Chicken N Dumplings, Fried Okra, Sauteed Spinach with Mushrooms, and Kale Chips

The other night we had some dinner guests. One was from Georgia and the other was from Texas. My husband who is also from Georgia, decided we should have Chicken N Dumplings and Fried Okra. He wanted to treat these boys to some southern food and from the way they devoured it and from what they said- it had been awhile. I already posted the super easy Chicken N Dumplings recipe that my very good friend Miss Betsy showed me how to make, about a month before we moved from Georgia. They are my husband's favorite and so, I have been making them every couple of months. The recipe can be found HERE. I also decided to make Kale Chips, which I blogged about a couple months ago. I could eat those all day, salty and crispy- HERE is the recipe. We also had fried okra (It disappeared quickly) and I served up some Sauteed Spinach with Mushrooms -HEREand HERE are a couple of variations of this recipe that I have previously posted. The Chicken N Dumplings don't really take a good picture, but if you are familiar with them, you will appreciate their appearance. I know my hubby does! We finished the whole meal with Banana Pudding Pie, a twist on a Southern favorite. Check it out, above! Did I mention we had some very happy dinner guests??!!

Fried Okra from Emeril

1 pound okra

Buttermilk

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

Essence, recipe follows

Oil, for frying

Salt and pepper
With a sharp knife, slice the okra into 1-inch slices. Season the okra with salt and pepper. Marinate the okra in buttermilk. Marinate for 30 minutes and drain. Place 1 quart of oil in a saucepan. Heat the oil. In a shallow dish, mix the flour and cornmeal together. Season the flour with Essence. Dredge the okra in the seasoned flour/cornmeal mixture, coating the okra completely. Fry the okra in the hot oil until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Fry the okra in batches. Remove the okra from the oil and drain on a paper-lined plate. Season with salt and pepper.
Emeril's Essence Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly