Cajun Pesto Chicken

Do what?  Yes, it actually worked out very well, and it's one of those quick-and-dirty 10-minute recipes that you can pull off on short notice.

Serves two, multiply the ingredients as you see fit.

Take a chicken breast and slice into strips about the size of those on a chicken salad.

Season with Zatarain's or your favorite Cajun spice mix.  Cook thoroughly in a couple tsp. olive oil--about 3-4 minutes on high heat.  (Strips don't take much time.)

While this is going on, boil up a pot of water and drop in about 8 oz. of pasta.  I had some spinach linguine lying around, but you can use whatever style and flavor you prefer.  Even plain pasta will work--I promise I won't track you down and set your house on fire if you use it.  (If you're into Miracle Whip, however, we're gonna have us a talk.  Repent now.)

Once the pasta's done and the chicken's seared, drain the pasta, throw it and the chicken back in the pot and toss them with pesto.  Serve.

Sorry, no pics.  I came home from work and had to throw dinner together at the last minute, since my wife was doing something frivolous like pursuing her Bachelors' degree.  I know, I know, what a waste of time.  But this really turned out well, and I'd recommend giving it a shot if you have nothing better to do.

Mashed Cauliflower and Cajun Parmesan Chicken

Let's have dinner! 

I got the original mashed cauliflower recipe from Albert Burneko at Foodspin.  He cusses a lot, but that's because he's one of those East Coast city boys who's trying to compensate for the fact that he actually lives there by choice.  Whatever--the dude can cook.  I've tweaked his recipe a little because that's how I roll.

I started with orange cauliflower, since it was on sale, tastes the same, and has lots of that Beta Carotene that us old folks need in order to put off the day when we run our Cadillacs into the side of a building because we didn't see it.  On top of that, you'll need whole milk, or heavy cream, or evaporated milk(which I went with).  Also, a heapin' helpin' of cream cheese, some black pepper, a whole mess of grated Parmesan and a couple of tablespoons of minced garlic because, garlic.  Preheat the oven to 400.

The first thing to do is shave all the leaves and trunk off the cauliflower(which I swear has been genetically altered to be fully half leaves and trunk), and then chop it up into sections, which will reduce your steaming time.  I realized, just before I started, that I did not, alas, have a steamer pot.  However, I do have an electric wok, a large pot screen and some water, so with a bit of redneck engineering, I had it steamed in a little under 30 minutes.

Now, let's toss our steamed cauliflower in the blender with the rest of the ingredients:  about a cup of milk, 1/2 cup of Parmesan, a dusting of black pepper, a pinch of salt and the garlic.  Blend to a smooth consistency and pour into a baking dish.  Break out some grated mozzarella or whatever cheese crust you fancy, and top your cauliflower with a layer of cheese, a bit more black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.  Bake about 20 minutes, or until the surface starts to brown and bubble.

(Sorry about some of the blurry shots--my camera's apparently decided to be slow on the uptake at random.) 

Now the Cajun Parmesan Chicken.  Ramp the oven up to 450, and break out your chicken.  I'm using tenderloins, but any Boneless Skinless Chicken Parts will do.  You'll need some grated Parmesan, some bread crumbs of some sort--Panko, Italian, Plain, whatever--and Boar's Head Remoulade, which I picked up at Fry's one day and decided I'd better do something with.

(Ignore the beer, it has nothing to do with the recipe...it was what I was drinking when I put all this together.)  Mix equal parts Parmesan and bread crumbs.  Coat your chicken with the remoulade, dredge it in the bread crumbs, and toss it on a lined baking sheet.  Bake 15-20 minutes.

Jen gave it a thumbs-up, and we definitely have leftovers on the cauliflower, which will give us side dishes for the rest of the week.

Indian/American Chicken

Got some chicken defrosted but you're at a loss for a recipe? Take heart. I just put together an Indian/American fusion dish that turned out pretty good.

Get a casserole/baking dish large enough for the chicken to lay flat. Grease well and fill with chicken. Salt/pepper chicken to taste.

Preheat the oven to 375, and grab a large mixing bowl.

Dice one small to medium yellow onion.

Add it to the bowl, along with:

One can of Cream of Chicken soup.

Two cloves of finely chopped garlic (or two tsp. minced garlic).

Two tsp. hot curry powder.

One tsp. Dijon mustard.

Mix ingredients thoroughly, and coat chicken with mixture. Bake for 40-45 minutes.

Mrs. Wraith liked it, but said it had a touch too much fire(I used garlic jalapeno mustard in place of the Dijon, though). If spice isn't your thing, substitute mild curry powder.

Any suggestions for new ingredients to try are more than welcome.

Southwestern Curried Tater Tot Hot Dish

Anyone who's ever lived in the Northern Midwest is familiar with the "Hot Dish," or what strange other tribes call a "Casserole." It's some good stuff, as comfort foods go. It's easy to make, it's filling...and it's more bland than Mitt Romney eating a cucumber and white bread sandwich in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. So, in my own inimitable style, I decided to fire it up a bit with an American/ Indian/ Southwestern fusion vibe.

Southwestern Curried Tater Tot Hot Dish

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

1 tsp. garlic salt

1 chopped white onion

3 tbsp bread crumbs

3 tbsp curry powder

1 tbsp rubbed sage

1 tsp cayenne (red) pepper

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1/2 soup can milk

1 32-oz pkg Tater Tots


Preheat oven to 375. Crumble beef and garlic salt into 9x 13 baking dish, add onion, sprinkle bread crumbs on top. Combine the rest of the ingredients, mixing well, and pour over meat mixture. Top with closely-spaced Tater Tots and bake for 1 hour.

Comfort with a kick...you betcha!