Cajun Chicken Pasta

This is one of those dishes that I wait to make until the kids go to bed. It takes some time to prepare so have a glass or two of wine and enjoy it!  If you can get the veggies and chicken prepped earlier, it will save you some time. This dish freezes well too. You can make this dish as mild or spicy as you like. This definitely has a bit of a kick so I would add a little seasoning, give it a taste and adjust. Sun dried tomatoes are available in the produce section. I soak them in oil about a hour before making this recipe. They do sell sun dried tomatoes in oil but they are much pricier then soaking then on your own.

1 1/2 red or green peppers, or a combination of the two
3-4 large chicken breasts, thinly sliced into 1 inch pieces
1 small red onion
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 of a 3.5 oz bag of sun dried tomatoes, julienned if possible
2/3 box of fettuccine
2 cups of heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup of white wine
Cajun seasoning
butter
olive oil
Parmesan cheese, shredded
salt and pepper

Boil water for fettuccine and cook noodles for 11 min. Thinly slice the peppers and onion. Chop garlic-one clove for the veggies and the other for the chicken. Thinly slice the chicken breasts into 1 inch pieces. Place a pan on medium heat and add 1tbsp of oil and 1/2 tbsp of butter. Add veggies and one clove of garlic. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until veggies are tender. Add 1/4 tsp of Cajun seasoning to the veggies as they cook. Remove veggies from the pan with a  slotted spoon and place in a bowl. Return the pan to medium heat and add 1Tbsp of oil and 1/2 Tbsp of butter. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 tsp of Cajun seasoning and add to the pan. Add an additional 1/2 tsp of Cajun seasoning to the pan as it cooks. Cook chicken for 5-7 min or until cooked. Remove chicken from pan with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl. Get a whisk and return the pan to medium heat. Add the white wine and use the whisk to get all of the brown goodness off the bottom of the pan. Let the wine reduce for about 2-3 min. Add the heavy cream and continue to whisk the wine and cream together. Let the cream sauce reduce my half. Add 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese to the sauce. While the cream sauce is reducing, add 1/2 tsp of Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper to the sauce and give it a taste. Add additional Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper if necessary. Remove the sun dried tomatoes from the oil. Once the sauce reduces, add the tomatoes, veggies and chicken. Drain noodles and add them to the sauce. Sauce will thicken as it stands. Serve and enjoy! Top pasta with additional Parmesan cheese

Wagon Wheel Pasta----Kid Friendly and Dairy/Soy Free

Cooking for my sweet girls is becoming a challenge. My 1 year old has a dairy and soy allergy and my 2 1/2 year old is a picky toddler. So, for this recipe, I thought of foods they love and tried to sneak in a few veggies. They love hot dogs and turkey Italian sausage was a great disguise. Feel free to add some Parmesan cheese or Daiya cheese if you want to keep this dairy free

3 Mild Italian Turkey Sausages
1/2 box of Angel Hair Pasta
2 Zucchini, cut into small circles
1 cup of Carrots, cut into small circles
1 Garlic clove, chopped
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Cook Italian Sausages on the grill for 14-16 minutes. Cook angel hair pasta according to package directions. Add olive oil to a pan on medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Then add carrots and cook for 5 minutes. Add zucchini and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from heat. When sausages are cooked, remove from grill and slice into circles. In a large bowl, add cooked pasta, veggies and sausages. Add a tablespoon of olive oil, and a dash of salt and pepper and mix. Add cheese if desired and serve.

Fish tacos

Ok, there'a alot of cilantro in this picture but underneath "the leaves" as my daughter calls them are fish sticks and Mexican crema. I've found that using fish sticks or breaded, frozen fish tastes the best and gives the tacos a nice crunch. Feel free to make these with fresh fish sprinkled with a bit of fresh lime and lemon. If you can't find Mexican crema, use sour cream.

Corn tortillas

Fish sticks

Mexican Crema- place in fridge 1 hour before using

Cilantro

Avocado slices

Salsa and cheese if desired

Lime wedges

Bake fish sticks and warm corn tortillas in a pan. Fill tortillas with fish and desired toppings. Drizzle with freshly squeezed lime and serve:)