Cajun Chicken Pasta

Before our little munchkin came along, my husband and I used to go out to eat for nearly every meal. Yeah we were those people. I tried planning to cook, but we almost always ended up going out anyway. Now that I'm a stay-at-home mome, we are only able to go out a few times a month, so I've spent alot of time trying to recreate some of my favorite restaurant dishes in the kitchen. I found this recipe over at The Pioneer Woman, and it reminds of the Cajun Pasta from Red Lobster that I looove. It's not quite as creamy as the restaurant version, but it has a lot of spice and flavor. As with any homemade dish, you can control the ingredients to make it healthier, so I use low-fat heavy cream (when I can find it) and whole wheat pasta. If you haven't yet made the switch to whole wheat, pasta is a great place to start. The taste and texture are virtually the same, and it is much much more filling than regular pasta. You can adjust the spices to your liking, but be careful of your men in the kitchen...mine kept coming in and adding more spice to his liking. Needless to say, ours was super spicy.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

Adapted from: The Pioneer Woman

2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts,cubed
3 teaspoons Cajun Spice Mix, More To Taste
1/2 box of whole wheat linguine
2 Tbs Olive Oil
2 Tbs Butter
1/2 Green Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced
1/2 Red Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 can Chicken Broth
½ cups White Wine
1 cup Heavy Cream
Cayenne Pepper To Taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
Salt To Taste

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain when pasta is still al dente, and set aside.
2. Sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun spice over chicken pieces. Toss around to coat. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a heavy skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and cook until done. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a clean plate, leaving pan on high heat.
3. Add remaining olive oil and butter. When heated, add peppers, onions, and garlic. Sprinkle on remaining Cajun spice, and add salt if needed. Cook over very high heat for 1 minute, stirring gently and trying to get the vegetables as dark/black as possible. Remove all vegetables from the pan.
4. With the pan over high heat, pour in the wine and chicken broth. Cook on high for 3 to 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Reduce heat to medium-low and pour in cream, stirring/whisking constantly. Cook sauce over medium-low heat for a few minutes. Add vegetables back into the pan, and cook the sauce for 5-8 minutes until the cream starts to thicken the mixture. Add in chicken.
5. Taste and add freshly ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, and/or salt to taste. Sauce should be spicy! Add drained linguine and toss to combine. Let sit for 3-5 minutes before serving. Sauce will thicken upon standing.

Makes 4 servings.

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

I used to be a boxed meal eater. You know, Hamburger Helper, flavored rice, mac and cheese, and Tony Sacheres Jambalaya mix. I loved that jambalaya mix. I'm sure I still would if I was still a box eater. But I'm not.
You see, my husband and I have made a commitment to eat as few packaged/processed foods as possible. Not only do they have overly processed ingredients and preservatives, the packaging only adds to the enviromental problems in the world today. (I do have my vices, but I do my best!) If you are interested in learning more about packaged foods, I encourage you to view the documentaries Food, Inc. and Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution.
So given the fact that we have made this commitment, I can't exactly have my beloved jambalaya mix anymore. But no worries, it's super easy to make at home! It took me awhile to find a recipe that was close to my favorite box mix. I found this recipe over at Foodie Bride, and it was just what I was looking for. Spicy and flavorful, and no tomatoe sauce. Please don't put tomatoe sauce in your jambalaya, it totally ruins the magic. Enjoy!

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

Adapted from: Foodie Bride

1 tbs butter

1 tbs olive oil

1 medium onions, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 tsp cayenne
1/2 lb smoked sausage, sliced

Tony Cachere’s, to taste
2 chicken breasts, cubed

2 bay leaves
2 cups rice

2 cups water
2 cups chicken stock
1 bunch green onions, chopped

1. Heat the butter and oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, salt and cayenne. Stirring often, brown the vegetables for about 15 minutes, or until they are caramelized and dark brown in color. Scrape the bottom and sides to loosen any browned particles. Add the sausage and cook, stirring often for 10 to 15 minutes, scraping the bottom and sides to loosen any browned particles.
2. Season the chicken with Tony Cachere’s. Add the chicken and the bay leaves to the pot. Brown the chicken for 8 to 10 minutes, scrapping the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned particles.
3. Add the rice and stir for 2 to 3 minutes to coat it evenly. Add the water and stock, stir to combine, and cover. Cook over medium heat for 30 to 35 minutes, without stirring, or until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Remove the pot from the heat and let stand, covered for 2 to 3 minutes. Add more Tony Sachere's to taste. Remove the bay leaves. Stir in the green onions and serve.

Cajun Red Beans and Rice

Red Beans and Rice is a staple in our house. It should be a staple in everyone’s house, I mean in only costs around five bucks for the whole pot. Maybe six bucks if you serve it with cornbread, which I highly recommend. It’s filling and flavorful, without very many ingredients. Beans aren’t difficult to cook, but they do take a couple of hours, so it’s a good meal to make on a weekend. I used turkey sausage to lower the fat, but feel free to use beef or andouille sausage in yours. I used to use the quick soak method when making beans, then one day I decided to just put everything in  the pot and let them go and they turned out pretty much the same. So if you have used the quick soak method*(see note) before and like it, feel free to do so. If you’re impatient like me, skip the quick soak, and have dinner an hour earlier. Enjoy!

Cajun Red Beans & Rice

Original recipe

1 lb (2 cups) Dry Red Beans
12 cups water
3-4 Tbs Cajun Seasoning (or more to taste)
¼ cup dried onions
3 bay leaves
1 lb turkey sausage, sliced

1. Add all ingredients to a large pot and mix. On high heat, bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Turn down heat to medium and let simmer uncovered 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
2. Once beans have softened a bit, mash some of the already broken beans against the side of the pot and stir to thicken the soup. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Let simmer another ½ - 1 hour, until beans are soft and soup has thickened a bit. Remove bay leaves from pot. Serve with rice and/or cornbread.

*Quick Soak Method: Place dry beans in a pot and just cover with water. Bring to a boil for 2-3 minutes, then turn off heat and let sit, covered for one hour before cooking.