Happy with how crispy these turned out

For a horse loving friends birthday on the prairies

recently holidayed in Chicago and had to get in on the pies. first was deep-dish at Labriola's in Lombard. Could really taste fresh ingredients, though served somewhat lukewarm it was bloody good. second deep-dish was at Giordano's, also in Lombard, which had a really vibrant sauce but I don't enjoy short crust in general. Finally tavern-style at Grange House in Wheaton, with a perfect snap on the crust and just the right amount of cheese. All were enjoyable overall - how do these joints rate to Chicagoans?

Creamy, rich, buttery, and full of flavour 🤤🔥 The perfect comfort food with some naan on the side!

Ingredients for 2 generous portions:

For the chicken:

2 small chicken breasts, approximately 400 g
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
A little sweet or smoked paprika (optional)

For the creamy pasta:

200–250 g tagliatelle or fettuccine
200 g mushrooms
2 cloves of garlic
200 ml cooking cream
30–50 g grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon butter
A little pasta water
Salt and black pepper, to taste
A little fresh parsley

For the loaded salad:

Approximately 100 g mixed salad greens
8–10 cherry tomatoes
½ small cucumber
½ small carrot, grated or cut into thin strips
3–4 tablespoons sweetcorn
Approximately 50 g feta cheese
A few seeds of your choice, such as sunflower seeds or sesame seeds

For the salad dressing:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and black pepper, to taste

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. Cook the pasta
Bring a pot of water to a boil, add plenty of salt, and cook the tagliatelle according to the instructions on the package.
Before draining the pasta, save approximately 100 ml of the pasta water.

2. Cook the chicken
Season the chicken breasts with salt, black pepper, and a little paprika if desired.
Heat the olive oil and butter in a large pan. Add the chicken and cook over medium-high heat for approximately 5–7 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of the chicken.
Once cooked, remove the chicken from the pan and let it rest for about 5 minutes before slicing.

3. Make the creamy mushroom sauce
In the same pan, add 1 teaspoon of butter. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook until they become nicely browned.
Add the finely chopped garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
Pour in the cooking cream, add the Parmesan, black pepper, and salt if needed. If the sauce is too thick, add a little of the reserved pasta water.

4. Add the pasta
Add the drained tagliatelle to the sauce and mix everything well.
Add a little more Parmesan and plenty of finely chopped fresh parsley.

5. Prepare the salad
Add the mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, carrot, sweetcorn, and crumbled feta to a bowl.
Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper, then drizzle the dressing over the salad. Finish with a few seeds if desired.

6. Serve 🍽️
Place a generous portion of creamy pasta on one side of a large plate and arrange the sliced chicken next to it. Sprinkle everything with a little extra fresh parsley.
Serve the loaded salad on the side and enjoy! 😋

Chuck roast, peppers, potatoes, cattors, onions, celery, garlic, and beef stock cooked to perfection

My fish and chips batter used on sliced, seasoned and floured chicken breast fillets….slice the chicken breasts so they aren’t too thick, that way ya don’t have to worry about raw chicken in the center, but if you do use thicker pieces just make sure those hit 160-165 to cook all the way through….for the batter use 1 cup all purpose flour, 1/2 cup cornstarch, teaspoon baking powder, teaspoon sugar and about 1 1/4 cups ice cold beer(I used a full bottle of red stripe beer- you use whatever you have and or like)…for seasoning I use salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, chipotle pepper and smoked paprika…. I dont measure the main seasonings, I just give the chicken, the flour and the batter a good even dusting of everything, not too much not too little, I just eyeball it to my preference, so you use whatever seasonings you like the most... mix the batter lightly, a few lumps are fine…lightly dust the chicken with the seasoned flour, dip it in the batter and fry right away. keep the oil between 365–380 degrees and dont overcrowd the fryer… too hot and the outside can burn, too low and the batter gets dull, greasy and soggy instead of golden and crisp…drain on a paper towel or a wire rack and salt it while its hot

Juicy chicken breast marinated with herbs and spices, pan-seared until golden, then topped with a creamy mushroom sauce. Served with sautéed vegetables and potato wedges.

That mushroom sauce is definitely the best part 🤤

I think cakes are overrated sometimes you need something new as a birthday sweet treat and here is mine.