Louisiana Chicken Pasta

(a la Cheesecake Factory)
Servings: 6

Chicken:
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons flour

Cajun Sauce:
1 tablespoon butter
1 small yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
3/4 small red onion, chopped
3 whole garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 1/4 pints whipping cream
1 cup low-salt chicken broth
4 tablespoons fresh basil, thinly sliced
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 package bow-tie pasta
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
salt and pepper

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add yellow and red bell peppers, mushrooms, and onion to same skillet and saute until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes.

Add minced garlic and crushed red pepper to skillet and saute 2 or 3 minutes.

Add whipping cream and chicken stock. Simmer until sauce re-heats and thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.

Add basil and 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese to sauce, stirring to incorporate. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, simmer. Sauce will reduce and thicken.

Cook chicken:
Wash and drain chicken breasts. Pound until very thin, as thin or thinner then 1/4-inch thick (the thinner the chicken breasts the better).

Mix breadcrumbs, flour, and Parmesan cheese together. Place milk in dish for dipping.

Dip chicken in breadcrumb mixture and then in milk and then back in breadcrumbs.

Place in fry pan that the oil has been heated and fry at medium high temperature until golden, crisp, and cooked through. Add more oil as needed. Remove and drain chicken. Keep warm.

Meanwhile, cook bow-tie pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain and return to pot. Add sauce and toss to coat.

Place pasta with sauce on plate, and top with chicken breast. Serve, passing additional Parmesan separately.

Louisiana Chicken Pasta

(a la Cheesecake Factory)
Servings: 6

Chicken:
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons flour

Cajun Sauce:
1 tablespoon butter
1 small yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
3/4 small red onion, chopped
3 whole garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 1/4 pints whipping cream
1 cup low-salt chicken broth
4 tablespoons fresh basil, thinly sliced
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 package bow-tie pasta
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
salt and peper

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add yellow and red bell peppers, mushrooms, and onion to same skillet and sauté until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes.

Add minced garlic and crushed red pepper to skillet and sauté 2 or 3 minutes.

Add whipping cream and chicken stock. Simmer until sauce re-heats and thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.

Add basil and 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese to sauce, stirring to incorporate. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, simmer. Sauce will reduce and thicken.

Cook chicken:
Wash and drain chicken breasts. Pound until very thin, as thin or thinner then 1/4-inch thick (the thinner the chicken breasts the better).

Mix breadcrumbs, flour, and Parmesan cheese together. Place milk in dish for dipping.

Dip chicken in breadcrumb mixture and then in milk and then back in breadcrumbs.

Place in fry pan that the oil has been heated and fry at medium high temperature until golden, crisp, and cooked through. Add more oil as needed. Remove and drain chicken. Keep warm.

Meanwhile, cook bow-tie pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain and return to pot. Add sauce and toss to coat.

Place pasta with sauce on plate, and top with chicken breast. Serve, passing additional Parmesan separately.

Milk Product Relationships

In Europe, the dairy world is much more expansive than the USA dairy world, as regulated by the FDA.

I've never found anyone who could tell me the differences between heavy/whipping/table cream/half and half, or where Germany's quark fits in (it's not found in the USA), or if crème fraiche differs from cream cheese, or how where cheese curds, cottage cheese, marscapone and buttermilk fit in the big picture...

Enter: this chart. Incredible! So glad to have it all laid out clearly.

Disclaimer: I've only made Jello once in my life. But I believe every culinary artist should know how to make a Jello creation. Just because.

It was discontinued in 2002, but the 3-layered-parfait always was a bit of a scientific wonder (creepy, even?) to me. Here's the homemade version Jello 1-2-3 recipe.

Jello 1 2 3

aka

JELL-O Magic Mousse

Three layers are made as the jello cools in the refrigerator.

prep time

10 min

total time

8 hr 10 min

makes 6 servings

Ingredients:
3 cups boiling water

1 pkg. (6 oz.) JELL-O Strawberry Flavor Gelatin

1 tub (16 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed

Directions:
ADD boiling water to gelatin mix in large bowl; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Whisk in COOL WHIP until well blended. (Mixture will be thin.)

POUR into 10 glasses or dessert dishes, 1-1/2-qt. bowl or 6-cup mold sprayed with cooking spray.

REFRIGERATE 8 hours or until firm. If using mold, unmold dessert onto serving plate just before serving.

Kraft Kitchens Tips

Shortcut

Is the COOL WHIP still frozen? No need to worry. Just follow the recipe as directed, using the still-frozen COOL WHIP. Just be sure to stir the gelatin mixture until the COOL WHIP is completely melted as directed before pouring into the glasses, dessert dishes, bowl or mold.

How to Halve Recipe

This recipe can easily be halved to make 5 servings. Prepare as directed, using 1-1/2 cups boiling water, 1 pkg. (3 oz.) JELL-O Strawberry Flavor Gelatin and 1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping. Pour into 5 glasses or dessert dishes, 1-qt. bowl or 3- to 4-cup mold sprayed with cooking spray.

Taken from this Kraft site:
Jello 1-2-3 QA answered:

Delightful Vanilla!

I grew up adding vanilla to everything. In fact, on and off through my young years, I tried to taste the liquid of the glass bottle: lulled by the intoxicating "siren smell," each time I renewed hope it would taste as sweet as it smelled.

Back then, we exclusively used Mexican vanilla in my mother's kitchen. Once you've had that, I think you never go back to "imitation vanilla" or "vanilla flavored" extracts.

I moved to Germany, where only a powdered "Vanilla Sugar" option is readily available, and that simply didn't work for me. Totally diluted in flavor, it is tasteless next to the Mexican variety.

Then my mom gave me a bottle of Azteca Vanilla after a Mexican cruise. Wow! According to the online reviews I'm reading, this brand is arguably one of the best -- and safest -- Mexican vanillas (doesn't contain coumarin).

Further, it is a clear vanilla (as opposed to a dark opaque color), so you can use it in white cakes or frosting without adding color. It is so strong in flavor that I dilute it with water, in most recipes. Therefore, 28 months later, my 250 ml bottle is still 2/3 full, after much baking.

Only caveat: good luck finding it online! Otherwise, pick it up on your next Mexican vacation.

All I can say further is that every dessert I've made in the last two years has been met with requests for my recipes. And I'm not even that great of a baker. It is that good, peeps.

I'm just not sure how to break it to people that it's the Mexican vanilla -- which definitely they can't find anywhere near here -- and not my baking that should take any credit....

Oriental Pasta Salad

(recipe from my sister-in-law's sister)

2 cups chicken (cooked and chopped)
1 1/2 bags baby spinach
3 cans mandarin oranges
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1 6 oz. bag craisins
2 cans water chestnuts
1 bunch green onions
6 oz. honey roasted peanuts
16 oz. bowtie pasta (cooked and well drained)

Mix Together:
1 cup oil
2/3 cup vinegar
2/3 cup teriyaki sauce
6 T. sugar
1 t. salt

Add pasta to dressing and let set overnight. (Can be shortened if time necessitates.)

Add the rest of the ingredients before serving.

She adds:
I don't go by the amounts above. I use the 16 oz. of pasta, but just eyeball the rest. If you don't like peanuts, or sunflower seeds, or whatever, eliminate them. The dressing is what makes this salad soooo good.

Sachertorte: Viennese confection

Here’s a delightful interpretation of this Viennese treasure:

Cake Ingredients
5 oz. softened butter
A half cup sifted powdered sugar
8 egg yolks
8 egg whites
5 oz. bittersweet chocolate
Two-thirds cup of flour
A half cup sugar
2 tablespoons apricot jam

Glaze Ingredients
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate
2 tablespoons butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Cream together butter and powdered sugar. Add 1 egg yolk at a time, mixing until creamy. Melt the 5 oz. bittersweet chocolate in a double boiler or microwave; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Fold in flour. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites and sugar until stiff. Fold into chocolate mixture. Pour batter into a lined 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 50-65 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack. Heat apricot jam and smooth over entire torte, including the sides. For glaze, melt the 8 oz. bittersweet chocolate with butter and frost the cake. Serve with whipped cream.

Makes 8-10 servings.