Here is another copycat recipe

Published 10:56 pm Tuesday, April 22, 2008

I had no idea last week when I wrote my column about creating recipes based on restaurant food how much response I would get from it. I think that column generated more e-mails to me than any other column I have ever written. I’ve since found out from readers that there are lots of Web sites and books dedicated to unlocking the mysteries of restaurant and prepared foods recipes.

I can’t wait to wade through some of them this summer, while I am off, to see if they closely duplicate the real thing. I did try a couple of the ones people sent. Some were good recipes but not as close to the real thing as I would have liked.

Here is one of the ones that passed the test.

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I ate at the Cheesecake Factory in Houston once and everything we had was good. I didn’t have this dish there but if it is as good as it turned out for me it is probably a top seller. I did not have two kinds of fettuccine at my house so I just used the plain. This recipe serves four.

Cajun Jambalaya Pasta from the Cheesecake Factory

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 onion powder

2 skinless boneless chicken breast halves

1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled and deviened

6 ounces plain fettuccine

6 ounces spinach fettuccine

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 medium bell pepper, sliced

1 small red bell pepper, sliced

1 small white onion, sliced

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons white wine

Chopped fresh parsley

Mix the white pepper, cayenne pepper, salt, paprika, garlic powder and onion powder in a small bowl. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Sprinkle with about one-third of the seasoning mix. In another bowl sprinkle another one-third of the seasoning mix over your shrimp.

In a large pot bring about 5 quarts of water to a boil and cook your fettuccine, just until tender. In a large skillet over medium high heat place one tablespoon of the olive oil. When the oil is hot sauté the chicken in the pan for about two minutes per side. Add the shrimp to the pan with the chicken and cook for another two minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the shrimp from sticking. When the chicken and shrimp are done pout them into a bowl and set aside. Do not clean the pan. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan. Add the tomatoes, peppers and onion to the oil when it is hot. Sprinkle the veggies with the remaining spice blend and sauté for about 10 minutes or until the vegetables are lightly browned.

Add the chicken and shrimp to the vegetables and pour 3/4 cup of the chicken stock in the pan. Cook over high heat until the stock has been reduced to only a tablespoon or two. Add the remaining 3/4 cup of stock. Don’t worry if the liquid becomes dark, this is it deglazing the pan and taking off the spices and pieces of chicken that stuck to the pan. Stir constantly, scraping the bottom of the pan. Turn the heat under the pan down to low. Combine the cornstarch with the white wine, stir until all dissolved. Add this to the pan and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly.

Serve over your fettuccine and sprinkle with the parsley for garnish.

Christina Hall can be reached by e-mail at chritsina.hall@natchezdemocrat.com.