Pecan-crusted Chicken with Sweet Mustard Dressing

This is a great recipe. Easy enough to prepare on week-nights, but elegant enough for the week-end. Makes 4 servings

Chicken:
1 egg white
1 1/2 cups pecans
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 lb chicken tenders or chicken breasts
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Dressing and greens:
1/4 cup peach preserves
2 T stone-ground mustard
1 tsp cider vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp blsck pepper
1 garlic clove, pressed
2 T vegetable oil
4 cups mixed baby greens

For chicken, lightly beat egg white in bowl. Finely chop pecans and place in second bowl. Combine salt and cayenne pepper in small bowl. Slice chicken into 10-12 pieces. Sprinkle cayenne pepper mixture over chicken. Dip chicken into egg white, then into pecans, pressing pecans into chicken.

Add oil to skillet. Heat over medium heat 1-3 minutes. Cook chicken 2-3 minutes or until deep golden brown. Turn chicken over. Cook an additional 2-3 minutes or until centers of chicken are no longer pink.

For dressing, whisk together preserves, mustard, vinegar, salt, black pepper, garlic, and oil in small bowl. To serve, toss greens with some of the dressing. Drizzle remaining dressing on cooked chicken strips.

Maple-Butter Blondie Sundaes

(This is my favorite dessert from Applebee's...luckily I found this copycat recipe in the most recent issue of Food Network Magazine).

For the blondies:

10 TBSP butter, at room temperature
1 cup walnut pieces
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
3 eggs
2 TBSP vanilla
6 oz white chocolate (chips or chunks)

For the topping:

1/3 cup maple syrup
6 TBSP butter
1/4 cup heavy cream

Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Walnut pieces for garnish

Make the blondies: Preheat the oven to 350. Pulse 1/2 cup walnuts in food processor until almost fine. Wisk the ground nuts, four, baking powder and soda, and salt in medium bowl.

Beat butter and the brown sugar with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 mintues. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Beat in the vanilla. Gradually beat in the dry ingredients. Fold in the white chocolate and the remanining walnuts.

Spread the batter in a 9x13 pan and bake for about 30 minutes. (I did mine at 28 and they were a little too crunchy on the ends...

For the topping: Place the maply syrup and butter in a small suacepan over medium heat and cook until the mixture bubbles and thickens, swirling the pan, about 6 minutes. Add the cream and continue to cook until the mixture is like caramel.

Serve blondies warm with ice cream, topping, and nuts.