TGI Friday's™ Spicy Cajun Chicken Pasta

Description: A creamy Alfredo sauce bathes al dente fettuccine pasta ribbons. All topped off with juicy chicken–sautéed with red bell peppers in a special Cajun butter–finished with Parmesan shavings.

Serves 4

Ingredients

10 oz. cooked fettuccine (cooked al dente)

1 cup Spicy Cajun Pasta Sauce (recipe follows)

1 boneless chicken breast, cooked and sliced in strips

1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon chopped parsley

Spicy Cajun Pasta Sauce:

2 oz. olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh chopped garlic

1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion

1/2 cup coarsely chopped green peppers

1/2 cup coarsely chopped red peppers

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup V-8 juice

cornstarch (mix about a table spoon with a couple tablespoons cold water to form a slurry)

salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Prepare sauce: Heat oil in saute pan; add garlic; saute for 30 seconds; add onions and saute for 1 minute; add peppers and continue to saute for another minute. Deglaze with chicken stock and reduce to half. Add V-8 juice and cayenne pepper; bring to boil; simmer 10 minutes.

2. Thicken to consistency with cornstarch; season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Add cooked pasta to sauce and heat through until hot.

4. Arrange on serving dish and top with chicken breast. Sprinkle with Parmesan and parsley.

Crawfish Jambalaya Abbreviated

Cajun cooking usually is long and slow with many layers. Here is a modernized shortcut version of Crawfish Jambalaya that you are sure to enjoy.

Serves 4

1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 pound crawfish tails
1 10 3/4 ounce can cream of mushroom soup
1 10 ounce can French onion soup
1 10 ounce can tomatoes with chilies, do not drain (Rotel is a good one)
1 1/2 cups raw, white rice, washed

Saute bell pepper, parsley, and green onions in butter or margarine. Mix the sauteed vegetables with all other ingredients in bowl. Pour into an appropriate size baking dish. Bake uncovered for 55 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Cover and cook another 10 minutes.

Cajun Potato Salad

2 Lbs Red Potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 Med Tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 Tbsp Green Onion, finely chopped
Salt and Pepper, to taste
2 Tbsps White Wine Vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsps Creole Mustard
1/2 Tsp Cayenne
1/4 C Olive Oil
1/4 C Parsley, leaves
4 Ea Bacon, cooked crisp

1. In a medium saucepan, cook potatoes in salted water until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Remove from pan and dice. Place in a medium bowl and add tomatoes green onions, and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Toss gently. Set aside.
4. In a small mixing bowl combine vinegar, mustard and cayenne pepper.
5. Add oil in a thin stream, heating constantly.
6. Stir in parsley.
7. Add dressing and bacon to potatoes and toss gently.
8. Allow potatoes to absorb dressing at least 15 minutes before serving.

Andouille Rice Cakes

• 3 ¼ tablespoons vegetable oil
• ½ cup chopped onions
• ½ cup chopped bell peppers
• 1 rib celery, chopped
• 4 ounces andouille, chopped
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 teaspoons salt
• Hot sauce to taste
• 1 ¼ tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups cooked long-grain rice
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• Seasoned flour for dredging
• Vegetable oil for frying

Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, bell peppers and celery and cook, stirring, until they are soft, about 5 minutes.

Add the andouille and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. The mixture will become brown. Add the chicken stock, salt and hot sauce and bring to a boil.

In a small skillet, combine the remaining 1¼ tablespoons of vegetable oil and the unseasoned flour over medium heat and make a blond roux. Add this roux to the andouille mixture and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring until the mixture thickens.

Remove from heat. Cool, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes. Once the mixture has cooled down, add the rice, green onions and parsley. Mix well.

Cover and refrigerate until the mixture has cooled completely. Form the rice mixture into 2-inch patties (about l4 patties). Lightly dredge or sprinkle lightly with the seasoned flour.

In a nonstick skillet, heat 2 to 3 tablespoons of the vegetable oil over medium-high heat and pan-fry 2 to 3 patties at a time, for several minutes on each side until lightly browned. Repeat the process until all of the patties are cooked.

Shrimp and Andouille Pot Pie

Recipe Source: Bon Appetit March 2009
Photo Source: Bon Appetit March 2009

Shrimp and andouille sausage give these pot pies a Cajun flair. To keep the pastry crisp, the dough is baked separately from the filling.
Serves 4

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (half of 16-ounce packag e all-butter puff pastry or half of 17.3-ounce package regular puff pastry), thawed
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3 1/2 cups sliced leeks (white and pale green parts only; from 3 large)
• 1/2 pound andouille sausage, cut into scant 1/2-inch cubes*
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup dry vermouth or dry white wine
• 1.5-ounces concentrated classic seafood stock *
  
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 8-ounce red-skinned potato, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 1/2 pounds deveined, peeled shrimp
  

Preheat oven to 400°F. Roll out pastry on floured surface to 12-inch square. Cut out four 5 1/2-inch rounds. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet; bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Cool on sheet.

DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap airtight and store at room temperature.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Whisk cream and flour in small bowl. Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add leeks and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add andouille and garlic and sauté 4 minutes. Add vermouth; simmer until liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Add seafood stock mixture and thyme. Bring to simmer. Add potato and cook uncovered until tender, about 6 minutes.

Add cream mixture to skillet; stir. Simmer until sauce thickens and boils, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat. Add shrimp; simmer until just opaque in center, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Divide hot filling among four 1 1/4-cup baking dishes. Top each with pastry round. Bake until filling bubbles, about 5 minutes.

*RESOURCES:

Andouille Sausage - FoodieAffair.com

Seafood Stock - FoodieAffair.com

Dirty Rice

This is a recipe I developed back in the '70's. I have shared it countless times. Everyone seems to enjoy it...I hope you do too.

Serves 8-10

• 16 ounces bulk pork sausage, hot (I like Jimmy Dean)
• 2-3 bunches green onions
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons Black Orchid Cajun Seasoning *
• 2 1/2 cups white rice, cooked
  

1. Bring rice in 4 cups water to a boil and simmer on lowest flame for 20 minutes.
   
2. Chop green onions into ¼” pieces separating green tops and white bottoms.
   
3. On high heat, sauté sausage breaking it apart until it looks like loose ground meat. Add bottoms of green onions and cook until meat is cooked through. Add a small amount of water to prevent drying out.
4. Turn off heat and mix in Cajun seasoning (add more or less than 1 Tablespoon to your taste). Add green onion tops and toss in hot meat mixture until just heated through, about 30 seconds.
5. Add cooked rice and mix very well.

COMMENT: This rice is an excellent accompaniment for all meats. We simple cannot barbecue without this on the menu.
*RESOURCES:
Black Orchid Cajun Seasoning - FoodieAffair.com