Weird strawberry recipes

The Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City, Fla., ended last week, but we're keeping the celebration going. If you want to try out the weird strawberry recipes we included in "Fun:Miscellaneous" in the March issue of ec, here's all the info you need to know!

Photo credit: D. Sharon Pruitt/stockxchange

Strawberry avocado salsa

Wash, chop, and combine in a bowl:

• 1  cup  finely chopped strawberries
• 1/4  cup  finely chopped peeled avocado
• 2  tablespoons  finely chopped red onion
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2  teaspoon  grated lime rind
• 2  tablespoons  fresh lime juice
• 2  teaspoons  finely chopped seeded jalapeño pepper
• 1/4  teaspoon  sugar

Serve immediately. For the original recipe and more info, go here. 

Spaghetti with strawberries

1 pound dried spaghetti
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing
1 pound ripe strawberries, cleaned and halved
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 cup tomato purée
4 ounces reserved pasta water
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste


Cook the pasta in rapidly boiling salted water until al dente.
Warm the olive oil in a large sauté pan, then add half of the strawberries. Cook over medium heat untio the strawberries start to release juice. Add balsamic and allow the sauce to reduce by half.
Add tomato purée, the rest of the strawberries, and the reserved pasta water, and reduce by half again until the sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Toss the sauce with spaghetti. Finish with a little olive oil and black pepper.
For the original recipe and more info, go here. 
 

Deep fried strawberries

For this recipe, you'll need:

1 pint fresh strawberries

1 cup plain flour

1 egg

1 cup milk

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 teaspoon cinnamon

granulated sugar

oil (for frying)

whipped cream

mint sprig (optional)

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/fried-strawberries-60328#ixzz1HEjxuDRS

1  pint   fresh strawberries, washed and stemmed
1 cup plain flour
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 teaspoon cinnamon
granulated sugar
oil (for frying)
whipped cream

After washing and stemming the strawberries, create your assembly line. Put the flour in a small bowl. Beat the egg and milk together in a small bowl and place next to the flour. In another bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and cinnamon and place it last in the line. Begin heating the oil for frying. While it is getting hot, dredge the strawberries in flour, then coat with the egg mixture, then roll in the graham cracker crumb mixture. When oil is hot, deep fry each strawberry for 1 to 2 minutes until the coating is crisp and brown. Drain the deep fried strawberries on a paper towel, then serve a few with whipped cream, Cool Whip, or vanilla ice cream. For more information and the original recipe, go here.

1 pint fresh strawberries

1 cup plain flour

1 egg

1 cup milk

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 teaspoon cinnamon

granulated sugar

oil (for frying)

whipped cream

mint sprig (optional)

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/fried-strawberries-60328#ixzz1HEjxuDRS

1 pint fresh strawberries

1 cup plain flour

1 egg

1 cup milk

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 teaspoon cinnamon

granulated sugar

oil (for frying)

whipped cream

mint sprig (optional)

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/fried-strawberries-60328#ixzz1HEjxuDRS

Deep Fried Recipes: Fried Pickles and Fried Jellybeans

On Monday, we told you how to make fried Coca-Cola should you ever be so inclined. After all, we talked so much about it on page 25 of the October issue of ec.

But are you more interested in the other fried food items on that page? Well, never fear! If you want to make fried pickles or attempt fried jellybeans, this is just the post for you!

Fried Pickles
Yes, fried pickles sound weird. And they're definitely a Southern dish. But don't count them out until you try them. Ec's editor (who grew up in Missouri) thought they would be gross, but loved them when she tried them!

You'll need:
Oil to fry the pickles in
1 quart dill pickles. Use dill chips or slices since they're already bite-sized.
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups plain cornmeal
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more, if desired

Directions:
Place enough oil in a 4 to 5-quart cast iron Dutch oven to come halfway up the side of the pot. Place over medium-high heat and bring to 390 to 400 degrees F. Remove pickles from the jars, lay them on a sheet pan lined with paper towels and pat them dry. Place the buttermilk in a shallow dish. Mix together the cornmeal and salt in a separate dish. Dip each pickle, 1 at a time, first into the buttermilk, then into the cornmeal and then repeat. Carefully place each spear into the hot oil and cook until golden brown, approximately 2 minutes. You can fry 3 to 4 pickles in the pot at a time. Adjust the heat, if necessary, in order to maintain a constant temperature of 390 to 400 degrees F. Transfer the pickles to a cooling rack set You can add spices to zest up cornmeal coating mixture. We'd suggest things like pepper, cajun spices, chili powder, cumin, hot sauce, and so forth.

(This recipe is adapted from Alton Brown's recipe for fried pickles. We want to give him all the credit he deserves.)

Deep-fried jelly beans
This recipe is a whole other batch of craziness. The directions are simple:
Get jelly beans.
Make a funnel cake batter.
Dip jelly beans in batter and deep fry in hot oil.

Food for Thought: Deep Fried Coke

Yes, we were as taken aback by the idea of fried Coca-Cola as you were. But leave it to the folks at the State Fair of Texas where there seems to be a contest of sorts to create the most outlandish fried foods possible.

You read about Abel Gonzalez Jr.'s 2006 offering (deep fried Coke) on page 25 of the October issue of ec. Now, if you want to try it on your own, here's the recipe. (Note: we haven't tried it ourselves, so we're not sure it's even edible. But it could be a fun experience!)

Deep-Fried Coca Cola
Number of Servings: 6
Prep Time: 45 mins
Skill Level: Easy

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups Coca Cola
Oil for deep frying

Topping:
1 cup Coca Cola syrup
whipped cream
maraschino cherries

Instructions:
1. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour and baking powder.
2. Mix in eggs and Coca Cola and stir until a smooth batter forms.
3. Preheat oil in a skillet or deep fryer.
4. Pour 1/3 cup of batter into a funnel or turkey baster and in a circular motion pour batter into the hot oil.
5. Fry up for about a minute on each side and drain on paper towels.
6. Serve while still warm and top with Coca Cola syrup, whipped cream and a maraschino cherry.