Foodie Friday – Cajun Chicken Pasta

As I have mentioned before, I discovered the awesome website, Skinnytaste, early last year with the hubster and I wanted to start eating better.  While I don’t stick to it as strictly as I used to, we still have a few favorites that I sprinkle in from time to time, and this is definitely one of them. 

They always say we should eat the colors of the rainbow.  Well this dish definitely has a ton of color in it with the veggies and a great source of protein from the chicken.  I even added some shrimp to the hubster’s portion since we had some in the fridge that needed to be cooked.

Here is the recipe from Gina at Skinnytaste -

Ingredients

• 8 oz uncooked linguine (Dreamfields)
• 1 lb chicken breast, cut into strips
• 1-2 tsp Cajun seasoning (or to taste)
• 1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 medium yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1 cup fat free low sodium chicken broth
• 1/3 cup skim milk
• 1 tbsp flour
• 3 tbsp light cream cheese
• fresh cracked pepper
• 2 scallions, chopped
• salt to taste
• Smart Balance cooking spray

Directions

Prep all your vegetables.  In a small blender make a slurry by combining milk, flour, and cream cheese.  Set aside.  Season chicken generously with Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, and salt.

Prepare pasta in salted water according to package directions.

Heat a large heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Spray with cooking spray and add half of the chicken.  Sauté 5-6 minutes or until done.  Set aside on a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken.  Set aside.

Add olive oil to the skillet and reduce to medium.  Add bell peppers, onions, and garlic to skillet.  Sauté for 3-4 minutes.

Add mushrooms and tomatoes and sauté 3-4 more minutes or until vegetables are tender.  Season with 1/4 tsp salt, garlic powder, and fresh cracked pepper to taste.

Reduce heat to medium low and add chicken brother and pour in slurry, stirring about 2 minutes.

Return chicken to skillet, adjust salt and Cajun seasoning to taste, cook another minute or two until hot, and then add the linguine – toss well to coat.

Top with chopped scallions before serving.

Silly me forgot to take a finished product photo, but it was very yummy.  We don’t like mushrooms so I always leave those out, and if I don’t already have scallions I usually won’t make a special trip just for the recipe, but I can assure you that it’s great without them!

Nutritional Information

Servings: 5  Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups  Points: 8  Calories: 323.8  Fat: 6.2 g  Protein:  25.9 g  Carbs:  44.1  Fiber:  6.3 g  Sugar:  3.2 g  Sodium:  126.5 mg (without salt)

If you try this recipe please let me know what you think!  I’ve used it to carb load before a race and it’s great for that!

What’s your favorite pasta dish?

I hope everyone has a great weekend!  I plan to do a little shopping, hang out with the hubster before he heads out of town again, hit up a local pet fair, and get a long run in for Dumbo training.  It’s going to be a warm one so stay hydrated and well fueled!

Until next time,

LiveJournal Tags: Skinnytaste,pasta,carb load,DumboDoubleDare