Cajun Chicken Pasta - On the Lighter Side

 This may be a lighter version of the normally cream laden Cajun Chicken Pasta, but you wouldn't know it once you get a taste. This dish is just as packed with flavor and just as satisfying as the more fattening version. The cream sauce is actually made by combining low fat cream cheese, low fat milk and flour, and mixing into broth to make this dish so creamy and delicious. There are tons of veggies and I used a whole grain pasta, so this was healthy as well as packed with flavor from the Cajun spices. We loved it, so I'm already planning to make it again in a couple of days.

 This dish comes together very quickly after you get all the vegetables prepped and the sauce started. So it is crucial to have everything ready to go before you begin cooking. I made a few adjustments to the recipe, but nothing major. I made my own Cajun spice mixture, so that I can better control the salt. I used a little more olive oil, and 2% milk instead of skim, plus a couple of other slight changes. Be sure to check out the original recipe at Skinny Taste. There are many great looking recipes there. Now here's the recipe for this fantastic dish. I hope you will give this a try.

Cajun Chicken Pasta (On the Lighter Side)
Adapted from Skinny Taste

8 ounces uncooked linguine-I used Barilla's whole grain spaghetti instead
1 pound chicken breasts, cut into strips
1-2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning- I used almost 3 by the time it was done
about 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 of a red onion, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
2 tomatoes, diced- I used Roma tomatoes
1 cup, fat free, low sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup skim milk- I used 2% because that's what we use
1 tablespoon flour
3 tablespoons light cream cheese
salt and pepper to taste
2 scallions/green onions, sliced

Directions:
1. Prepare all the vegetables, mushrooms and chicken.  Add the milk, flour, and cream cheese to a blender and  pulse until well combined and smooth. Set aside. Season the sliced chicken well with Cajun seasoning, and salt if needed. I used 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning on the chicken. Use more or less, according to your preferences.
2. Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions.
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and spray with cooking spray. (I used a stainless skillet, so I had to use 1 tablespoon oil.) Add sliced chicken to skillet and saute for 5-6 minutes until done. You may need to do this in 2 batches. When done, place chicken on a plate and set aside.
4. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet and reduce heat to medium. Add peppers, onions, mushrooms, garlic and a pinch of salt to skillet and saute 3-4 minutes. Add diced tomatoes and just heat through. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the chicken broth. when it simmers, stir in the cream cheese slurry, stirring until thickened about 2 minutes. Taste the sauce and adjust seasonings, if needed. I added a bit more Cajun spice at this point plus more salt.
5. Stir in the cooked pasta and heat through. Top with the sliced green onions and fresh ground pepper.  Boy is this good; Enjoy!

Red Beans and Rice

A few weeks ago I had a craving for Red Beans and Rice, which is odd considering that I had not made it before, except from a box many years back. So I looked for a recipe on Mary's blog where she has all things southern and Cajun. I was not disappointed as it is so good! I've made Red Beans and Rice twice now, and it has been deliciously spicy and full of flavor. I found that I can handle more pepper than I thought I could. I used a ham bone that I had left over from Christmas, stored in the freezer. This gave a wonderful, smokey flavor to this dish, more so than just using ham pieces. Ham hocks would be a good choice to use also. Here's how I made it;

RED BEANS and RICE

adapted from Deep South Dish

1 ham bone with ham cut off in pieces, or some diced ham, or ham hocks

1 package (14 ounces) Hillshire Farms Beef Sausage

1 pound dried small red beans (store brands were all that I could find)

2 tablespoon oil, or bacon grease

1 onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 large stalk celery, diced

2-3 cloves minced garlic

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon, or more of cayenne pepper

fresh ground pepper to taste

salt if needed (you'll get lots of salt from the meat)

2 quarts, or more water

cooked rice

1. Sort through the beans and remove any dirt or debris. Place in a soup pot and rinse with water. Drain. Add fresh water to the pot and bring the beans to a rolling boil. Remove from heat and cover. Let set for 1 hour. Drain well.

2. In the soup pot, heat the oil or bacon grease over medium high heat. Add the diced onions, bell pepper, and celery to the pot. Stir and cook until softened. Add the sausage and ham, if using and stir and brown lightly. Stir in the garlic, basil, thyme, cayenne and black pepper. Cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.

3. Add the drained beans and the water to the pot with the vegetable meat mixture. Add in the ham bone and simmer until done, about 1 1/2 - 2 hours, or until beans are tender. I added the cooked ham the last 30 minutes of cooking. Taste, and add salt if needed. When I used the ham bone and smoked sausage, I did not need any additional salt. Serve over hot cooked rice and a pan of hot, crusty cornbread fresh from the oven. Enjoy!

NOTE: You need to make sure beans do not get too dry while cooking. Add more water if necessary.

The first time I made this, I used less water, but my family wanted more broth, so, this time I have more broth to make them happy.