Spicy Chicken & Sausage Pasta

Hi Guys!

I'm back!  I'm six weeks post surgery and doing well.  I had a spinal stimulator implanted to help with the chronic back & ankle pain I've been dealing with for years.  So far so good.  Praise God!

I made a really yummy pasta dish last night and made sure to take some pics so I could share with y'all.  It's pretty quick & easy, too.

SPICY CHICKEN & SAUSAGE PASTA

1/2 lb smoked sausage, sliced into thin pieces
1-2 boneless chicken breasts (or thighs), cut into cubes
1 onion, diced
1/2 a bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup water
1 (10 oz) can Rotel tomatoes & green chilies
1 splash Worcestershire sauce
1 TBS cane syrup (or honey)
salt/pepper
1 lb Rotini pasta (or penne, bow ties, ziti, etc)

Bring a big pot of water to boil for the pasta.  Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Brown the sliced sausage on both sides.

Once browned, remove the sausage to a plate and set aside.  Add the chicken to the rendered sausage drippings.  Season it with salt and pepper and brown on both sides.

Once browned, remove the chicken to the plate with the sausage and set aside.  You should have some brown bits on the bottom of the skillet.  This is called gratin in Cajun cooking.  It adds a ton of flavor to food.  We are going to get those bits up by adding the onion and bell pepper.  While they cook, the water in them will help release the bits from the skillet.
 

Cook the veggies down for about 5 minutes or until softened.

Next, add the chicken broth and the water then scrape the rest of the brown bits up.

Now add the Rotel tomatoes.  I zip them in a blender first because my picky guys don't like chunks of tomatoes.  But you don't have to.

Then add a splash of Worcestershire sauce and 1 Tablespoon of cane syrup (or honey). 

Return the sausage and chicken to the skillet.

Let this simmer for 10 minutes or so until the pasta is done.

When the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it to the skillet.

Stir well to incorporate.  Taste it to see if it needs more salt or pepper.  It has a bit of spice so you may not need any pepper unless you like it really hot.  You can garnish with green onions or parsley.

This dish is warm and filling.  Serve it with a salad or green vegetable for an easy supper.  Give it a try and let me know what ya think.

Chicken and Bacon Bow Ties

Hi Guys,

Sorry it's been a while.  I've been dealing with more ankle trouble.  Ugh.  But, life goes on and I just try to roll with it. 

I usually write a menu for the week, then make a grocery list based on what I need to make the dishes on my menu.  I always check the fridge, freezer and pantry to see what's there.  That way, I only buy what I need.  However, tonight I had to wing it.  There were a couple of boneless chicken breasts in the fridge that I needed to cook.  So, I scrounged around and found the ingredients to make Chicken and Bacon Bow Ties.  Wow!  It came out great!  Here's how I did it:

CHICKEN AND BACON BOW TIES

2 slices bacon, chopped
2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 cup chicken broth
1 TBS butter, optional
12 oz bow tie pasta
Salt & Pepper
Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

Put a big pot of water on to boil for the pasta.

Place the chopped bacon into a big skillet.  Then turn on the heat to medium.  Putting it in a cold skillet keeps it from shriveling up too much. 

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is just crispy, careful not to over cook it.

Remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.  Discard all but 1 TBS of the bacon grease.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper then add it to the hot skillet. 

Cook over medium-high heat until lightly browned on both sides.

Remove the chicken from the skillet.

Add the onions to the skillet.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until light golden.

Add the diced tomatoes with juice.  Use your spoon to scrape up the brown bits on the bottom of the skillet.  That's great flavor you want in your dish!

Then, smash the tomatoes with the spoon to release their juice even more.

Add chicken broth and return the chicken and bacon to the skillet.

Add the butter.  This is optional but it gives the sauce a nice silkiness. 

Now, let this simmer for 10-15 minutes to reduce and thicken.  If you time it right, your pasta should be done at the same time.

Drain the pasta then add it to the skillet.  Stir well to combine. 

You can garnish this pasta with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.  A little fresh basil or parsley would be nice, too.

This pasta was very good.  It had a slight smokiness from the bacon and a sweetness from the sauteed onion.  The whole family enjoyed it.  Then my daughter's friend came over and had some.  When I asked her if she liked it, she showed me her empty bowl.  So, I guess that's a yes.  Enjoy!

Simple Chicken Stir Fry

If you're looking for an easy recipe that you can whip up in no time, this one's for you.  It's quick, simple, healthy and yummy.  

SIMPLE CHICKEN STIR FRY

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into thin strips

12 oz thin spaghetti

salt/pepper

onion powder

garlic powder

1/3 cup soy sauce

3 TBS vegetable oil

3 TBS sesame oil, divided

1 TBS white wine vinegar (or rice wine vinegar)

1 pkg frozen stir fry vegetables

sesame seeds, optional

green onions, optional

Season the chicken strips with salt. pepper. onion powder and garlic powder.  Add vinegar and 1 TBS of the sesame oil.  Stir well and let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti to al dente (that just means it still has a little bite to it, not mushy).

Heat a large skillet (or wok) over medium-high heat.  Add vegetable oil.  When hot, add chicken strips and brown them, stirring occasionally.  

When the chicken is done, remove from the skillet to a plate and set aside.

Add the frozen stir fry veggies to the hot skillet.  Stir and cook until thawed and hot.

Return the chicken to the skillet.

Add the soy sauce.

Add the remaining 2 TBS of sesame oil.  Stir well.

Add the cooked and drained spaghetti.

Using tongs or 2 forks, toss the spaghetti until completely incorporated.

Taste it to see if it needs more salt and/or pepper.  Season to taste and toss.

Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions, if desired.

I like to serve this with frozen eggs rolls or wonton soup.  Here is a link to my easy wonton soup recipe if you're interested:  Chinese Food at Home

Easy, yummy and much better for you than take out!  Enjoy!

Crawfish Spaghetti

We had a crawfish boil for my daughter's 21st birthday this past weekend.  Her boyfriend came down from New York so we had to school him on Cajun food and traditions.  He loved the boiled crawfish!  Of course, we bought too much (we always over do) so I peeled the leftover crawfish and made a delicious pasta dish today for lunch.  He loved this dish, too.  I like this kid, he knows good food.

I have been making this simple recipe since I was a teenager.  I would use the left overs every time we had a crawfish boil, which was often.  We lived on the river so all of my Aunts and Uncles and Cousins would come over to our house and we'd hang out and boil crawfish.  Some of my best memories are of those boils.  Many members of my family have passed on, but I will always have those memories to remind me of my childhood.  Isn't it wonderful how food can create such lasting memories.

CRAWFISH SPAGHETTI

1/2 lb crawfish tails
1/2 an onion, diced
1/2 a bell pepper, diced
2 green onions, sliced (plus more for garnish)
1 TBS oil
2 TBS butter
1/2 cup chicken broth
Cajun Seasoning (or salt and pepper)
1/2 lb. spaghetti
2 TBS reserved pasta water

Boil a big pot of water to cook the spaghetti.

Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add oil and butter.

Add the onion, bell pepper and green onions.  Season with Cajun Seasoning.

Cook until limp, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add crawfish and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add broth and simmer about 10 minutes.

When your spaghetti is cooked, reserve some of the water you boiled it in.  Add 2 TBS of this reserved pasta water to the crawfish mixture and stir (this helps the sauce cling to the pasta).

Stir the drained spaghetti into the crawfish mixture.  You can do this in the skillet or, if it's easier, dump the pasta and the sauce mixture into a large bowl and toss well.  Garnish with extra sliced green onions.

This pasta dish is simple, but delicious.  You could easily swap out the crawfish for shrimp if you'd rather.  This would be a great weeknight dinner because it's so quick to make.  It has a great buttery, spicy flavor.  Ca cest bon!