One of my favorite things to do is try new recipes. In fact, I probably do it too much, I need to build up my repertoire of go-to recipes more. A couple of months ago, the Food Network released about 4 or 5 episodes of "The Pioneer Woman", which I was excited about as I've visited her blog frequently. On one episode she made a pasta that I was surprised looked so tasty to me, as I'm not a huge fan of peppers, onions, or food that is too spicy. But I was determined to try it, and finally, last night, I did. Besides the fact that I used way too many dishes and felt a little frazzled getting everything ready for the short cooking times (next time I would totally prep throughout the day), my efforts paid off. It really was delicious: it wasn't too spicy (I think the heavy whipping cream was a nice addition to tame the spice), the peppers and onions completely added to the dish (in fact, I went back to the pot to retrieve more of them), and the cajun flavoring was wonderful (which, by the way, I made my own with ingredients I had on hand). I was so glad that my instincts of what looked good won over my instincts of what sounded good. I couldn't wait to eat the leftovers for my lunch today...I think I may have enjoyed it even more this time!
Here are a couple of pointers if you decide to try the recipe out:
-If you don't think your kids will eat it, just set aside some plain pasta and top it with butter and parmesan, that way you don't have to make a completely separate meal for the kiddos.
-As I mentioned before, prep when you have time throughout the day. Cut up the chicken and season it, chop up all the veggies and store in the fridge, and get all the ingredients ready by the stove so you can put it together quickly.
-I halved this recipe since I knew only James and I would be eating it. I did make a whole pound of pasta, but just saved half in a plastic bag with a little bit of olive oil (so it doesn't stick to itself) to be used throughout the week. I believe you can even freeze pasta like this.
Find the recipe for Cajun Chicken Pasta here. And the cajun seasoning mix here.
