Champagne Chicken

I have only been to Carrabba's once. I went to the original Carrabba's on Kirby (still owned and operated by the Carrabbas and Mandolas and not part of the chain) to settle a bet about the best mussels in Houston. My pick was Cafe Rabelais and my friend's was Carrabba's. I won the bet and I haven't been back to Carrabba's since. This recipe from See Aimee Cook intriqued me nonetheless, I have not had the champagne chicken at Carrabba's, but this dish is amazing. I adore champagne, it is my most favorite beverage. The champagne flavor comes through beautifully and the meal comes together in under 30 minutes, perfect for a weeknight.

Carrabba's Champagne Chicken

¼ cup + 2 tablespoons flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
½ pound mushrooms, quartered
½ cup dry champagne
¾ cup half and half
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon tarragon
8 ounces angel hair pasta, cooked and drained

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

Mix together the ¼ cup flour, salt, pepper, and grated Parmesan. Pound your chicken to ½ inch thickness. Dredge them thoroughly in the flour mixture, until well coated.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet on medium high heat. Brown each piece of chicken until done, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan and place on a baking sheet, keep warm in the oven.

Add the mushrooms and 2 tablespoons flour to the pan. Sauté for about a minute. Add the champagne and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits. Reduce the sauce by half. Whisk in half and half, red pepper flakes and tarragon. Salt and pepper to taste. Heat until sauce thickens to a creamy consistency. Serve chicken and sauce over angel hair pasta.

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Secret Recipe Club: Reese's Cheesecake Brownie Bars

This is my first month to participate in the Secret Recipe Club. I was so excited to join, I really enjoy the recipe swap I participate in and this takes it to the next level. I received Inside BruCrew Life in the swap. She has so many amazing dessert recipes in her blog, I knew that is what I had to choose. And who can resist brownies+Reeses+cheesecake? Not me, so Ultimate Reeses Cheesecake Brownie Bars was the obvious choice.  They were delicious!  I had to send most of them in with C to his office or else I would have eaten them all the week before we left on vacation to Bali.  And eating an entire pan of Reese's Cheesecake Brownie Bars doesn't help one become bikini ready...no matter how delicious they were, I had to resist.  I had one and it was amazing.

Reese’s Cheesecake Brownie Bars

16 Reese’s peanut butter cups
1 package brownie mix
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 squares chocolate almond bark, melted
2 bags of Reese’s Pieces

Place the peanut butter cups in the freezer for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix brownies according to package. Spread in greased 9x13 pan. Beat cream cheese, butter and cornstarch until fluffy. Beat in milk, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Chop up the peanut butter cups and stir into the cream cheese mixture. Spoon the cream cheese mixture over top of the brownie batter. Bake 40-45 minutes. Cool. Drizzle with melted chocolate and sprinkle Reese’s Pieces on top. Cut into bars and keep refrigerated until ready to eat.

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Molasses and Mustard Pork Tenderloin

It had been awhile since we have had pork tenderloin, so I had garlic mustard pork tenderloin on the weekly menu.   I was serving lemon rosemary garlic potatoes with the tenderloin, so I wanted to nix the garlic from the pork tenderloin.  I adapted the recipe from Bon Appetit and I was thrilled with the result.  The added bonus, Miss F and C ate every single bite.  The pork was moist and the crust was sweet with a mustard-y bite.

Molasses and Mustard Pork Tenderloin

¼ cup mild-flavored (light) molasses
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, divided
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons coarse-grained mustard
1 ¾ -pound pork tenderloin

Whisk molasses, 2 tablespoons vinegar, and both mustards in small bowl to blend. Place pork in heavy-duty re-sealable plastic bag. Pour marinade over. Seal tightly and refrigerate 4 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Roast the pork until the internal temperature reaches 130 degrees, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the pork from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes.

Cut pork crosswise on slight diagonal into ½ inch-thick slices and serve.

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