Cajun Heat!

This recipe is amazing. It's got a lot of veggies and carbs, so if you're looking for a truly balanced diet that straddles the line between healthy and really not healthy, look no further! Plus it's absolutely delicious. I must say, I'm not a fan of red bell peppers, but this dish makes them even irresistible to me. Not to mention, red bell peppers have more Vitamin C than oranges (little factoid for ya) and as I'm currently trying to thwart my death by plague, I find that to be very useful.

To start: put on a little zydeco music to get in the right mood.

Next, follow this recipe. It feeds 4-5 people, but if you want to scale it down for 2, just cut the pasta, chicken, and broth to thirds. You'll get more veggies per serving and just as much flavor.

You'll need:

3 whole chicken breasts, cut into cubes

3 tsp Cajun spice

1 pound fettuccine

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp butter

1 whole green bell pepper, sliced

1 whole red bell pepper, sliced

½ of a large red onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 whole roma tomatoes, diced

2 cups chicken broth

½ cup white wine

cayenne pepper, to taste

black pepper

salt

Now do as I command:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.

2. Sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun spice over chicken pieces. Toss around to coat all over. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a heavy skillet over high heat. Add half the chicken in a single layer; cook until the chicken is well browned, but not burned. Remove and set aside into a large dish (preferably a mixing bowl or casserole dish. You'll see why later.)

3. Repeat with remaining chicken. Remove chicken, leaving pan on high heat.

4. Add remaining olive oil and butter. When it's all melted together, add the peppers, onions, and garlic. Sprinkle on remaining Cajun spice, and add a little cayenne pepper if you want it to be spicy. Cook over very high heat for 1 minute, stirring gently to get the vegetables as dark as possible. Add tomatoes and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove all vegetables from the pan and put them into the same dish as the chicken (it'll let the flavors mingle and keep everything warm.)

5. 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. Cook sauce over medium-low heat for about 2 minutes. Taste and add freshly ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, and/or salt to taste. Sauce should be spicy!

6. Finally, add chicken and vegetables to sauce, making sure to include all the juices that have drained onto the plate. Stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until mixture is bubbly and hot. Add drained fettuccine and toss to combine.

7. Eat, drink and be merry! This may seem obvious, but go ahead and enjoy the rest of the wine you used in the recipe while you eat. (I used Barefoot Chardonnay-- it's inexpensive and delicious. Plus cheap wine keeps me grounded.)