Weekend Company #13 {Guest Blogger Debra}

One week people. That's right. Seven days from now, the countdown will be over. The stockings will be hung and the children will be nestled in their beds! I found out this week that we are hosting Christmas Eve for Adam's family this year, and I have to admit, I'm pretty excited. The menu planning is half the fun! It will only be 9 of us, but we are certain to eat well, be merry and have a fabulous time!

I want to give my guest today an extra special "thank you" for being a last minute replacement. She was kind enough to respond to a request on Facebook, and I'm so grateful. I'm extra excited to have her share w/ you today b/c she not only has a blog, but has also written a cookbook, AND.....she won the Pillsbury Bake-Off in 1994!!! I am truly honored to have her here today!

So please welcome Debra to EMM and be sure to stop by and visit her soon!

Hello my name is Debra Freeman and I love to cook for my family and friends. I would love for you to be able to share in the genuine simplicity of that pleasure. Good food brings family and friends together. My Mom was my biggest influence in me learning how to cook. She had the reputation as being the best cook in town. My Mom passed away many years ago and I wanted to make sure that her recipes and mine were passed onto my family members and friends. 

My cookbook "Let the Feasty Begin" contains a wide variety of recipes for all occasions, and I can see where this will be the most used cookbook in your kitchen. It is a comprehensive collection of favorites. Also some of the recipes have optional ingredient substitutes that make the dish healthier without cutting flavor. There are recipes that will make your fat cells sing,healthy,and lots in between. I post a recipe about once a week. 

                     You can follow me at  Facebook- Let the Feasty Begin page, Blog- LettheFeastyBegin.blogspot.com and you may purchase my cookbook online at my website www.LettheFeastyBegin.com.  If you are local to the Frederick area you will see that my book is for sale in Downtown Frederick at Molly's Meanderings.

Hot & Crunchy Chicken

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, 4 to 6 oz. each
• 2 cups Panko bread crumbs
• 1 tsp. plus ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 egg, beaten
• ⅛ cup milk
• ⅓ cup canola oil
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• ⅓ cup honey
• cooking spray

Trim all fat and cartilage from chicken and place inside a Ziploc bag. Place on top of cutting board and with a meat mallet, hammer breasts to about ¼ inch thickness. Set aside.

Place bread crumbs on a large flat plate. Then beat egg and milk in a small bowl. Rub ⅛ tsp. of cayenne pepper evenly on one side of chicken breast then flip over and do the same on the other side until all chicken breasts are coated with cayenne. Dredge chicken into egg, then press into bread crumbs.Heat up a large 14 inch and a small 8 inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add oil to large skillet and spray small skillet with cooking spray. Add pecans to small skillet stirring occasionally for about 4 minutes to toast pecans. Add honey and ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper to toasted pecans, mix well. Turn off heat to pecans and set aside.

As soon as oil is hot in large skillet add chicken breasts one at a time. Cover with a splatter screen and cook for about 3-5 minutes on each side, or until no longer pink in center.

When chicken is ready, remove from skillet and drain on paper towels. Then place chicken on plate and evenly divide honey pecan mixture over top of breasts. This sounds like a lot of cayenne but it really is not too spicy. Try serving this with Baby Red Mashed Potatoes with Pearl Onions and a green vegetable. 

Serves 4    Enjoy!