Treasure Bran Muffins

Charley The Muffin Man 

Muffin #2 - Treasure Bran Muffins

    I have a friend visiting from out of town and made these for breakfast. I thought they turned out pretty yummy, even though I accidentally put two eggs in the batter, and I would definitely make these again. The recipe is in the Philadelphia Brand Cream Cheese Cookbook, published in 1981. The original recipe calls for raisins, but you could substitute cream cheese. It also doesn't call for nuts, but a small amount of finely chopped nuts would work.  My modification is in italics. 

Ingredients: 

1 1/4 cups bran cereal (I used bran flakes which I crushed up a bit)

1 cup milk

1/4 cup oil (I used vegetable oil, but you could use canola oil

1 egg

1 1/4 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries

8 oz cream cheese (Philadelphia brand or whatever brand you have)

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. In a mixing bowl place your bran flakes and pour the milk over top. Soak for two minutes. Add oil and add, mixing well.  Add flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix until just moistened. I combined all of my dry ingredients in a small bowl and mixed them in all at the same time. Fold in the raisins and spoon batter into greased and floured muffin pan, filling each cup about 2/3 full. In a medium sized bowl, blend the cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar and one egg, until well combined. Drop tablespoons full of the cream cheese mixture on the batter in each cup (I put more than a tablespoon and still had cream cheese mixture leftover). Bake for twenty-five minutes. Remove from oven, cool slightly, remove from pan and serve. 

Treasure Bran Muffins

Casserole #10 - Shipwreck Casserole

 The Year of Casseroles

Casserole #10 - Shipwreck Casserole

    I wanted to be adventurous, so tried this recipe from the Classic Cooking with Coca Cola cookbook. Published in 1994 and 1998, all of the recipes include a Coca Cola product. I write about recipes whether or not I liked them and this was a recipe I did not like. I think if I were to make this again, I would use undiluted tomato paste, not undiluted soup. Along with the Coke Zero (It's what I had on hand and was an appropriate substitute), the finished casserole was way too soup-y. This recipe also did not say to cook the ground beef and I did not want to put raw meat into the casserole, so I browned the ground beef. I would also figure out seasonings to add, because the recipe only had salt and pepper to taste. I sprinkled Italian seasoning when I tested the recipe. Although I did not like the finished recipe, it was pretty easy to make and you might like it. Play around with seasonings and try chili or chipotle powder, Italian or add chopped garlic or garlic powder. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tbsp oil

1 large onion, sliced

1 lb ground beef, browned

2-3 stalks celery, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped or 6 mini sweet orange/red/yellow peppers chopped

1 large potato, sliced

1 can red kidney beans

1 can tomato soup (undiluted) or small can of undiluted tomato paste

salt to taste

pepper to taste

10 oz Coca Cola

sprinkle Italian seasoning

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread oil in bottom of 9x13 baking dish. Layer ingredients in order listed, finishing by pouring the Coca Cola on top. Bake for one hour. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. Sprinkle Italian seasoning over casserole when plated. 

Shipwreck Casserole 

Cheddar-Apple Muffins

 Charley The Muffin Man

Muffin #1 - Cheddar-Apple Muffins

       So, when I adopted my pup from the SPCA of Texas in Dallas, in January, his shelter name was Muffin. However, he is most definitely not a "Muffin". His name is Charley and his very, first name is "Charley The Muffin Man". His Instagram page his @charleythemuffinman. This series of muffin recipes are for him. This recipe is in one of my favorite cookbooks. The Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook published in 1996. It is one of the first cookbooks which I bought for myself. I used Colby-Jack cheese in lieu of plain cheddar, because that's what I had. I couldn't really taste the cheese in these muffins and I wished there was more flavor. Consider adding a bit of cinnamon or nutmeg or serving with cinnamon-sugar sprinkled on top. That said, I liked these muffins; they had a good texture. Try them and let me know what you think. Modification(s) in italics. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup finely shredded cheddar or Colby-Jack cheese (2oz)

1/3 cup quick-cooking rolled oats

2 tbsps sugar

2 1/2 tsps baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 beaten egg

3/4 cup milk

1/3 cup cooking oil

3/4 cup finely chopped, pealed apple

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease twelve large muffin cups (2 1/2-inch muffin cups) and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine flour, cheese, rolled oats, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and set aside. In a separate medium-sized bowl, mix together the egg, milk and oil. Mix liquid mixture into the dry mixture. Stir until combined; the batter should be a little lumpy. Spoon mixture into muffin cups so that they are about 2/3 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden. Cool on a wire rack for five minutes and remove from pan. Serve warm with butter and cinnamon-sugar if desired. 

Charley The Muffin Man and 
Cheddar-Apple Muffins

Appetizer #21 - Corn Dog Bites

 The Year of Appetizers

Appetizer #21 - Corn Dog Bites

    This is my creation. I used hot dogs, but you could use kielbasa sausage as well. Serve these with your favorite dipping sauce, like mustard, honey-mustard or even ketchup.  You could also serve these as part of a meal with french fries or tater tots or a vegetable. But, it is fried, so you may as well have the fries or tots! I list a whole package of hot dogs in the ingredients, but you'll cut them up and use as many as you have batter for or that you want.

Ingredients:

1 package hot dogs

1 box of Jiffy cornbread mix

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup flour

oil

spicy seasoning/your favorite seasoning (optional)

Directions:

Place flour in a small bowl and set aside. Pour cornbread mix into a large bowl. Add in milk and egg, whisking until thoroughly combined. Add seasoning if using and stir to combine. Heat oil to appropriate temperature or test oil by dropping a tiny bit of batter in your oil.  Cut each hot dog into about 5-6 pieces; you want them to be kinda small; use your best judgement for sizing. Add a few pieces of hot dog into the flour and coat each piece. Dip pieces one at a time into the cornbread batter and thoroughly coat. Gently drop battered hot dog pieces into hot oil and fry until golden brown. Remove corn dog bites from hot oil and place onto plate/tray covered with paper towel. Continue frying until you have used all of the hot dogs and batter. Serve hot on a platter with your choice of dipping sauce. 

Corn Dog Bites

Corn Dog Bites

Sweet and Sour Cabbage Salad

 Sweet and Sour Cabbage Salad

        Recipes You Can Bank On A Branson Cookbook, published in 2010 is a "community cookbook". I love this kind of cookbook and seeing the recipes people share.  You know if you share a recipe to a cookbook, it's one of your favorites.  This recipe is based on the Amish Sweet And Sour Cabbage Salad recipe on page 43. The original calls for 2 16oz bags of shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix; I used one bag and did not use the optional sweet pepper strips.  I also did not use a dash of seasoned salt which is called for in the original. I halved the rest of the ingredients since I was only using one bag of cabbage/coleslaw mix. I liked this cabbage salad; it's nice and simple. Try it as a side dish or add a scoop to a pulled pork or barbecue sandwich. 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar (I used Stevia)

1/4 cup vinegar

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup salad oil (I used avocado oil)

1 tbsp chopped pimiento 

1 tbsp finely chopped sweet red pepper

Dash celery salt1 16oz bag shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix (I used a tri-color blend)

Directions:

Combine sugar (or Stevia), vinegar, salt, oil, pimiento, red pepper in a jar or container with a tight lid and shake well. Into a large bowl, add 3/4 of your cabbage/coleslaw and pour dressing over. Stir, cover and chill for 3 to 24 hours. Mix in the final 1/4 of cabbage/coleslaw when ready to serve.  

Sweet and Sour Cabbage Salad

Appetizer #8 - Carrot Puffs

 The Year of Appetizers

Appetizer #8 - Carrot Puffs

    Okay, so I sometimes will take a picture of a recipe in a cookbook, so I can easily refer to it in making grocery lists. This time around, I did that and then put the cookbook away. I know it was the Waring Blendor Cookbook, but I do not know for sure which year it was published. I "googled' and I believe that the cookbook I have is the one that was published in 1955. This is not the only Waring cookbook which spelled blender as "blendor", but I am pretty sure of the one I have. 

    These puffs were good. They were of a lighter texture than hush puppies, but you fry them just the same (I actually used about two inches of oil in a large cast iron skillet). There are a number of variations you could do with this recipe. Substitute sweet potato for the carrot, add more nutmeg or substitute cinnamon. I am also curious how this would turn out using spinach. I used avocado oil instead of regular vegetable oil, so it was a little "better". Still fried in oil, but better. Lol. 

    My verdict is that these were tasty and I would make them again if I wasn't being careful with fried foods (I don't know what possessed me to make something fried). They were not difficult to make, so if you like fried things, try this!

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg or cinnamon

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

3/4 cup cooked carrots (cut up in small pieces)

2 tbsp oil

Directions:

Into a bowl, sift flour, baking powder, nutmeg/cinnamon and salt. Into your blender or food processor, add the egg, milk, carrots and oil over and blend until smooth. Pour your liquid mixture into the dry flour mixture and stir, thoroughly combining. Drop spoonfuls into hot oil and fry for 3 to 5 minutes. You want them golden. Remove to a paper towel lined baking sheet or plate and sprinkle with salt. Serves 6.

Carrot Puffs

Appetizer #7 - Coconut Chicken Bites

 The Year of Appetizers

Appetizer #7 - Coconut Chicken Bites

    This recipe comes from 2007's The Taste of Home Cookbook, from Reader's Digest. I had to modify the recipe, because I once again, did not have all of the correct seasonings. I'll list what I used in italics and what the original seasonings were that I did not use. Even with my substitutions, I really liked these little bite-sized nuggets. They would be yummy with a hot honey sauce or a hot orange marmalade sauce. Instructions for the sauces will be below. 

P.S. Sorry for my plain-jane photo. 

Ingredients:

2 cups flaked coconut

1 egg

2 tbsps milk

3/4 pound boneless and skinless chicken breast, cut into nugget-sized pieces

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp celery salt (If you don't have this, use regular salt like I did)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp ground cumin (I used chili powder)

Oil for frying

Directions:

Finely chop coconut in a blender or food processor (This took awhile for me, because I tried using a blender and it did not work great). Pour coconut into a bowl and set aside. Combine egg and milk in a separate bowl until well combined. Pour flour into a small bowl and toss the chicken a few pieces at a time, in the flour. Dip floured chicken pieces in the egg mixture and then in the coconut. Place chicken pieces on a tray and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Fry a few pieces of chicken at a time in 2 inches of oil (heated to 375 degrees) for about 1 1/2 minutes on each side. They should be golden brown. Drain fried chicken bites on paper towels and place in a bowl. Combine seasonings and sprinkle over chicken bites. Toss to coat chicken bites and serve warm with or without a dipping sauce. I actually opted to mix my seasonings in with the flour, before coating in the egg mixture and coconut. 

Dipping Sauce #1 - Hot Honey Sauce:

Heat 1/2 cup honey in a microwave until it is a little bubbly. Remove from the microwave and add sriracha sauce to taste.  Add more or less honey and sriracha. It really depends on how much sauce you want and how sweet or hot you want it. 

Dipping Sauce #2 - Hot Orange Marmalade Sauce:

Follow directions above, only use orange marmalade. 

Coconut Chicken Bites

Chocolate Pudding Poke Cake

 Chocolate Pudding Poke Cake

    I made this simple cake for a Friendsgiving lunch at work last week. It was easy to make and it would be very, easy to swap out flavors. Use your favorite flavor cake mix and a pudding flavor which will go with that cake mix flavor. The cake I made used chocolate (like it says in the title) and vanilla cake mix. It was moist and tasty.  This was a Kraft/Heinz recipe. 

Ingredients:

1 box cake mix (2 layer size)

    You will also need the ingredients that your cake mix calls for; mine had 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp water, 1/4 cup vegetable (I used canola) oil and two eggs)    

2 packages (3.4 oz) Jell-O Cook & Serve Pudding

1 cup powdered sugar

4 cups milk (I used skim milk)

2 tbsp butter or margarine 

Directions

Make cake according to directions, using a 9x13 pan. While the cake is baking, combine the dry pudding mix and powdered sugar in a medium saucepan. Gradually stir in milk until blended. Add butter and bring to a rolling boil on medium heat. Stir constantly and remove from heat when the pudding gets to that rolling boil stage.  When done, remove the cake from the oven (you can check that it is done by using a knife or toothpick and poking the cake to make sure the knife/toothpick comes out clean).  Poke holes throughout the cake with the handle end of a wooden spoon.  Pour the pudding mix over the cake. Cool for a short time and then refrigerate for at least two hours. Serve chilled.

I forgot to take a picture of my cake; this picture is from the Kraft/Heinz site. 

 

Spoon Bread With Sausage and Cheese Topping

 Spoon Bread With Sausage and Cheese Topping

    Yeah, so I made this a couple weeks ago and forgot to write about it. I had a lot of drama happening then and it caused delays. Thankfully those issues have resolved and while getting ready to write about another recipe I made from the same cookbook (today) that this spoon bread recipe is in, I realized I hadn't written about it. So, two posts tonight, and another tomorrow (also from this small cookbook).  What's that cookbook you say? It is none other than Milk....The Way to Health & Beauty. This cookbook was published by the New York State Bureau of Milk Publicity, located in Albany, New York, in 1939. It was a Free cookbook and you could send a postcard with name and address to request additional copies.    

    My favorite cookbooks in my collection are my the oldest ones. This one had a couple loose pages, but it does not look like it was used much. I really love the pictures, drawings, coloring and font(s) used. I'll let you know the actual recipe and then as always, will show my notes/modifications in italics. This was tasty. I vacuum sealed some of my leftovers and they froze well. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal

2 2/3 cups milk, scalded

1 tsp salt

3 tbsp sugar

2 eggs, separated (The original lists the egg whites and egg yolks separately)

1 1/2 tsp, melted fat or oil

1 lb breakfast sausage 

2/3 cup American cheese, cubed (I used 2/3 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese)

red chili flakes to sprinkle on top (optional)

Directions:

Stir cornmeal into scalded milk and cook to a mush. Cool. Add salt, sugar and egg yolks. Stiffly beat eggs whites and fold into the mush. Add your fat or oil and pour into a greased baking dish (I used a 3 quart casserole). Bake in a 375 degree oven for twenty-five minutes. Meanwhile, brown sausage into crumbles and drain excess fat (Remember do not drain grease into your sink!). Cool sausage, stir in cheese. Remove casserole from oven and sprinkle the sausage and cheese mixture on top of the spoon bread. Return to oven and bake for an additional ten to fifteen minutes. Serves six to eight. 

Spoon Bread with Sausage and Cheese Topping (I wanted to show you the size of the dish I used, but cropped out the ugly bits of my old stovetop)

Spoon Bread with Sausage and Cheese Topping 

Youvarlakia (Meat Balls with Lemon Sauce)

Youvarlakia (Meat Balls with Lemon Sauce)

    I recently made Beef in Wine Gravy (delicious) from the same cookbook this recipe is from. That cookbook is Hellenic Cuisine copyrighted in 1957 by St. Helen's Philoptochos Society and Sts Constantine and Helen Parent-Teacher Association. I wasn't sure about the texture of the sauce, because it came out pretty foamy (not sure if it was supposed to be so foamy), but it tasted good. I had to buy mint, but the parsley I used was from my garden.  Yay!

Ingredients:

2lbs ground beef or veal (I used ground turkey)

2 small onions, chopped finely (I used one large)

3 tbsps chopped parsley and mint leaves (This is for sprinkling over the dish when serving, so you can actually use more)

1/2 cup rice, cooked

2 tbsps butter or oil

1 tsp vegetable salt (I used a salt free table seasoning)

2 cups water

1/2 cup flour

salt and pepper, to taste

plus

2 eggs 

1 lemon, juiced

Directions:

in a large bowl, thoroughly mix the meat, onion, salt, pepper, rice and vegetable salt. Form into small meatballs (I laid out my meatballs in a 9x13 pan and it was completely filled when I was done making the balls). Sprinkle with flour. Bring a saucepan with water and a little salt, to boil. Add meat balls and butter or oil and simmer for 40 minutes.  When you have about ten minutes of cooking time left, make your sauce by separating eggs and beating the whites until they form soft peaks. Beat yolks with lemon juice and fold into the egg whites. Remove the pan from heat and drain any leftover water. Pour the sauce on top and stir to coat meat balls. Sprinkle with chopped mint and parsley. Serve over rice or even noodles if you'd like that better.  Serving size depends on how many meatballs each person gets.  

Youvarlakia (Meat Balls with Lemon Sauce

Keftethes Me Saltsa Krasi (Meat Balls in Wine Gravy)

 Keftethes Me Saltsa Krasi (Meat Balls in Wine Gravy)

    This recipe is in Hellenic Cuisine, produced by St. Helen's Philoptochos Society and Saints Constantine and Helen Parent-Teacher Association in 1957. My copy is a thirteenth printing from 1966 and belonged to a man named Frank Guarnacci. I just searched Mr. Guarnacci's name and I not only found him, I identified his wife, Marguerite. Mr. Guarnacci served in the United States Navy during WWII and he sounded like an amazing person. He and Marguerite were married for 55 years before his passing. I dedicate this post to Mr. and Mrs. Guarnacci. This recipe was not difficult, but you do have shape small meatballs (I used a tablespoon and ended up with 40) and it is worth the work. It was yummy and I am excited for my leftovers. You could serve this over rice, noodles or even make a hot sandwich with nice, toasty French bread.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef (try it with ground chicken or turkey)

3/4 cup bread or cracker crumbs (I used fine, plain bread crumbs)

1 small onion, minced

1 egg, beaten

3/4 cup cream or milk

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup oil or butter (I used avocado oil)

6 tbsp flour (divided use)

2 cups water

1 cup red wine

salt

pepper

Directions:

Mix together ground beef, crumbs, onion, egg, cream/milk and salt. Shape into small balls. I used a tablespoon for scooping and rounded them out, but rolling between my hands (This method produced forty small meatballs and I thought were the perfect size for this). In a small bowl, roll meatballs in 3 tbsp of flour and set aside. While you are working on shaping the meatballs, start heating the oil in a large skillet (I used a 12 1/2 inch cast iron skillet and it was perfect). When you've floured all of the meatballs,  your oil should be hot enough. You can test out the oil by dropping a little piece of meat or flour in and seeing if it sizzles. Brown the meatballs a few at a time and remove to a bowl or platter. Blend flour with the oil left in the skillet, stirring in wine and water. Stir with a whisk, cooking and stirring until smooth. Place meatballs back into the grave and simmer on low to medium low for thirty minutes, stirring occasionally.  

Keftethes Me Salts Krasi (Meat Balls in Wine Gravy)

Week 45 - Lime French Dressing

 Lime French Dressing

Week 45 of 52

Salad #7

I decided to make another salad dressing for my last salad recipe.  Week 16 was also a dressing. That was the Vinaigrette/French dressing which I've made a few times since.  This dressing is similar, only this one uses lime, not lemon. I made this dressing to go with a garden salad of mixed greens, radish, carrot, cucumber and a sprinkle of cheese. I served it with an onion tart I made. This Lime French Dressing is from Pillsbury's The Green Giant Vegetable Cookbook published in 1980.  This dressing has a nice tang to it, and I liked it, but I do still like the Week 16 dressing better.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup oil

1/4 cup lime juice (the recipe says you can use lemon in place of lime)

1 garlic clove, minced

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon pepper

3 garlic cloves, quartered (I didn't use the quartered cloves, because in the original recipe, you remove the quartered garlic cloves after 1 to 2 hours)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients, except the quartered garlic cloves (If you are using them) in a container with a tight fitting lid. Shake well after ensuring the lid is secured. If you use the quartered garlic cloves, remove them after 1 to 2 hours and your dressing is ready. This recipe makes about 1/2 cup. 

Garden Salad w/Lime French Dressing

Week 44 - Fried Spinach Balls

 Fried Spinach Balls

Week 44 of 52

Appetizer #6

    This appetizer recipe is from the Culinary Arts Institute's 500 delicious dishes from Leftovers, published in 1950. It was easy to put together and I enjoyed the finished dish.  I actually only had enough spinach for a half recipe, which gave me eighteen balls.  These are obviously better freshly made. I had leftovers, so had to eat my leftovers and they were still tasty even though not "crispy". I'll give the full recipe below and you can see how easy it is to "half the recipe". Like I said, I enjoyed the finished dish and would make these again.  

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked spinach, chopped

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 eggs

1 cup bread crumbs

2 tablespoons grated onion (I finely minced)

2 tablespoons grated cheese

1/8 teaspoon allspice

1/4 cup water 

1 bread crumbs for rolling balls in

Directions:

Combine spinach with butter, 1 beaten egg, bread crumbs, onion, cheese and allspice. Let stand for 10 minutes and shape into balls. In a shallow dish, combine the 2nd egg and water. Add the 2nd cup of bread crumbs into another shallow dish. Roll spinach balls in crumbs, then the egg wash mixture and then the bread crumbs again. Fry in hot fat (375 degrees) until brown. Remove and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt while hot. 

Spinach Balls

Spinach Ball 

Week 41 - Fried Fish & Swamp Gravy

 Fried Fish & Swamp Gravy

Week 41 of 52

Meat/Fish Entree #6

    When I picked this recipe, I had no idea of the story behind it. I found the recipe I used in a tiny cookbook I bought at a Buccee's gas station store North of Dallas. It's titled Texas White Trash Cookbook. The author is Betty Ann Stout. I picked it purely because of the name, because "Swamp Gravy"?? I had to know what it was. So, Swamp Gravy is a stew like dish that starts with oil drippings from frying fish. It is indigenous to the area of Colquitt, Georgia. It is a very, simple dish, without much seasoning, but that's one of the things that is so great about it. If you have seasonings you can add them, in addition to the salt and pepper called for in the recipe, by all means do so. I added garlic powder and Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning and drizzled hot sauce over my serving. The other thing that is so great about this dish, is that you can make it pretty inexpensively, depending on the cost of fish. There are not many ingredients, you don't need much of any of the individual ingredients, this made a huge amount and it is filling. So, if you're looking for a budget friendly recipe to feed several people, check this out.  My modifications in italics. I would definitely make this again. 

Ingredients:

Catfish, cleaned and dressed (I used boneless tilapia fillets, because I couldn't find catfish; I prefer fillets, so that's what I will use in the future)

Cornmeal (I used a package of Gladiola brand cornbread mix)

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning

Oil

2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped (I used 3 medium sized)

1 large onion, chopped

1 14oz can whole kernel corn (It doesn't say to drain, but I drained the corn)

1 14oz can cut okra (I couldn't find just okra, so I used what I found, which was Trappey's brand cut okra and tomatoes)

28 oz can crushed tomatoes (Do not drain; save the can for measuring water)

water

Directions:

    I'm going to give directions for using fillets. I rinsed off my tiliapia fillets and patted them dry. Pour about an inch and a half or so of oil into a large skillet and heat. The oil is ready when a sprinkling of cornmeal sizzles in the oil. Pour your cornmeal/cornbread mix into a gallon size zipper top plastic bag. Add salt, pepper and extra seasoning as desired to the cornmeal/cornbread mix. Add fillets to the plastic bag and shake. Coat each piece of fish individually; remove and set aside. When your oil is ready, gently place fillets (no more than two at a time) into the hot oil. Fry for three to four minutes (until golden brown) on each side. Remove to a plate with a towel to catch grease. I actually ended up transferring fillets to a pan and placed in my oven to keep warm, while I made the Swamp Gravy. Continue until you've fried all of the fish. 

    Pour out most of the oil from the fish (into a metal coffee can and save for frying fish in the future), reserving a tiny "skim" of oil on the bottom. Mine had bits of cornmeal in there also. Place back on the stove.  Add all of the vegetables. Use the empty tomato can to measure out 28 oz of water and pour that over the vegetables. Stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally until the potatoes are softened and the mixture has thickened. I ended up using some corn starch to thicken it up, because it wasn't as gravy like as I wanted. To serve, place a fillet on a plate and cover it with Swamp Gravy. Add extra seasoning as you like. You could serve hush puppies or cornbread with this, but it was plenty filling for me by itself. 

Fried Tilapia & Swamp Gravy

Nom, nom