Tonight, I took on a recipe from The Pioneer Woman. This spicy chicken stir fry is meant to be served over pasta, but it works well as a wet, soupy stir fry too. Perfect for me and Scott Bobleo, who is currently on a low carb kick. I cooked up some pasta on the side and we both had it our way. The spice of this dish is totally adjustable, depending largely on the Cajun Spice Blend you are using. I like it to be pretty hot, so when I blended my spices it was with a heavy hand on the Cayenne Pepper. I even went so far as to toss in some Red Pepper Flakes toward the end. Mwa ha ha. Here's the blend I created for this dish. Naturally, I didn't use all the spice, so I stored the rest in an empty spice jar that I had cleaned out and set aside last week. Now next time I need some Cajun Spices they'll be just a reach away.
- 1/8 cup Salt
- 1 tbsp. Cayenne Pepper
- 2 tsp. Black Pepper
- 2 tsp. White Pepper
- 1 tbsp. Paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
- 2 tbsp. Onion Powder
- 1 tsp. Basil
- 1/2 tsp. Chili Powder
- 1/8 tsp. Thyme
- 1/8 tsp. Clove Powder
- 1/8 tsp. Mustard Powder
When you blend your own spices make sure to mix them well. Many spices can clump up or settle to the bottom. I throw mine into a mortar and pestle to make sure they are well blended. You could also use a kick-ass blender or food processor. (Like a Magic Bullet.) Due to necessity I had to change a few things from Pioneer Woman's original recipe, but it still turned out really delicious. It has a rich flavor that sings even under the heavy blanket of spice. No fresh tomatoes, so I used a can instead. (I drained them as well as I could though) And, sadly, I had no fettuccine, but I did have some angel hair.
This particular meal was so good that Scott Bobleo has asked me to mark down his fondness for it. That way, he'll know what to call it next time he wants to eat it. Oh and he wanted me to relay a huge "thank you" to The Pioneer Woman for inventing his new favorite meal.
