Peanut Brittle

Ingredients

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup peanuts
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

1. Grease a large cookie sheet. Set aside.
2. In a heavy 2 quart saucepan, over medium heat, bring to a boil sugar, corn syrup, salt, and water. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in peanuts. Set candy thermometer in place, and continue cooking. Stir frequently until temperature reaches 300 degrees F (150 degrees C), or until a small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water separates into hard and brittle threads.
3. Remove from heat; immediately stir in butter and baking soda; pour at once onto cookie sheet. With 2 forks, lift and pull peanut mixture into rectangle about 14x12 inches; cool. Snap candy into pieces.

Cheesecake Factory's Louisiana Chicken

Jeff and I went to Cheesecake Factory and I got this dish. I made a point to ask the waitress if I would be disappointed to order this if I was from Louisiana. She let me know that is her favorite dish, and that it makes Louisiana proud. I told her "I would be the judge of that".

Well, I am sure you can guess that it was pretty true to Louisiana if I am posting it in my blog. This is to DIE for, and the recipe below really does taste like the one in the restaurant.

YUMMY!

1¾ hours 45 min prep

SERVES 5 -7

Chicken

• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese (grated)
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons flour

Cajun Sauce

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 small yellow pepper (chopped)
• 1 small red bell pepper (chopped)
• 3/4 small red onion (chopped)
• 3 whole garlic cloves (minced)
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• (I used cayenne pepper because we like more heat)
• 1 1/4 pints whipping cream
• 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 4 tablespoons fresh basil (thinly sliced)
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 (12 ounce) package bow tie pasta
• 1 cup mushroom (sliced)

1. Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat.
2. Add yellow and red bell peppers, mushrooms, and onion to same skillet,until crisp-tender, about 4 minute.
3. Add garlic and crushed red pepper to skillet and saute 3 minutes.
4. Add whipping cream and chicken stock.
5. Simmer until sauce re-heats and thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.
6. Add basil and 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese to sauce, stirring to incorporate.
7. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, simmer; sauce will reduce and thicken.
8. Wash and drain chicken breasts.
9. Pound until very thin (the thinner the chicken breasts the better).
10. Mix breadcrumbs, flour, and Parmesan cheese together.
11. Place milk in dish for dipping.
12. Dip chicken in breadcrumb mixture and then in milk and then back in breadcrumbs.
13. Place in fry pan that the oil has been heated and fry at medium high temperature until golden crisp and cooked through.
14. Add more oil as needed.
15. Remove and drain chicken; keep warm.
16. Meanwhile, cook bow-tie pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite.
17. Drain and return to pot.
18. Add sauce and toss to coat.
19. Place pasta with sauce on plate, and top with chicken breast.
20. Serve, passing additional Parmesan separately.

Boiling the bowtie pasta.

The sauce simmering.

After I fry the chicken, I place it in the oven
that has been preheated on warm.

I used whipping cream instead of milk to

dredge the chicken.

The chicken in the breadcrumb mixture.

I use olive oil to fry my chicken, mainly because

it's always on my counter.

I love bowtie pasta, not only is it cute,

but it has great crunch/bite.

I let the sauce simmer for about 15 mins

to let it thicken up.

The meal plated... SO GOOD!