Chicken Costoletta (Cheesecake Factory Copycat)

We don't go often to the Cheesecake Factory, usually once or maybe twice a year. But whenever we do, my daughter and I always get the same thing: Chicken Costoletta; which is basically a chicken cutlet with a creamy lemon sauce. I think she's a lot like me in the sense that we don't like to have a lot of choices. Give me 3-5 things to choose from and I'll pick one. Give me 100, I go for the simplest thing I can find. If you have never been to their restaurant, their menu is huge with a lot of different varieties of food to choose from. Each time we go, we'll spend some time looking at the menu and then always wind up getting the same thing we normally do. We always say we'll split one entree, but like I said, we don't go often so we forget how big their portion sizes are and always wind up taking the majority of the meal home x 2.

So recently I decided to surprise her for dinner one night and make our favorite Cheesecake Factory dish at home. This recipe for Chicken Costoletta was definitely a close second to the original and had all of the same flavors we love. On the healthy scale? Not so much, but I'm a sucker for anything lemon. The recipe looks a little intimidating with a lot of ingredients, but it really isn't any more difficult than breading and frying chicken cutlets. Most of the ingredients I already had on hand in my pantry except for the heavy cream. I don't buy that unless I know specifically what I'm using it for. If you want to lighten this up a bit, I'm sure fat free half and half would work just as well.  ~Enjoy!

Chicken in a Tomato Vodka Sauce

If you're looking for a simple chicken dish to make at home with a restaurant feel, then this is it. It's especially nice if you're looking to host a large get together as you can prepare this the night before, then place in the oven to finish cooking when you're ready. If you are looking to prepare this for a crowd, I would suggest you purchase chicken tenderloins instead so that it makes the pieces uniform in size and there is less work since you won't have to slice the chicken into portion sizes. The sauce is wonderfully light and the combination of fresh tomatoes, vodka and a touch of heavy cream give this dish an aromatic flavor. Serve this with rice and a vegetable or salad and you have a complete meal. 

Chicken in a Tomato Vodka Sauce
Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes  Total Time: 1 hour    Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 4- 6oz. Boneless Chicken Breasts
• 3/4 c. All-Purpose Flour
• 2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3 Scallions, chopped
• 5 Roma Tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 c. Vodka
• 2 c. Fat Free Chicken Broth
• 1 Lemon, zest and juice
• 1/4 c. Heavy Cream

Directions 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Slice chicken horizontally in half and pound to even them out in thickness. 
3. Add the flour to a bowl; then dredge the chicken in the flour. 
4. Heat the oil in a large nonstick saute pan and allow the chicken to cook until lightly browned on both sides (approximately 3-5 minutes per side). Remove the chicken and place in an oven safe baking dish. 
5. In the same pan add the scallions, tomatoes, vodka, chicken broth, lemon zest and juice and heavy cream. Whisk together, bring to a boil then pour the mixture over the chicken. 
6. Place the dish in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. 

Enjoy! 

Nutrition Facts 

Calories 217, Carbs 11.2g, Fat 6.1g, Protein 21.5g, Fiber 1.2g, Sugar .7g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

Chicken in a Tomato Vodka Sauce Shopping List

Penne with Avocado Pesto

What do you do when you have about eight ripe avocados sitting on your kitchen counter that were supposed to be used for guacamole to feed sixteen hungry teenage girls, but then the function gets cancelled? You have to find ways to use it up before they go bad! Hey..these things are expensive! So I pureed half of them and made this Avocado Pesto. It was deliciously creamy, though it always garners funny looks from the family when I serve them green food. Tune in tomorrow when I share what I made with some of the other avocados!


Penne with Avocado Pesto
Total Time:  30 minutes        Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Penne Pasta (I used Barilla Plus)
• 1/4 c. Fresh Basil, chopped
• 4 Avocado
• 1/4 c. Pecorino Romano Cheese
• 2 Garlic Cloves
• 1 Lemon, juice only
• 2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 c. Grape Tomatoes, cut in half
• Kosher Salt, to taste
• Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat with a little salt; then add the pasta. Cook until the pasta is al dente; then drain. 
2. Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit and scoop out the fleshy, green part; then add it to a food processor.
3. Next, add in the cheese, garlic, lemon juice and oil. Pulse until well blended and creamy. It should have a smooth consistency. 
4. Place the cooked pasta in a large bowl; then add the tomatoes and avocado pesto. Mix well. 

Enjoy! 

Nutrition Facts

Calories 505, Carbs 62.1g, Fat 23.1g, Protein 15.8g, Fiber 12.4g, Sugar 3.8g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

Penne with Avocado Pesto Shopping List

Michael Psilakis' Ladolemono (Copycat)

Before I share today's recipe, I had to show all of you this picture I received over the weekend. The picture is of a 10 year old girl making a recipe from my cookbook. I know there are many of you that stop by Carrie's Experimental Kitchen on a regular basis and I'm so glad I can encourage you to try new recipes in your own kitchen. It especially made me glad that I've inspired someone so young to form a new passion. Her mom is a friend of mine and has told me she flips through the book all of the time looking for something new to make, but her favorite recipe is Bruschetta. SEE, if my recipes are easy enough for a 10 year old, you can do it too! Thank you all for reading and following along on my daily kitchen experiments, I truly appreciate each and every one of you. <3

Ok and now for today's recipe, which technically isn't one of my own, but rather one I found while reading through one of my food magazines recently. I loved the simplicity of it so much, that I had to share it with all of you as well. I came across this recipe for Ladolemono created by Michael Psilakis; which is a citrusy Greek sauce that is traditionally served with lamb, chicken or fish.

Since I love the flavors of fresh squeezed lemon juice, oregano, Dijon mustard and extra virgin olive, I decided to use it as a marinade instead of a dipping sauce for grilled chicken. The Ladolmeno was deliciously light and really made the grilled chicken extremely moist.

For my version, I used fresh oregano instead of the dry Greek oregano the recipe called for since that is what I happened to have on hand. Click here for the recipe: Michael Psilakis' Ladolemono. 

Enjoy!

Chicken in a White Wine Sage Sauce

I wanted to make a new chicken dish that used sage, since I needed it for another recipe I was making and had some left over. I came up with this Chicken in a White Wine Sage Sauce and it was perfect! I served it with some rice (because my family likes to add whatever sauce I'm cooking with on top of it!),   Maple and Sage Glazed Petite Carrots and a tossed salad. 

Chicken in a White Wine Sage Sauce
4-6oz. Boneless Chicken Breasts
2 tbsp. Butter

1/4 c. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 c. + 2 tbsp. All Purpose Flour
1 c. Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
1 1/2 c. White Wine (I used Chardonnay)
1/4 c. Fresh Sage, chopped
1 tbsp. Dijon Mustard

Directions:
1. Slice the chicken horizontally into halves or thirds depending on the thickness. (I got a total of 14 pieces of chicken with mine); then pound them to make sure they are even in thickness. 
2. Add 1/4 cup of flour to a bowl and dredge the chicken in the flour. 
3. Heat the butter and olive oil in a non stick saute pan and when hot, add the chicken. 
4. Fry on both sides until lightly browned and cooked through, then remove and place in an oven safe baking dish. Repeat until all pieces have been cooked. 
5. In the same pan, add the 2 tbsp. flour to form a roux; then add in the chicken broth, wine, sage and mustard. 
6. Mix well until it starts to become slightly thickened; then pour over the chicken.
7. Place the chicken in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Makes 14 pieces. 

*Nutritional Information per Piece of Chicken: Calories 136, Carbs 3g, Fat 6.7g, Protein 10.3g, Fiber .1g, Sugar .3g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into CalorieCount and may not be 100% accurate.

Did you know?

The official name for sage is 'Salvia Officinalis'. It is a shrub-like plant with a slightly peppery flavor, woody stems, grayish looking leaves, blue-purple flowers and is native to the Mediterranean region. Not only is sage wonderful to cook with, it also has medicinal purposes including to heal snake bites, increasing a women's fertility, antisweating agent, and making essential oils. 

Enjoy! 

Chicken in a Lemon Butter Sauce

How many of you are over 40? Well if you're not there yet, let me tell you that once you pass that milestone the brain goes. I don't know where it goes, but information is cycled in and out on a daily basis and you only get to keep what's happening in the near future in the forefront. That is until you wake up in the middle of the night remembering something that was funneled in at one point and you forgot all about it. Now, these can be REALLY important things or things that in the grand scheme of things aren't as important but they matter nonetheless. Which brings me to today's post. 

About 2 weeks ago, I woke up and remembered that my Aunt Renee had asked me if I had a Chicken with Lemon Butter Sauce recipe. At the time, all I had was a Chicken Francaise recipe (which is in the cookbook), but she said that wasn't it as it wasn't battered in egg. So I told her I'd make it soon and gone it went into the abyss! It's generally hard for me to make something that I haven't tasted before myself, but this one seemed easy enough. Well, at least I hope it's the same thing she was thinking of. 

So I made this Chicken with Lemon Butter Sauce in honor of my aunt and I hope she likes it. Since she lives in Michigan and I'm in New Jersey, it's not like I can have her try it out with me there. I know we all loved it and I paired it with white rice and steamed spinach, because isn't rice that much better when you have a sauce to put on top of it? Now if only I could remember what that abbreviation means on a date in my calendar! 

Chicken in a Lemon Butter Sauce
4-6oz. Boneless Chicken Breasts
1/2 c. All-Purpose Flour
3 tbsp. Canola Oil
2 tbsp. Butter
Lemon Butter Sauce; see below

Directions:
1. Slice chicken horizontally into three or four thinner pieces, then pound flat using a meat mallet. 
2. Dredge the chicken into the flour until all pieces have been coated.
3. Heat oil and butter in a large non-stick saute pan, then add the chicken. Allow to brown and cook through on each side; approximately 3-5 minutes per side depending on their thickness. 
4. Once done, place in an oven safe dish until all of the pieces have been cooked. 
5. Top with the sauce, then bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes. Serves 6 (approximately 12-14 pieces of chicken)

Lemon Butter Sauce
2 tbsp. Butter
1 Garlic Clove, minced
3 tbsp. All-Purpose Flour
2 c. Low-Sodium/Fat Free Chicken Broth
1 Lemon, zest and juice
1 tbsp. Chives
1 tsp. Fresh Thyme, removed from stem
Kosher Salt, to taste
Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan and add the garlic. Saute for 1 minute, then whisk in the flour forming a roux. 
2. Gradually add in the chicken broth, whisking as your pouring so as not to form lumps. 
3. Next, add in the lemon zest and juice, chives, and thyme. Bring to a boil then allow to simmer for 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper. 

*Nutritional Information per Piece of Chicken (I got 14 pieces out of mine): Calories 130, Carbs 4.8g, Fat 7.4g, Protein 10.7g, Fiber .6g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into CalorieCount and may not be 100% accurate.

Enjoy!

Fettuccine with Sausage Puttanesca Sauce

This sauce has been on my "to make" list for quite some time, but I was waiting for the right moment. You see, my children never particularly cared for Kalamata olives or capers (or as they lovingly refer to them as "deer poop"...yes I know, I have two comedians on my hands here), but I've been adding them into some of the foods I've been making little by little and they have eaten and liked them each time, just not on their own. 

So when I met Joi, from the Joi of Pickles, at a recent craft fair and book signing event, I just had to try her Kalamata olives. These olives were so fresh and the best part, they were already pitted! I figured I'd make a puttanesca sauce with them and also decided to add in some sausage since I had already taken it out of the freezer. This sauce was INCREDIBLY flavorful with the pungent flavors of garlic and olives and the briny, lemon flavor from the capers. 

Fettuccine with Sausage Puttanesca Sauce
1 lb. Fettuccine
Prepared Sausage Puttanesca Sauce

Sausage Puttanesca Sauce
5 Links Italian Sweet Sausage, casings removed
2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 c. Red Onion, chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, chopped
3 Plum (Roma) Tomatoes, chopped
1 c. Kalamata Olives, pitted and chopped
2 tbsp. Capers
1/2 c. Red Wine (I used a dry Tuscan)
1/2 c. Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
1/4 c. Tomato Paste
Fresh Ground Red Pepper, to taste

Directions: 
1. In a large saute pan, heat 1 tbsp. oil and add the sausage; then break apart using a wooden spoon. Saute until the meat is cooked through and no longer pink. 
2. In a separate pan, heat the remaining 1 tbsp. oil and add in the onion, garlic, tomatoes, olives and capers. Saute until the onions start to turn translucent; then add in the wine, chicken broth, tomato paste and red pepper. Stir well, then add in the cooked sausage. Simmer on low for 10-15 minutes;
3. Boil a large pot of water and cook pasta according to package directions; drain water. 
4.  Pour the thick sauce over the cooked fettuccine and toss; coating all of the pasta. Serves 6. 

Enjoy! 

It will speed up the preparation process if you assemble all of  your ingredients prior to making the sauce by getting all of your chopping done at once and putting them all in a bowl. 

If you're looking for a Vegetarian option, omit the sausage and use vegetable broth in place of the chicken broth. 

Well, this is it. My last post for 2012. I can't believe this year is coming to a close. It's been a pretty exciting year filled with both good and bad memories, but I'm looking forward to what 2013 has in store.  CEK will be taking some time off to spend quality time with family and friends; and enjoy the spirit of the holiday season. I'll be back January 2, 2013 to ring in the new year with more experiments and I hope you'll follow along on my adventures. 

Thank you for visiting Carrie's Experimental Kitchen 

and from our family to yours, we wish you a joyous 

holiday season and Happy New Year!   ~ Carrie

Shared on Weekend Potluck 1/4/13

Braised Chicken and Red Potatoes in a White Wine Rosemary Sauce

All-in-one dishes like this one are great for busy, weeknight meals. Just brown your meat and add in the remainder of your ingredients until it's all done. This is also a wonderful meal to prepare the night before or over the weekend as it reheats beautifully. 

Braised Chicken and Red Potatoes in a White Wine Rosemary Sauce
8 Chicken Thighs, bone-in, skin removed
2 c. White Wine (I used Sauvignon Blanc)
2 tbsp. Fresh Rosemary, chopped
3 Medium Red Potatoes, cut in chunks
4 Garlic Cloves, rough chop
1-2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:
1. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a Dutch oven or large pot, then brown the chicken on both sides. You may need to do this in two batches(which is where you may need additional oil). Remove the chicken and set aside. 
2. Add the wine, rosemary, garlic and potatoes to the pot; scraping the bits off of the bottom of the pan and bring to a boil. 
3. Add back in the chicken, cover the pot, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Serves 4-6. 

*Nutritional Information per Serving(based on four servings): Calories 462, Carbs 26.6g, Fat 15.8g, Protein 41.2g, Fiber 2.9g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into CalorieCount and may not be 100% accurate.

Enjoy! 

Chicken in a Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce

I might have mentioned that we recently started a new tradition with our nieces and nephews to celebrate their birthdays. You see, they're all older now (the youngest 17 the oldest 24) and there are no more family parties to celebrate. 

Being that was usually one of the few times we got to see them during the year (besides Christmas for some of them), we decided to have them come for dinner on their own and I will make whatever they would like to have. Since we just started this new tradition this past August, the two nieces in line both wanted Chicken Francaise for their invidual dinners. I had some chicken left over and decided to use up some ingredients I had in the refrigerator to clean it out. 

Now, I'm not usually one for cooking with a lot of cream sauces, but everything taste good in moderation, right?!  This chicken dish was so good, even though the picture doesn't do this recipe justice! Gabrielle is already thinking that this recipe was so good that it is in the running to be her birthday dinner (in December) as well. A far cry from two years ago when all she wanted was chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese. 

I have to laugh because people ask me a lot about this blog and the book and it's hard to communicate just how easy these recipes really are to recreate at home. Now all I have to do is tell them that my 10 year old can go on my blog, type in the search box, print out the recipe and makes some things herself (with supervision of course, I don't want her burning down my new kitchen!). This puts a HUGE smile on my face as it's the reason I started all of this to begin with. A living, written legacy through food for my children, what could be better than that? :)

Chicken in a Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce
10 Chicken Tenders, uncooked
1/2 c. All-Purpose Flour
2 tbsp. Canola Oil
1 tbsp. Butter

Directions:
1. Heat oil and butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. 
2. Pound chicken flat using a meat mallet, then dredge in flour. 
3. Fry chicken in the oil and butter mixture until chicken is cooked through; approximately 3-5 minutes per side. 
4. Place chicken in a baking dish and pour the Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce over the top. 
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Serves 4. 

Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce
1/3 c. Sun Dried Tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp. Butter
1 tsp. All-Purpose Flour
1 Garlic Clove, minced
1 tbsp. Fresh Basil, chopped
1 Scallion, chopped
2 tbsp. Pecorino Romano Cheese, grated
1 c. Heavy Cream
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Melt butter in a saucepan; then add in the tomatoes, basil and scallions and cook approximately 1-2 minutes. 
2. Add in the flour, cheese and heavy cream and bring to a boil; then let simmer for 5 minutes until sauce is slightly thickened. 

Enjoy!  

Braised Chicken with Cremini Mushrooms in a Frangelico Cream Sauce

Every now and then my experiments don't come out as I had originally anticipated, but I'm usually able to tweak the recipe so that it's edible or in this case FANTASTIC. My kitchen is no different than yours, trust me!

Let me start from the beginning...

The reason for creating this dish to begin with was because as my brother in law John was combing through his liquor cabinet recently, he came across several bottles of Frangelico given to him as gifts. As much as he enjoys it, he would never drink that much so he asked me if I wanted to take a bottle home and make something with it.  And, being Me, I accepted of course....I just love a food challenge!  For those of you unfamiliar with the liquor, it is hazelnut flavored and sweet and usually not used in cooking savory dishes, but rather in sweet recipes like desserts. The challenge was on! 

I started out with a concept of braising chicken thighs and making a reduction out of the Frangelico, but a couple of things happened along the way.  

1. The chicken thighs I had purchased were skinless AND boneless; which made the cooking time shorter than I had anticipated. I did adjust the recipe below to use the bone-in thighs and cooking time. 

2. As I tried to reduce the sauce, it just boiled away and never thickened. So I added the flour and heavy cream to turn it into this cream sauce. 

If you read this blog frequently, you will notice that I tend not to make a lot of dishes with cream sauces as I'm trying to avoid obvious ingredients known to be extremely high in fat since my last cholesterol check was a little high, but luckily I had purchased some heavy cream for a dessert I needed to make and had some left over to use in this dish. 

Thankfully, it all came out perfect in the end. The family loved it despite the craziness happening in the kitchen as I was trying to get this dinner ready on a night where we had to be on a tight time schedule for sports practice pick ups. And of course, I just HAD to stop to take some pictures. Ahhh...the life of a food blogger! 

Braised Chicken with Cremini Mushrooms in a Frangelico Cream Sauce
8 Chicken Thighs, bone-in and skinless 
1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
10oz. Cremini Mushrooms, washed and halved
1 tbsp. Fresh Rosemary
2 tbsp. All-Purpose Flour
1/2 c. Frangelico (or other Hazelnut liquor)
1/4 c. Red Wine (I used a Chianti)
1 c. Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1/2 c. Heavy Cream

Directions:
1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large pot, then add in the chicken thighs. Lightly brown on all sides, approximately 5-8 minutes, then remove chicken and set aside. It will not be fully cooked at this point. (You may have to do this in batches). 
2. Once all of the chicken has been removed from the pan, add in the mushrooms and rosemary and saute until the mushrooms start to soften. . 
3. Next, stir in the flour, then add in the Frangelico and red wine; mix well. 
4. Add in the chicken broth and heavy cream and mix all ingredients together until it forms a slightly thickened sauce. 
5. Add back in the chicken and simmer on low for approximately 30 minutes to finish cooking off the chicken. Serves 4. 

Enjoy! 

*Tip: You can also substitute boneless chicken breasts; however, I would dust them with flour, brown in the oil and set aside. Then create your sauce separately to pour over the chicken. 

Happy Halloween! 

Lemon Thyme Pesto

Believe it or not, you can make a pesto out of just about any leafy fresh herb. Here, I had an abundance of lemon thyme in my mini garden and experimented with this recipe. Lemon thyme has a sweet and lemony flavor which is light, so it's great to use with poultry, fish, pasta or sauces.  Pesto is so simple and quick to make. Just pop all of your ingredients into your food processor and in 5 minutes you have fresh pesto you can use in your recipes. This one I used in some risotto (recipe to follow!). 

Lemon Thyme Pesto
1 c. Lemon Thyme, removed from stem
1 Garlic Clove
1/4 c. Pignoli Nuts
2 tbsp. Pecorino  Romano Cheese, grated
3 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:
1. Add the thyme, garlic, nuts and cheese to a food processor or blender and pulse until well blended. 
2. Next, gradually add the oil until the mixture forms resembles a paste-like consistency. 
3. Use immediately or store in an air tight container in the freezer for later use. Makes 1/2 cup. 

*Nutritional Information per Tablespoon: Calories 84, Carbs .6g, Fat 8.6g, Protein 1.2g, Fiber .5g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into CalorieCount and may not be 100% accurate.

Enjoy! 

Fried Green Cherry Tomatoes with Avocado Ranch Dipping Sauce

Welcome to Day 2 of Tomato Week here at CEK! 

I love waking up on a Sunday morning, having a cup of tea with my hubby before the kids get up and finding a movie on tv to watch while the house is quiet. A few Sunday's ago, that movie happened to be the 1991 film, Fried Green Tomatoes written by Fannie Flag. I just love this movie and can watch it over and over again, but the thought of making fried green tomatoes intrigued me. I had tried them out years ago and loved them, but never made them again. No real reason, I guess I just forgot. So when my father in law asked me to go pick more of his tomatoes, I grabbed some green ones this time too. 

I thought a dipping sauce to go with nicely with these and had recently been to Chili's restaurant where I tried some of their avocado dip they served with their southwestern egg rolls. So I cheated here a little bit and made this simple Avocado Ranch dip using bottled ranch dressing. These were crispy and delicious and the cool flavor of the creamy dip against the piping hot tomatoes was incredible!  These would make a great appetizer or side dish. 

Fried Green Cherry Tomatoes with Avocado Ranch Dipping Sauce
12 Green Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 c. Flour (I used All-Purpose)
Egg wash (1 Egg + splash of 2% Milk)
1/2 c. Italian Flavored Breadcrumbs
Canola Oil, for frying

Directions:
1. Prepare three separate bowls for the flour, egg wash and breadcrumbs. 
2. First dip the tomato halves into the flour, then into the egg wash, and finally the breadcrumbs. Repeat for all pieces. 
3. Heat some oil in a frying pan, just enough to coat the bottom of the pan. 
4. Add the tomatoes and fry 2-3 minutes per side until lightly browned. 
5. Remove the tomatoes from the pan and drain on paper towels or brown paper bags to remove excess oil. Serve immediately with dipping sauce. Serves 4. 

Avocado Ranch Dipping Sauce
1 Avocado
1/2 c. Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing

Directions:
1. Cut the avocado in half to remove the pit. 
2. Scoop out the insides and add to a mini food processor or blender. 
3. Add the ranch dressing and pulse until well blended and creamy. Makes 1 cup. 

Enjoy! 

*Tip: Best when served hot, immediately after frying. They didn't reheat well when placed in the microwave.