Cajun Chicken Pasta

I found this recipe on Pioneer Woman and thought that there was a chance I could fulfill my husbands request to try to figure out the recipe for Rattlesnake Pasta from our favorite restaurant, J. Alexanders. Check out the original recipe here!

Here's a list of the ingredients... it's missing a few things... olive oil, cream and shredded Parmesan.



Ingredients;

pasta (I used Bertoli Fettuccine)
3 chicken breasts thinly sliced
Cajun seasoning (or white pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic and onion powder)
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 red pepper chopped
1 green pepper chopped
1/2 onion chopped
1 tomato thinly sliced
2 T. butter
2 T. olive oil
1 cup of cream
1 1/2 cups of chicken broth
1/2 cup of white wine
cayenne pepper
black pepper
parsley

Instructions;

1. In a large skillet heat 1 T. of butter and 1 T. olive oil. Thoroughly coat the chicken in Cajun seasoning. Add chicken to hot pan in a single layer. Cook 1-2 minutes on each side. Brown it the best you can while cooking it for the shortest amount of time. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside. (Cook your pasta according to directions.)

2. Add an additional 1 T. of butter and 1 T. olive oil to the pan. Keep it on high heat. Add the peppers, onion, garlic and some additional Cajun seasoning. Cook for about 2 minutes. If you'd like add the tomatoes and cook an additional 30 seconds... I ended up not adding the tomatoes because I remembered my husband hates cooked tomatoes... oh well! Remove the veggies from the pan and add them to the cooked chicken.

3. Keep the pan on high eat and add the chicken broth and wine. Cook for 3-5 minutes and be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan as the sauce boils. Reduce the heat to medium and add the cream, stirring constantly. As it thickens, add about 1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan, black pepper, cayenne pepper(and salt if you choose) to taste.

4. Once the Parmesan has fully incorporated, add the chicken and vegetables. Be sure to add the juice that has accumulated from the chicken and veggies. Stir until sauce bubbles and everything is hot.

5. Toss the sauce, veggie and chicken mixture with the pasta. Top with parsley and Parmesan and serve!

Enjoy! And look for a new recipe soon!

Pizza Pockets

This recipe was inspired by a recipe I saw at Tasty Kitchen. That recipe used homemade dough and some different ingredients... not quite my thing. This way, it's so simple you can whip it up for a weekend lunch!

Ingredients

1 tube of thin crust Pilsbury Pizza Dough

1/2 cup of pizza sauce

fresh mozzarella balls (Ciliegine)

shredded paremesan

2 T. butter, melted

garlic powder or garlic salt

Optional Ingredients; pepperoni, green peppers, ham, pineapple, any pizza topping!

**Ingredient Comments; This is a forgiving recipe! I used fresh mozzarella because we love it and always have it around. Shredded mozzarella or even mozzarella slices would work just as well. Same goes for the pizza sauce. We like the Contadina squeezable because it's easy to use and keeps well. If you don't have it available you can even use pasta sauce! And as far as toppings go, I'm not too adventurous. My husband likes pepperoni but my little guy and I are just cheese fans. I think you can really go wild here. How fun would little Hawaiian Pizza Pockets be (pineapple and ham, yum!)? Add whatever floats your boat!

Instructions

1. Pre-heat your oven to 400/425 degrees, or whatever your dough requires. You're also going to want to use a little flour on your work surface so the dough doesn't stick.

2. Roll out the dough, dust it with a little flour on top as well, and be sure to stretch it out (use a rolling pin if necessary) so that's it's roughly uniform in thickness.

3. Use a pizza dough cutter to cut the dough in 8 sections. (See picture below.)


4. Top each piece of dough with the two cheeses, sauce and any toppings you may want to use. Go easy on the sauce so you don't have any explosions during cooking, you can always serve some sauce on the side for dipping.

5. You have a few options when it comes to closing up the pockets... I tried the pyramid method and the envelope method. (I totally made said methods up, I'm just calling it as I see it. Refer to the picture below.) However you close them up, be sure to pinch the seams so they seal tight. You'll also notice that you can make a small open-faced personal pizza as well. This was to satisfy my two year old who refuses to eat anything he can't see.

6. This last step is optional but I think gives it a little something extra. Melt 2 T. of butter and mix in some garlic or garlic salt. Using a pastry brush (or a spoon), coat each dough pocket with the mixture.

7. Bake according to the dough directions, however, I did find it necessary to go about 4 minutes longer than recommended. Just be sure to keep an eye on things while they're cooking!

And that's it!! Enjoy!

Monkey Balls

This is my take on the ever popular morning treat, Monkey Bread.

1 can of Pilsbury Grand Butter Tastin' Biscuits
2/3 cup of sugar
2 T. of cinnamon
1/2 stick of butter
1/2 cup of brown sugar

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray your muffin tins well with Pam or cooking spray.

2. In a size bowl mix the cinnamon and 2/3 cup of white sugar.

3. Cut each bisuit in 4. Roll dough pieces in cinnamon sugar mix. (Get your kiddos involved, my two-year old loves to do this part for me!)

4. In a small sauce pan melt butter and stir in 1/2 cup of brown sugar... dont let it bubble.

5. After the pieces are coated put 2-3 pieces of dough into each muffin tin.

6. Spoon the butter/sugar mixture over each 'cup of dough' in the muffin tin. I usually do like 1 to 1 1/2 T. in each cup.

7. Use the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture to sprinkle some over the top of the dough before you throw it all in the oven.

8. Cook the biscuits according to the directions on the package! (I think it's 350 degrees for 14-17 minutes). Careful the sugar part is REALLY hot when it comes out! And be sure to take them out of the muffin tin while they're still warm!

This is one of our favorite morning treats and it's so easy to make! They even reheat well! Please note that if you don't have access to Pilsbury biscuits I'm sure you can substitute any other type of raw dough... just be sure to adjust the cooking temperature and times to suit your dough!

Enjoy!

Super-tons (a 'healthy' alternative)

I will admit that when I first made these I did not fry them in the canola oil, afterall I have to at least TRY to be healthy. So I will offer you an alternative to frying them...

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. After forming your wont-tons, spray a cookie sheet with Pam (or any non-stick cooking spray).

3. Place the wont-tons on the cookie sheet, flat side down.

4. Put the sheet in the oven for 7 minutes, then flip the won-tons over and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

The won-tons baked are very good (and much healthier to boot). I will admit, however, that frying gives them such a perfect, crunchy and delicate outer crust.... it's hard to resist!

Super-tons

The inspiration for this recipe came from these, Super (Appetizer) Bowls. They were featured on Tasty Kitchen and The Pioneer Woman. They were a big hit at the Super Bowl party this weekend but I felt that it needed a little something more! Here's what I did!

Ingredients
1 pkg. won-ton wrappers
1 pkg. ground turkey
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp. of fresh "zested" ginger
1/4 cup of finely diced onions
2 T. of soy sauce
2 tsp. of 'Chili Garlic Sauce' (add more or less depending on how hot you like it)
2 stalks of chopped green onion

You'll also need a large (preferably high-sided) frying pan and about a cup or so of canola oil.

**Ingredients Notes - Won-ton wrappers are not difficult to find! Jewel carries them in the produce section. I've included a picture of the package to help you on your search! We use ground turkey for everything. I like it so much more than ground beef, however, I suppose you could substitute ground beef if you so choose. If you're looking for a good ground turkey, Jennie-O Lean Ground Turkey is the only kind I will use. I understand not everyone has fresh garlic and ginger at their disposal. Powdered can be substituted but fresh really gives this dish the kick it deserves. My opinion on soy sauce is Kinkoman's is the ONLY way to go! The Chili Garlic Sauce is that stuff that is always on the table at Chinese and Thai restaurants, I included a picture but I have found that it's available almost anywhere!**

Instructions

1. Get the won-tons out so that they can come to room temperature.

2. Add onions, ginger, garlic and soy sauce to raw ground turkey. Mix well. Brown ground turkey of medium heat. It browns fast, don't let it over-cook. While you're browning the ground turkey, be sure to make sure it's as finely crumbled as you can make it, the smaller the better.

3. Once the turkey is browned, drain any excess fat.

4. Mince the green onions. You'll also want to get a small bowl of water to use on the won-tons.

5. Begin separating the won-ton sheets. One at a time put a spoonful of the meat mixture and a pinch of green onions in the middle of the won-ton sheet. Dip your finger into the water and trace all the way around the outer edge of the won-ton sheet. Fold the sheet in half to make a triangle, pinching along the edges. The won-ton package has a good drawing of this process. Once you have a triangle pinch together the outer corners, using a dab of water to seal it together.

6. You'll want to work quickly at this point because the won-tons dry out pretty fast. Once you're about halfway through, you're going to want to put the canola oil in your pan and get it turned on to between low and medium. If you have a splatter screen, you're going to want to keep that handy. The amount of oil you need depends on the size of your pan. You want enough to cover the bottom of the pan and a little bit more. Also, get a little pile of paper towels to set next to your pan to put the won-tons on when they're finished.

7. Finish up making the won-tons.

8. Put the won-tons in the pan about 6-8 at a time depending on the size of your pan. You're going to want them to sizzle. If they don't as soon as you put them in, kick the heat up a bit. Brown the won-tons on ALL sides.... this may take some maneuvering but you'll get the hang of it.

9. Serve warm with sides of soy sauce and the Chili Garlic Sauce. (Some people like Wasabi sauce, I'm not a fan, but if it works for you, knock your socks off!)

So, give it a try and let me know what you think! And if you find your own way to tweak it, please share that as well!

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