The Secret Recipe Club - Chinese 5 Spice Peanut Brittle

It's The Secret Recipe Club time again!!  This month we got a great blog Tami's Kitchen Table Talk.....this was really nice and exciting since Tami is also our Group D Hostess!  As I looked through her blog I found so many different recipes that I wanted to make but when I saw this recipe for Chinese 5 Spice Peanut Brittle I knew I HAD to make it.  Nanci and I have been talking about finding a good recipe for peanut brittle so it was a no brainer when I came across Tami's recipe.  I really love addition of Chinese 5 Spice into the peanut brittle.  Chinese 5 Spice is a combination of Szechuan peppercorns, Star Anise, Fennel, Cinnamon and Cloves. I'm a huge fan of Sweet and Savory so I couldn't wait to try it.  Also this brittle is made solely in the microwave, what could be easier than that?  I was right, it was easy and super delicious.  Everyone who tried it LOVED it.  I'm very excited to find this recipe and I'm already trying to concoct other ways to make "brittle" using this method.  Maybe pistachio brittle or curried almond brittle the combinations are endless.  Thank you Tami for letting us make something from your blog, it was a lot of fun and very yummy!

Ingredients:

½ C. light corn syrup

1 C. white sugar
1 C. dry roasted peanuts
¾ tsp. Chinese 5 spice powder
1 tsp. butter
1 tsp baking soda

Preparation:

Make sure to measure all ingredients carefully. Very light grease a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside. Do not be tempted to oil the pan with a heavy hand because that will result in oily brittle.  I used the Reynolds Wrap Release Foil and it worked perfectly.  In a large glass bowl that will fit into the microwave, stir together the corn syrup, sugar, peanuts and 5 spice powder until thoroughly mixed together.  Microwave on high for 6 minutes.  Stir in the butter and microwave for an additional 30 seconds.  Remove from microwave and gently stir in baking soda until the mixture is light and foamy.  Now you need to work quickly!!  Using a rubber spatula that has been sprayed with cooking spray, scrape the mixture out onto the greased baking sheet. Smooth out to a thin layer and allow to cool for at least 1 hour.  Once cool, break the brittle into pieces and store in a well-sealed container.

Here's a variation we made with cashews and pistachios!  So delicious

The Secret Recipe Club - Crispy Eggplant, Tomato and Mozzarella Salad

We are so excited because this is our first month joining the Secret Recipe Club.  This is how it works.  A large group of blogs are assigned another blog in which they need to make a recipe from.  It's a secret! We can't tell anyone whose blog we have been assigned.  Once we choose a recipe we re-create it and then all the blogs post their recipes on the same day. We then get to see who had our blog and see what recipe from our blog they decided to make.  It's a great way to get to know new foodie friends!  This month we were assigned to JBean Cuisine.  I loved all of her delicious recipes and her use of spices that most people don't use very often.  A South East Asian Cuisine theme runs throughout her blog which was exciting since I absolutely LOVE Indian and Thai spices and flavors.  Although funny enough I chose a recipe that was very simple and straight forward because I knew my husband would love it and also I thought it would take a really pretty picture.  There's nothing wrong with wanting a pretty picture to display is there?  Here is The Perfect Stack......Delicious cripsy eggplant, tomatoes, mozzarella and fresh basil. YUM!

The Perfect Stack:

Crispy Eggplant, Tomato and Mozzarella Salad

Ingredients:

1/2 small eggplant
1 clove of garlic, peeled and sliced in half
1/4 cup flour
salt and pepper to taste
2 – 3 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium tomato, sliced into 1/4 inch slices (or however thick you like)
3 slices of mozzarella, about 1/4 of a ball, sliced into desired thickness
3 small leaves of basil
2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar reduction
1 teaspoon olive oil (optional)

TIP:  To make the balsamic reduction, simply heat 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.  Allow the vinegar to reduce by half, or until it coats the back of a spoon **

Preparation:

For the Eggplant:

Slice eggplant into 1/2 inch slices.  Rub both sides of the eggplant slices with garlic cloves (switch garlic halves about half-way through).

Sprinkle both sides of the eggplant with salt and pepper.

Place flour in a shallow bowl. One by one, place each piece of eggplant into the flour, press down lightly to coat the eggplant evenly.  Tap lightly to remove extra flour.

Heat a large frying pan (or sauté pan) over medium-high heat.  Add the oil and heat until glistening.

Add the eggplant slices and pan-fry for 2-3 minutes per side.  Keep careful watch as not to burn them.  If they brown too quickly, lower the heat.

Flip each slice over and cook the other side, until nice and crisp (and golden brown).

Remove from frying pan and place on paper towel to drain off excess oil.

To Assemble the Salad:

Place a piece of the fried eggplant on your plate, top with a slice of tomato, then 1 slice of mozzarella and top that with 1 leaf of basil.  Repeat the layers until all ingredients are used up.

Drizzle the salad with the balsamic vinegar and 1 TBSP of olive oil (if desired).

Enjoy!