better. The land where football is religion and the women believe the bigger the hair, the closer to heaven. Texas. The place I chose to call home. I wasn’t born here, but I got here as soon as I could.
I’ve partnered with Ozarka® Brand Natural Spring Water to not only share why I love the great state of Texas, but also to ask you the same. Why do you love where you live?
Is it the boundless state pride all Texans exude? Is it their renowned hospitality and their good-natured charm? The sweet tea? Perhaps the BBQ? The Tex-Mex? Oh! The Tex-Mex? The tranquil beauty of a starry night deep in the heart of Texas? The adventures Texas calls you to take and the memories that still await? For me it is all these and more. And one thing these qualities and experiences all share is an authenticity like none other.
Texans know the real thing when they see it, and if you’ve ever been parched from a summer scorcher, you know Ozarka’s clean refreshing taste is the real thing. Ozarka comes from 3 Texas springs and has a taste as unique and authentic as Texas itself. There’s only one Texas. And there’s only one Ozarka water.
Cooking and sharing the food I create with loved ones has always been one of my passions and I know using the finest, locally sourced products like Ozarka water, is essential in creating lasting memories with friends and family.
I did that just the other day and today I am sharing the recipes that made it special with you! Using local products like Snow’s BBQ Sauce, Yellowbird habanero hot sauce and Paqui’s tortilla chips, I created a picnic at Turtle Creek Park in Dallas, Texas for Walker, obviously my favorite Texan, and I.
MENU:
tortilla chip crusted fried chicken
black garlic pickled shrimp
southwestern queso potato salad
candied bacon deviled eggs
cornbread with honey BBQ butter
TORTILLA CHIP CRUSTED FRIED CHICKEN
I am the fist to admit that queso and tortilla chips are a pairing even greater than peanut butter and jelly! But tortilla chips compliment more than just dips. This fried chicken recipe features Paqui tortilla chips. Paqui offers “better-for-you” tortilla chips AND tortillas. Paqui is an Aztec word that means “to be happy”. Doesn’t a snack that is healthy just make you happy?!
INGREDIENTS:
1 bag of Paqui’s tortilla chips
4 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
¾ teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
2 cups flour
1 ½ pounds chicken drumsticks (about 6)
½ cup vegetable oil
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees with rack in middle.
In a food processor, pulse chips, 2 teaspoons chili powder, cumin, oregano and ¼ teaspoon salt until coarsely ground.
Transfer to a shallow dish.
In a medium sized mixing bowl whisk eggs, remaining 2 teaspoons chili powder and ¼ teaspoon salt.
In a second medium bowl mix flour and ¼ teaspoon salt. If you want your chicken to have an extra kick, add 2 teaspoons chili powder in the mix as well.
One by one, dip drumsticks in egg mix, letting the excess drip off, then coat with flour.
Next, dredge the chicken back in the egg and then dredge in the crumbs, pressing to help them adhere.
Set chicken aside.
Place a rack on top of a baking sheet.
Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet to medium to high heat.
Once the oil is hot brown chicken in batches on all sides, about 1 minute on all sides. Add more oil as needed.
Once the drumstick is browned on all sides transfer to the rack on the baking sheet. Once all chicken is browned, bake, without turning, until cooked through, 40 to 45 minutes.
Serve hot or at room temperature.
BLACK GARLIC PICKLED SHRIMP
A hint of citrus and faintly spicy, pickled shrimp is a staple of Southern cuisine! And though a Midwesterner, my mom made this dish a staple of my childhood. I’ve taken my mom’s recipe and added some extra pizzazz to an already sassy dish.
The Jelly Queens is an award-winning, Texas-based artisan food company specializing in gourmet jams, jellies, spices, sauces and more. Each product is handmade with love in small batches using organic and, when possible, locally grown Texas ingredients. Using The Jelly Queens black garlic rosemary sauce I was able to heighten and elevate the flavors of this beloved southern delicacy.
INGREDIENTS:
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1 lb. (26–30 count) medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and cooked
1⁄2 teapoon celery seeds
1⁄4 teaspoon allspice
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1⁄3 cup fresh lemon juice
3 lemons, sliced extra thin
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon Tabasco
12 dried bay leaves
1⁄2 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 tablespoon The Jelly Queens black garlic rosemary sauce
DIRECTIONS:
In a bowl whisk oil, lemon juice, celery seed, all spice, Old Bay seasoning, salt and The Jelly Queens’ black garlic rosemary sauce until fully incorporated.
In a 1-qt. glass jar, layer shrimp, onion, lemon slices and bay leaves.
Next, pour in oil mixture.
Cover with lid; chill overnight before serving.
These are amazing on their own but pair well with crusty bread and will last up to a week in the fridge.
SOUTHWESTERN POTATO SALAD
When we think queso, we think warm salty chips or even hot freshly made flour tortillas. Today I’m sharing an entirely new way to put queso on the menu.
Cookwell & Company’s Queso con Salsa Escabeche is built around a flavorful blend of cheeses and fire-roasted veggies like tomatoes, onions and jalapeños. Cookwell & Company is located in the heart of the world’s live music capital, Austin, Texas.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup mayonnaise
½ cup Cookwell & Company’s Gueso con Salsa Escabeche
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
3 scallions, chopped, white and green parts
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
Salt and pepper to taste
3 cans whole potatoes, cubed into bite sized pieces
1 cup cooked chorizo sausage
DIRECTIONS:
Combine all ingredients, in a large mixing bowl. It’s really that simple!
CANDIED BACON DEVILED EGGS
These aren’t your grandma’s deviled eggs! The Spice Kings steak rub on the candied bacon adds just the right amount of flavor and the Taste Elevated’s sweet & spicy mustard seeds add a little zing to every bite.
INGREDIENTS:
1 ½ tablespoons light brown sugar
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon The Spice Kings steak rub
3 strips thick-cut bacon
8 large eggs, hard boiled
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Taste Elevated’s sweet & spicy mustard seeds
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon onion, finely minced
2 scallions, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, cayenne and The Spice Kings steak rub.
Place the bacon on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet.
Sprinkle each slice of bacon with some of the spiced sugar and bake for 10 minutes.
Flip the bacon, sprinkle with the remaining spiced sugar and continue to cook until crispy, about 10 minutes.
Remove the bacon from the oven, set aside and allow to cool.
Mix together the mayonnaise, Taste Elevated’s sweet & spicy mustard seeds, dill, ¼ teaspoon cayenne, scallions and onions medium mixing bowl. Season with the salt.
Slice the eggs in half lengthwise and gently remove the yolks.
Add the yolks to the bowl with the mayonnaise mixture.
Mash together, using a fork, until smooth.
Put the filling in a re-sealable bag and cut one end off and pipe the filling into the egg white halves.
Sprinkle with the dill.
Cut bacon into inch long pieces and place on top of the eggs.
CORNBREAD WITH HONEY BBQ BUTTER
Who doesn’t love cornbread? At a summer picnic or with a hearty winter chili you really can’t go wrong. This corn bread recipe is not only easy but it will be the moistest cornbread you’ve ever had and Yellowbird Sauce’s habanero sauce plays perfectly with the sweet corn! Paired with a homemade honey BBQ butter using Snow’s BBQ sauce, you’re guaranteed to knock this one out of the park.
Totally natural and made with love in Austin, Texas, Yellowbird Sauces are the most delicious and versatile sauces.
Texas Monthly magazine named Snow’s BBQ as the best in Texas! Yep, you read that right! With complex Texas flavor, Snow’s BBQ sauce is excellent on any cut of meat or as this recipe shows, even mixed with butta!
CORNBREAD INGREDIENTS:
2 boxes Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 cup sour cream
3 eggs, beaten
½ cup melted butter
1 teaspoon salt
16 oz. can creamed corn
1 tablespoon Yellowbird Sauces’ habanero sauce
CORNBREAD DIRECTIONS:
Mix all ingredients together and pour into greased 9×13 baking dish.
Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes or until lightly brown.
HONEY BBQ BUTTER INGREDIENTS:
2 sticks butter, softened, but NOT melted
¼ cup Snow’s BBQ sauce
2 tablespoons honey
HONEY BBQ BUTTER DIRECTIONS:
In a food processor pulse until all ingredients and fully combined.
Transfer to a serving dish and chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
Kisses and love where you’re from wishes,
