So Many Dishes

The subject of vampires has come up a couple of times recently. When we were touring the covered market in Bordeaux while on our river cruise, one of the foods we tasted was pickled garlic. (It was delicious). Our chef, who was Romanian and leading the tour, pointed out to those in the group who were reluctant to try the garlic that there was a full moon that night, and it might provide some protection 😂. Then, last week when I had my surgery, there was some confusion about blood work. The nurse had already drawn blood from my uncooperative veins, but the anesthesiologist decided to order additional tests. In the process of drawing additional blood, they ended up with an extra tube of blood. Someone asked, “what is this for,” and I piped up, “it’s for the vampires.” I wonder if anyone in the hallway wondered about the laughter coming from my room.

I contemplated whether the recipe I cooked last evening had been designed to chase away vampires when I read through the ingredients. I’m pretty sure it’s the only dish I’ve cooked that contained both fresh garlic and garlic powder. It did not overwhelm the dish, however, and we thoroughly enjoyed a new recipe, chicken fajita pasta.

Fajitas are a favorite, but I can’t remember the last time I made them. I need to correct that, but all the flavors were there in this interesting fusion dish from the Skinnytaste One & Done cookbook. One-pot cooking works in my book. It took me a while to get on the one pot pasta bandwagon, but it’s a technique that works and saves me having to get out my big pasta pot. Particularly since this was the first meal I cooked since before the surgery, I wanted something quick that wouldn’t keep me on my feet for too long.

Prep was simple. Beyond chopping the vegetables, I cut up the chicken breast ahead of time, and mixed the spices together. There are actually two spice mixes, although they both involve the same ingredients. One gets combined with the chicken, the other is added to the vegetables as they sauté.

I’m made one intentional change to the recipe and one unavoidable change. The recipe calls for a can of diced tomatoes with green chiles, such as Rotel. Ken was concerned that it might be too hot. I haven’t used Rotel in years, but I remember using it in a dish that I took to a party at the research center where Ken worked, and one of the graduate students from Latin America kept saying “muy picante!” I used a can of drained diced tomatoes, plus about two-thirds of a 4-ounce can of diced green chiles. It worked fine, but we ended up adding hot sauce at the table. The next time I’ll use a can of the mild version of Rotel and go from there.

The unavoidable change? The recipe calls for diced avocado as a topping. Unfortunately, the avocado we bought was not ripe in time. Timing out an avocados’s ripeness is a skill I have yet to acquire. I’m sure it would have been a great addition, but it was fine without it. The other toppings are chopped scallion and fresh cilantro. I know some of you will be skipping the cilantro, but it was a real boost to the dish for me.

Chicken Fajita Pasta

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 bell peppers, preferably different colors, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 (10- ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles
• 7 ounces, cavatappi or other corkscrew pasta (I used rotini)
• 1/2 cup light sour cream
• 4 ounces diced avocado
• 1 scallion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

In a large bowl, combine the chicken with 1 teaspoon of the cumin, 1/2 teaspoon of the paprika, 1/4 teaspoon of the chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon of the garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Toss to coat.

In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over high heat. When the oil is very hot, add the chicken and cook, stirring, until browned and cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion, bell peppers, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/4 teaspoon chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant and well combined, about 30 seconds. Transfer to the plate of chicken.

In the same pot, combine the broth, tomatoes, and uncooked pasta. Stir well and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until pasta is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 12 to 15 minutes. Return the chicken and vegetables to the pot, stir well, and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the sour cream.

Serve topped with avocado, scallion, and cilantro. Makes 5 servings.

This is definitely something we’ll make again. I may try to cut the quantity down, because it made a lot. I was surprised, given the amount of pasta and the fact that I actually only used 3/4 pound of chicken. It was delicious and will definitely be added to the kitchen repertoire. I’ll keep it in mind for when there’s a full moon.