Tasty Tuesday: National Junk Food Day

TASTY TUESDAY, JULY 20, 2021 – NATIONAL JUNK FOOD DAY

National Junk Food Day is on Wednesday, July 21st!  What in the world is JUNK FOOD? Depends on who you ask, I think. For me – junk food includes the foods that go beyond healthy – especially in larger quantities and without healthy foods at the same time. These are foods like French Fries and rich sugary foods at Fast Food places – fried foods, extra sweet foods, and even rich gravies in large quantities could be junk food for me. BUT – having said that…EVERYTHING IN MODERATION! I’ve said that forever and I’ve heard that from dietary nutritional professionals forever. I’ve tried almost every diet available for the first 40 or so years of my life and I’ve learned by listening and by doing that you need a balance of many kinds and types of foods. Your health depends on it! So, when I saw NATIONAL JUNK FOOD DAY was actually a celebrated day, I thought long and hard what would constitute junk food for the home cook. If you go to a fast-food place especially you can almost count on most of what they offer to be in the junk food category, simply because there is no real thought put into how their food is prepared – most of them fried or simply extra sweet. So, I put together some of my favorite dishes that yes, I would or could consider junk food if that is all I ate at the time. And in large quantities. So, please eat responsibly – enjoy yes! By all means. But remember your proteins, vegetables and fruits to round out your diet on a daily basis.  Now, have fun in the kitchen and enjoy eating!

CHOCOLATE CAKE AND CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM

CHOCOLATE CAKE

May 19, 2021 was National Devil’s Food Cake Day, and we posted an awesome recipe for Devil’s Food Cake recipe.  Click here to check it out!

CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM

This is a really good chocolate ice cream recipe but does require some type of ice cream freezer. This recipe can also be divided in half.

Ingredients

5 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted

2 ½ cups granulated sugar

¾ teaspoon salt

5 cups cream

5 cups milk

5 Tablespoons flour

4 eggs, slightly beaten

2 teaspoons vanilla

Instructions

  1. Scald milk over low heat (bring to boil or simmer, but do NOT boil or simmer). Stir in melted chocolate.
  2. Combine sugar, flour, and salt in a bowl and add eggs. Mix well. 
  3. Pour hot milk over egg mixture slowly and carefully stir constantly. (If you add too much hot liquid to eggs too fast it will curdle, and you’ll need to start over.)
  4. Cook over low heat until mixture coats a spoon.
  5. Chill in the refrigerator.
  6. Stir in cream and vanilla and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.

DONUT HOLES

Ingredients

1 egg, beaten

1 ½ Tablespoons vegetable oil

½ cup buttermilk

½ cup prepared pumpkin (NOT pie filling, you can buy this in a can, or you can cook fresh pumpkin and use)

½ teaspoon vanilla

¼ cup granulated sugar

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup vegetable oil (or more) for frying. (Remember to NEVER fill your pan more than half full of oil to prevent hot oil spilling over the sides of the pan and causing a fire AND a mess!)

Instructions

  1. Mix buttermilk, pumpkin, egg, the 1 ½ T. oil, and vanilla in a bowl. Set aside.
  2. Mix dry ingredients and stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix to combine well. Do not over beat however – it makes for a tough donut holes and no one likes tough donuts.
  3. Heat the oil for frying to 375 deg F. and using a tablespoon or a small scoop, drop batter into the hot oil carefully. 
  4. Turn when golden on one side and fry the other side.
  5. Remove when evenly golden brown and cool on paper towels.
  6. Roll in powdered sugar, granulated sugar, or a cinnamon and sugar combination. This is easily done in a little paper bag – add the topping and shake the warm donut holes in the topping to coat.

FRIED MOZARELLA STICKS AND MARINARA SAUCE

Ingredients

1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce or favorite sauce for dipping

Mozzarella, Jack cheese, Cheddar Cheese, or your favorite cheese – or what you have on hand – cut in “fingers” about ½-3/4” x 4-6” long (or now you can get cheese sticks already cut) – enough for the number of eaters you are serving

Flour – about ½ cup if feeding 3-4 people

1 cup panko breadcrumbs and ½ cup plain breadcrumbs (or use all plain breadcrumbs) Remember, you can use day old bread or even crackers or potato chips, all crushed for crumbs.

You can always add whatever herbs and/or spices you enjoy. 1 teaspoon each garlic powder, onion powder and Italian seasoning are good options.

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

3 large eggs

Instructions

  1. Mix the flour with salt and pepper in one dish, eggs scrambled in one dish, and breadcrumbs with spices/herbs in one dish.  This is your breading station.
  2. Vegetable oil for frying – put about 1 ½” in fryer or a large Dutch oven type pan and heat to 375 deg. F. 
  3. Take each cheese stick and coat each in flour, then egg, then crumbs and set aside.  You can do this once, or twice for a double breading. Transfer to a wire rack to “set” the breading.
  4. Fry 4-5 sticks at a time in the hot oil without touching until gold and brown.  You might see some cheese starting to peek through the breading.  Remove with spoon or slotted spatula and place on a rack over a paper towel to catch extra oil.
  5. Serve with a dipping sauce like marinara (or Ranch style). And definitely ENJOY!

SNACK MIX

Ingredients

About 10 cups of dry mix  – cereals balls like  “Cherrios”, cereal squares like “wheat, corn, rice”, thin pretzels (sticks are good or I like flavored pretzels too), Asian crackers – small approximately same size and the flavors you like – available in most supermarkets now, nuts, I prefer mixed nuts to start then add to it – but use whatever you like- about 4 cups nuts, I add Asian spicy snack cracker type like the green spicy peas crackers – rice crackers, chips like a corn type chip, fish cheese crackers – there is no limit.

Approximately 4 cups nuts, at least 4 cups in my mix.

I usually double the recipe below to flavor the mix:

½ cup butter

2 teaspoons celery salt

¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon garlic salt

You can add some flavorings to this as well.  Just be careful not to add too much salt – some of the ingredients have salt already.  Hot spices are good but be careful here too. Always ok to add when you eat, but you can’t take it out.

Instructions

  1. Melt the butter, stir in the Worcestershire sauce and spices – remove from heat and let stand.  (I like to double the sauce.)
  2. Combine all ingredients in large roasting pan.
  3. Pour butter sauce over the cereal cracker and nut mixture and toss until well blended.
  4. Bake uncovered in slow oven (250 deg F) for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
  5. Spread on absorbent paper to cool. 
  6. Store in airtight containers.

Great as gifts too. Enjoy!

ACORN CANDY BUCKEYE BALLS (PEANUT BUTTER AND CHOCOLATE)

As my children, then my grandchildren, were growing up this was one of the recipes always requested at holidays – two of my grandsons ALWAYS came to my home and made them with me – one of the wonderful memories as they all grew up. They are not only easy to make but are also not very expensive and very easy to eat! They have peanut butter so be careful of those who have allergies against peanuts.

I have no idea how long these will last – they disappear before we’ve ever found out!

These are best when you double the recipe too!

Ingredients

1 ½ cups creamy peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 6-ounce package semi-sweet chocolate pieces

2 Tablespoons vegetable shortening

½ cup margarine (not butter) at room temperature

3 ¾ cups (1 10-ounce package) powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper.
  2. In medium sized bowl mix peanut butter, vanilla, and sugar with your clean hands to form a soft dough.  Mixture will be very stiff. 
  3. Shape into balls using 2 teaspoonfuls for each.  Place on waxed paper and put in the refrigerator.
  4. In the top of a double boiler over simmering, not boiling, water melt the chocolate and the shortening together. 
  5. When smooth, pour into a small bowl or measuring cup.
  6. Remove balls from the refrigerator and dip into melted chocolate so ¾ of the ball is coated. Return to paper. Chocolate side down.
  7. Refrigerate 30 minutes or more (if you can wait). When chocolate is firm and not sticky, place in plastic containers with waxed paper between the layers.

I hope I’ve shared some great JUNK FOOD recipes with you.  We enjoy them anytime of the year, but it is always nice to have special foods we look forward to during specific special times of the year.

Your choice.

These are all easy and does not cost a lot to make them – of course, that depends on how much of each you make!

Just enjoy – as I call it – KITCHEN THERAPY time. I love making recipes and I enjoy watching people enjoy my foods. And yes, I too enjoy eating them all!

Bon Appetite’ With Love,

Granni K

To download this recipe, click here.