Southern Cookin'

I find that when I'm depressed or have had a bad day, I crave my mom's cooking. I find myself craving the meals she would have made for me when I was growing up. Maybe she'd make me some spaghetti and meatballs or baked ziti or even just a grilled cheese sandwich. But to really make me feel better she'd make chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and gravy.

I have a super secret recipe for chicken friend steak that is known only by me (and everyone else who calls the south home). So it's not very secret at all, but it really hits the spot. You probably already guessed that I used red potatoes for the mashed taters. I did try to change it up with the meat though by using some different spices mixed in with the flour.

I must have been having problems with my butterfingers today. I managed to crack two eggs as I was unloading my groceries. Luckily I had a bowl handy and was able to get them scrambled up before making a huge mess. This seems to be a common occurrence with me lately in the kitchen (I'm used to being covered in flour or cocoa powder, but this spilling of everything is getting ridiculous).

I hope everyone has a great week, but if you find yourself having a bad day, feel free to come here and vent, have a bite of chicken fried steak, and feel like you're home. Enjoy!

Chicken Fried Steak

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 Tbl cayenne pepper

1 Tbl cilantro flakes

Dash of freshly ground pepper and sea salt

3 eggs

2 cups bread crumbs (I use the packaged kind, but feel free to use homemade)

1-2 lbs cube steak (the package I used had four)

2 Tbl oil (I used olive oil and only eyeballed the measurement, use more or less at your discretion)

1. Mix the flour, cayenne, cilantro, salt and pepper together on a plate. Scramble the three eggs together in a bowl. On another plate, pour out the bread crumbs.
2. Dredge the steaks in the flour followed by the egg. Be sure to let the excess egg drain off. Dredge the steaks through the bread crumbs to coat. Set aside until all of the steaks are covered.
3. Pour the oil into a large pan and heat on medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, place one or two steaks in the pan (depending on how big the steaks are; I was able to fit two at a time, but you might only be able to fit one).
4. Cook on the first side for roughly 5 minutes or until browned. Flip and cook the other side about 5 minutes or until browned. Repeat with each steak making sure to cook the steak all the way through. Serve with mashed potatoes and country gravy.