Cajun Chicken Pasta

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This is one of my all time favorite “quick and easy” dinners. I usually have all the ingredients on hand, so I’ll turn to it on those nights when dinner doesn’t go as planned. Coincidentally, those are usually the same nights that a heaping helping of pasta in a luxurious cream sauce is just what the doctor ordered. It’s got a ton of flavor, and a good kick of heat. But, not too much – the boys are both able to enjoy it. Feel free to scale down or amp up on the seasoning per your liking.

I like the addition of chicken stock to the sauce. It’s a great way to inject flavor into a dish, that doesn’t involve a ton of fat or calories (which, would be the case if this weren’t a cream sauce). The wine is a great touch, but if you don’t have a bottle open, I’d just skip it. Then again, you could see it as an excuse to open a bottle. Whatever floats your boat! It’s also absolutely wonderful with shrimp swapped out for chicken.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon Cajun spice mix
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
½ onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 whole Roma tomatoes, diced
2 cups chicken broth
½ cups white wine
1 cup cream
Cayenne pepper, to taste
1 pound cooked fettuccine
2 scallions, chopped (for garnish)

Sprinkle 2 teaspoons Cajun spice over both sides of the chicken breasts. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to skillet, and cook on one side until well browned, about 5 minutes. Flip, and cook other side for about 4 minutes longer, or until juices run clear. Remove to plate and set aside. Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add peppers, onions, and garlic. Sprinkle on remaining Cajun spice, and add salt if needed. Cook over medium high heat until peppers and onions are tender. Add tomatoes and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Remove all vegetables from the pan to a plate, and set aside.

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, whisking constantly. Cook sauce over medium-low heat for a few minutes, until cream starts to thicken the mixture. Add cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to taste. Add the vegetables to the sauce. Slice the chicken breasts into 1/2″ thick strips, making sure to include all the juices that have drained into the sauce. Stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until mixture is bubbly and hot. Add drained fettuccine and toss to combine. Serve chicken strips on top of pasta. Sprinkle with scallions for garnish, if desired.

Source: adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Chicken, Sausage, and Shrimp Gumbo

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Gumbo. What’s not to love? I actually have a funny story involving gumbo, so spare me a minute.  The year was 2005, and we were flying down to see my husband’s (actually, we weren’t even engaged yet. He bought the ring on the trip!) mother in Texas. Since Norfolk’s airport has very  few direct flights, we had a layover in Charlotte, NC. There were horrible storms over Texas, so it was delaying our final leg of the stretch. We waited for hours, finally loaded onto the plain at 1 AM, only to discover that the plane was having mechanical problems and the flight was finally canceled and rescheduled for the morning.

In all the waiting and delays, we struck up conversation with a very nice gentleman whom had been to visit his mother, and was heading home. He carried with him a plastic bag, filled with 2 containers of gumbo that had been frozen in order to transport back to Texas. By 1 in the morning, it had been thawed out for hours, and the poor guy reluctantly threw it in the trash. I remember feeling bad for him, but not really understanding what all the fuss was about in the first place.

“Gumbo Guy”, I can now say that I feel your pain. A couple of months ago, I finally broke down and made this Cajun staple. I thought it would be something I’d make for the boys, but that I wouldn’t really enjoy. So wrong. The roux  is the backbone of gumbo, and adds so much depth of flavor. I’ve made this a couple of time now, once with fresh okra, and once with frozen and didn’t notice much of a difference. Some folks use okra as a thickening agent, and others use filé (ground sassafrass ro0t). But, apparently it’s a cardinal sin to use both! So, I stuck with the okra. I have some filé in my spice cabinet though, so I think I might try that next time around to see if it lends different flavor. If you’re looking for a dish to celebrate Mardi Gras, look no further. This makes enough to feed an army, and it virtually takes care of itself on the stove. Can’t beat it with a stick!

Chicken, Sausage, and Shrimp Gumbo

2 lbs. chicken legs or thighs, bone-in and skin-on
Salt
1 lb. andouille sausage, sliced (or spicy Italian sausage, crumbled)
½ cup + 2 tbsp peanut or other vegetable oil
1 cup flour
2 green bell peppers, seeded and diced
4 stalks celery, diced
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. tomato paste
2 tbsp. Cajun spice mix
4 cups chicken stock
4 cups water
½-1 lb. okra, sliced into discs
1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 green onions, chopped
Chopped fresh parsley, for serving

In a large stockpot or Dutch oven set over medium-high heat, add 2 tbsp oil and heat until shimmering.Set the chicken pieces skin side down to brown.  Season the side facing up with salt.  Cook 4-5 minutes without moving.  Flip the chicken pieces over and brown on the opposite side.  Remove the browned chicken pieces to a plate and set aside.  Add the sausage to the pan and cook until well browned.  Remove to the plate with the chicken.

The amount of fat remaining in the pot should be about ½ cup.  Add the additional peanut or vegetable oil to the pot.  After the oil has heated for a minute or two, stir in the flour.  Stir this mixture together almost constantly for the first few minutes, then every couple of minutes or so thereafter.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the roux until it becomes fairly dark, about the color of coffee with a bit of cream mixed in.

While the roux is cooking, combine the chicken stock and water in a separate pot and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat and maintain at a simmer.

When the roux has reached the appropriate color, stir in the diced green pepper, celery and onion.  Mix well.  Let cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and cook for about 2 more minutes.  Mix in the tomato paste.

Using a large ladle, gradually add the hot chicken stock mixture to the pot.  It will sizzle and seize as the roux absorbs the liquid.  Continue adding the stock, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pot.  You may not need the full amount of liquid but add enough so that it is slightly more watery than you want the final product to be since the mixture will cook down over several hours.  Stir in the Cajun spice mix and add more to taste.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and return the chicken pieces to the pot.  Let simmer gently until the chicken meat falls easily away from the bones, about 90 minutes.  Remove the chicken pieces and let cool slightly.  Return the sausage to the pot with the gumbo, and stir in the sliced okra.  Shred the cooked chicken meat, discarding the skin and bones (or saving for a later use).  Add the shredded chicken pieces back to the gumbo.  Cook the gumbo for an additional hour or more, until the gumbo has reached your desired final consistency. During the last five minutes of cooking, stir in the uncooked shrimp. Season to taste with salt.

Before serving, stir in the green onions and sprinkle with the parsley.  Serve over rice or with crusty bread.

Source: adapted from Hank Shaw of Simply Recipes; via Annie’s Eats

Yakitori

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I believe that there are probably close to a million ways to marinade and skewer chicken. That being said, I’d say that yakitori (or, Japanese skewered chicken) would have to be near the top of the  list for me. I’ve mentioned before that I took an International cooking class at my local community college a couple of years ago, and this delicious chicken was one of the dishes I familiarized myself with during the course.

I couldn’t find the original recipe that I jotted down from class, but this version was very close to what I remembered. I used boneless chicken breasts this time, but I think they’re even better with boneless, skinless chicken thighs. With a bit of steamed rice and broccoli, it’s a wonderful (and healthy!) weeknight meal to add to your menu soon.

Yakitori

3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons sake
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs (cut into 1″ pieces)
1 bunch scallions (cut into 1 inch long pieces)

Mix the soy, mirin, sake and sugar and marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes.  Skewer the chicken and green onions in alternating order.

Grill the skewered chicken, over medium-high heat,  basting it with the marinade until the chicken is cooked – about 15 minutes.

Source: adapted slightly from Closet Cooking

Chicken and Dumplings

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Here, on the Eastern Shore, chicken & dumplings might as well be a food group. My mom made chicken or turkey and dumplings as I was growing up, but she made drop dumplings. Tender, biscuit-like little pillows. Fluffy dumplings. While they were delicious, they were never my favorite. My first “slick” dumpling was at the local Chincoteague Fire Department Pony Penning dinner. The Ladies Auxiliary sells tickets for a chicken & dumpling dinner, served immediately following the saltwater cowboy’s return to the carnival grounds with the wild horses that have made the swim. It’s really more like lunch, considering it’s served at around noon – but, here on the shore lunch is “dinner”, and dinner is “supper”.

After my first bite at the fair grounds, I was sold on rolled dumplings. Thick, chewy pieces of eggless pasta – swimming in a rich chicken broth, with lots of tender pieces of chicken. Comfort food at it’s finest! Once I married a man from the island, I knew I had to get my chicken & dumps recipe straight. Like I said before, for a Chincoteaguer, it’s almost a food group. For a couple of years I used dumplings I found in the freezer section, which is well and good. But, I knew I’d really take pride in making them from scratch. Flour, milk, and salt is all you need to make them happen. I usually do a double batch of the dumplings, as I’ve found this recipe doesn’t produce as many as I like. Homemade chicken stock is always your best bet, but a low-sodium store-bought stock is okay in a pinch. I’ll usually just pull the meat off a roasted chicken and refrigerate, make the stock from the carcass, and use the reserved chicken to combine with the dumplings.  A favorite dish in our home, it doesn’t get more comforting than this!

Chicken & Slick Dumplings

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus about 1 cup for rolling
11 ounces milk
1½ teaspoons baking powder
4 quarts chicken stock or broth
Meat from 1 roasted or rotisserie chicken
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
kosher salt
fresh chopped parsley, for garnish

Place flour, milk, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir just until the dough beings to come together. Using the paddle attachment, mix on medium speed for 1 minute. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes.

Place broth in a large dutch oven  over medium heat and bring to a rolling boil.

Lay down 2 large pieces of parchment or freezer paper and tape them to the counter (I have quartz countertops, and usually skip this step. Also, a pastry mat would be great too). Generously sprinkle the surface with flour, about 1/2 cup. Divide the dough in half. Roll one half of the dough 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick, generously sprinkling more flour onto the dough so that it is well coated. Slice the dough into 1-inch-wide strips and then into 1-inch squares. Set the dumplings aside on a sheet pan. Repeat with the second half of the dough.

When all of the dumplings are cut, gently drop them into the boiling broth, a handful at a time. Once all of the dumplings have been added, cook for 35 minutes at a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally. After the sauce has thickened well, add the chicken and pepper and stir to combine. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes, or just until the meat is heated through.

Source: adapted from Feasting on Asphalt: The River Run