Alfredo Sauce with Cajun Chicken

This is really a two part recipe, one is the traditional alfredo sauce and the other is the cajun chicken. We've also made this with spicy shrimp before and it's turned out really well. The chicken is blackened, cajun style, and may be added in separately to the alfredo sauce. The pictures below show the sauce served over angel hair pasta, but it goes just as well over fettucine.

Prep. Time: 15 mins.
Cooking Time: 40 mins.


Ingredients:

Sauce
1 cup Butter
3-4 Garlic Cloves
4 Cups Heavy Cream
1/2 tsp White Pepper
1 Cup Parmesian Cheese
1 1/2 Cups Mozzarella
16 oz. Angel Hair or Fettucine.

Cajun Chicken
1.5 lbs. Chicken Breasts
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Paprika
1/2 Tbsp Sea Salt
1 1/2 tsp Cayenne
3/4 tsp White Pepper
3/4 tsp Black Pepper
1/2 tsp Thyme
1/2 tsp Oregano

Directions:

Sauce
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.

Add the garlic, cream, white pepper and bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring often.

Add the Parmesan and simmer for 8-10 mins.

Add the Mozzarella and cook for 3-5 minutes, until the sauce becomes smooth.

Serve over pasta.

Chicken (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Mix the Parika, Sea Salt, Cayenne, White Pepper, Black Pepper, Thyme and Oregano together in a large bowl.

Add in the Olive Oil.

Add the chicken breasts in to the bowl and mix them in the spices until they are thoroughly coated.

Heat 2 Tbsp of Olive Oil in a large frying pan for 5 mins. on high heat.

Place the chicken in the frying pan and cook on each side for 1 min.

Put the chicken in a separate baking dish and place in the oven for 15 mins.

Cut into bite size pieces and serve over the sauce and noodles.

Palak Paneer

Palak Paneer is an Indian dish made primarily from spinach and paneer cheese in a curry sauce. This dish has many of the same elements as the Paneer Masala dish that was posted previously. The hardest ingredient to find will be the paneer cheese cubes, but most Indian grocers should carry them.

Prep. Time: 5 mins.
Cooking Time: 1 hr.


Ingredients:

24-32 oz. Spinach
14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1 lb. Paneer
3 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 Tbsp Butter
1 Jalapeno Pepper
2 Onions
1 Tbsp Corriander
2 tsp Cumin
2 x 1" Pieces of Ginger
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 cup Cashews
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
2 tsp Garam Masala
8 Tbsp Cream
1/2 tsp Red Chili Powder


Directions:

Add 1 Tbsp butter to a frying pan and fry the paneer cubes until they become golden brown.

Remove the cubes from the frying pan and cook them in a pot of boiling water for 10-12 minutes with a dash of turmeric.

Dice the jalapeno pepper and fry with the spinach in 2 Tbsp vegetable oil until all the leaves are wilted.

Place the spinach and jalapeno mixture in a blender on mince along with the salt, pepper and cashews and blend.

Fry the onions and garlic in 1 Tbsp vegetable oil for 5-10 mins. with a dash of salt.

Add the ginger, corriander, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, red chili powder and Garam Masala and fry for 2-3 mins.

Add the spinach mixture and diced tomatoes to the onions and garlic and cook for 5-10 mins.

Add the paneer cubes and cook for 2-3 mins.

Add the cream and serve over rice.

White Clam Sauce

Simple and easy to make. When we don't have quite as much time to cook, this is one of our standbys.

Prep. Time: 5 mins.
Cooking Time: 15 mins.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup Olive Oil
2 cloves Garlic
1 bunch Italian Parsley
2 x 6 oz Can of Clams
8 oz. Bottle Clam Juice
2 Tbsp Butter
1/4 tsp Red Pepper
Parmesan cheese (optional)
Dash of Salt and Pepper


Directions:

Mince the garlic and saute with the red pepper in the butter and olive oil for 5-10 mins.

Add in the clams, clam juice and Italian parsley and bring to a boil.

Serve over pasta with Parmesan cheese.

Aloo Gobi with Murgh Ke Mazedar Tukray

Aloo Gobi is a dry Indian and Pakistani dish made with cauliflower and potatoes. It's yellowish in color and is fairly spicy. The meat portion of this meal consists of spicy chicken bits (also known as Murgh Ke Mazedar Tukray). Both the Aloo Gobi and the Chicken are fairly quick and easy to make.

 
Prep. Time: 15 mins.
Cooking Time: 20  mins.

Aloo Gobi
Ingredients:

1.5 - 2 lbs. of Potatoes
1 Medium Cauliflower
1 Medium Onion
2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 tsp Turmeric
2 tsp Cumin Seeds
2 tsp Ginger
1/2 tsp Red Chili Powder or Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp Garam Masala
2 tsp Corriander
1 Bunch of Cilantro 


Directions:

Cut the potatoes into eighths and then slice them into approximately 1" wide pieces.

Slice the onion into thick pieces.

Remove the leaves from the cauliflower and cut off the stem. Break apart the florets starting from the outside and working inwards. The inner pieces can be used as is, while the outer pieces will generally be larger and will need to be cut into approximately 1/2" thick slices.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot.

Add in the cauliflower, onion and potatoes and cook for 15 mins. stirring frequently.

Add in the turmeric, cumin seeds, ginger, chili powder, garam masala, corriander and cook for 5 mins. longer.

Garnish with chopped cilantro.


Murgh Ke Mazedar Tukray
Ingredients:

1 lb. Chicken Breasts
1 tsp. Black Pepper
1/4  tsp. Turmeric
1/4 tsp. Red Chili Powder or Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp. Cumin
1 tsp. Thyme
1 tsp. Paprika
1/4 tsp. Salt
3 tsp. Vegetable Oil


Directions;

Mix the spices and 1 tsp. of oil together in a large bowl.

Cut the chicken breasts into strips approximately 1 in. in length.

Coat the chicken pieces with the spice mixture.

In a frying pan, heat 2 tsp. of oil and cook the chicken pieces for approximately 10 mins.

Stroganoff

Stroganoff is a Russian dish of beef or mushrooms in a sour cream sauce, served over egg noodles. It's relatively simple to make and can be made with or without the sauteed beef. We usually double the recipe below so it yields around 6 servings.

 

Prep. Time: 15 mins.
Cooking Time: 30 mins.
Servings: 3-4
Wine Recommendation: Malbec (Callejon del Crimen if you can find it)


Ingredients:

8 oz. White or Cremini Mushrooms
8 oz. Shiitake Mushrooms
1/2 Medium Onion
8 Tbs. Butter
1/4 tsp. Thyme
1 Cup Sour Cream
2 Tbs. Sherry
2 Tbs. Brandy
1 lb. Egg Noodles
2 tsp. Poppy Seeds
1 lb. Flank Steak
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Sauce:
Wash and cut the shiitake mushroom caps into 1/2" slices

Finely chop the onion and saute it in 4 Tbs. of butter for approximately 10 mins.

Add the cremini and shiitake mushrooms and cook over high heat until the mushrooms have released their excess water and it's starting to evaporate.

Season with thyme and add the sour cream.

Simmer for 15-20 mins.

Add in the brandy and sherry and serve over noodles (see below).

Noodles:
Boil the noodles for 8-10 mins.

Drain and immediately toss with 4 Tbs. of butter and poppy seeds.

Beef:
Heat the Olive Oil in a frying pan.

Add flank steak and season with salt and pepper.

Cook approximately 10 mins. and serve over sauce.