PrettyGirlFood

Chinese Food: General Tso’s Chicken Combo

(Source: theblogaboutstuff.com)

Macarons

(Source: flickr.com)

Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (pounded to ¼-inch thickness)
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 egg (beaten)
½ cup breadcrumbs
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon dried parsley
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
vegetable oil (for frying)
½ cup marinara sauce
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a pie dish or shallow plate combine breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, thyme, parsley, oregano, and paprika. In another pie dish or shallow plate add the flour and in yet another pie dish or shallow plate add the beaten egg. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken first in flour, then dip in the egg, and then dredge in the breadcrumb and parmesan mixture.

Step 2: Heat about ½ inch of vegetable oil in a large deep skillet to medium high heat. Add chicken and cook until the chicken is browned on one side, flip and cook until browned on the other side (do not cook all the way through). Remove the chicken from the pan and place into a greased oven safe baking dish. Top each chicken breast with marinara sauce.

Step 3: Place into the oven and bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked (the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees). During the last few minutes of cooking top each chicken breast will shredded mozzarella cheese.

(Makes 2 Servings) 

Chocolate Pâte à Choux

Dutch Apple Pie

1 homemade or store bought pie dough

Filling:
5 medium Granny Smith apples
4 medium McIntosh apples
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream

Streusel:
1 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornmeal
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted



Prepare a 9 inch pie plate placing the pie dough in the center of the plate, easing dough into pan corners by gently lifting dough edges with one hand while pressing around pan bottom with other hand. Trim dough edges to extend about 1/2-inch beyond rim of pan. Fold overhang under itself; flute dough as desired, refrigerate or freeze dough-lined pie plate until firm, about 1 hour in refrigerator or 30 minutes in freezer. 

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Remove dough-lined pie plate from refrigerator or freezer and press doubled 12-inch piece heavy-duty foil inside pie shell and fold edges of foil to shield fluted edge; distribute 2 cups ceramic or metal pie weights over foil. Bake, leaving foil and weights in place until dough looks dry and is light in color, 20 to 25 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights by gathering corners of foil and pulling up and out. Continue to bake until pie shell is golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Remove from oven.

For the apple filling: Peel, quarter, and core apples; slice each quarter crosswise into pieces 1/4-inch thick. Toss apples, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in large bowl to combine. Heat butter in large Dutch oven over high heat until foaming subsides; add apples and toss to coat. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until apples are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in raisins; cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until Granny Smith apple slices are tender and McIntosh apple slices are softened and beginning to break down, about 5 minutes longer. 

Set large colander over large bowl; transfer cooked apples to colander. Shake colander and toss apples to drain off as much juice as possible. Bring drained juice and cream to boil in now-empty Dutch oven over high heat; cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and wooden spoon leaves trail in mixture, about 5 minutes. Transfer apples to prebaked pie shell; pour reduced juice mixture over and smooth with rubber spatula.

For the streusel topping: Combine flour, sugars, and cornmeal in medium bowl; drizzle with melted butter and toss with fork until evenly moistened and mixture forms many large chunks with pea-sized pieces mixed throughout. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spread streusel in even layer on baking sheet. Bake streusel until golden brown, about 5 minutes; cool baking sheet with streusel on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle streusel evenly over pie filling. Set pie plate on now-empty baking sheet and bake until streusel topping is deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack and serve. 

Chocolate Cake