Food for Thought

Grad School Girl here, your one and only source into the exciting lives of MSHE grad students. Spotted BBC cooking up something spicy, what's BBC? That's one secret I'll never tell. XOXO Grad School Girl

Just kidding, BBC is our study group. These 13 individuals are the most supportive people I have ever met; we laugh together, cry together, and read until we die together. After three weeks of being in the program, the stress of school, work, and family was setting in. We are big advocates for self-care and knew we couldn't just keep going. So with that in mind, our group took a break and did something fun with a cooking lesson!

Do you have a recipe you like to make to destress? Please share it in the comment section!

Cajun Chicken Pasta

by Chef Jimmy Nguyen

Serving Size: 2

Ingredients:

● Large, deep skillet

● Cajun seasoning mix (Tony Chechere’s Creole seasoning is the best)

● 1 tbsp olive oil

● 1 tbsp unsalted butter

● 1 lb(ish) boneless, skinless chicken breast; cubed or sliced

● Half large yellow or sweet onion; diced

● 1-2 Mix of green, red, or yellow bell peppers; sliced

● 1-3 garlic cloves; minced

● Bag/jar of sun dried tomatoes; minced

● 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

● 8oz (half box) of penne pasta

● 1-2 cup of heavy cream

● ½ cup to ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese

● 1-2 stalks of green onions; chopped

Instructions:

1. Fill large pot with water, turn on high heat to boil. (NO SALT!)

2. Put 1tbsp olive oil and 1tbsp butter into large skillet on medium until butter is melted.

3. Season chicken well with Cajun seasoning and toss into skillet.

4. Cook chicken for 3-4 min. over medium heat. We are aiming to cook the chicken all the way through but not overcook it. Chicken should have a nice brown crust. If using fresh bell peppers, toss in when chicken is close to being done.

*throw pasta into boiling water to start cooking during

step 4. Do NOT salt pasta water! Cook following instructions

on pasta box for desired texture*

5. Once chicken is partially cooked and has browned, use tongs to remove chicken from skillet, leaving behind bell peppers. Low heat to medium-low.

6. Toss in onions and garlic and let cook 1-2 minutes or until onions are translucent. Toss in some sun dried tomatoes at this point as well (try not to put juice in if using jarred)! If using frozen bell peppers, toss in after onions and garlic are aromatic. Be mindful of heat so small garlic bits don’t start to burn.

7. Once onions are translucent, lower heat to low. At this point, check up on pasta to make sure it’s not boiling over.

8. Add 1 cup of low sodium chicken broth to skillet to de-glaze. Use wire whisk to scrape any yummy bits on bottom of skillet. Gradually whisk in 1 cup of heavy cream until incorporated (1-2 min). Add in desired amount of Parmesan, whisk for 1-2 min. until sauce is less runny. If you go too far and sauce is too thick, slowly incorporate remaining 1 cup of heavy cream until slightly thicker texture is achieved. Don’t thicken it too much (should be loose enough to run off your whisk slowly)!Season with black pepper if desired.

*Parmesan tends to be salty, so taste your sauce constantly

during Step 8 and make any adjustments you would like.

I usually add more Cajun seasoning if it needs to be saltier

then top it off with some extra cayenne and smoked paprika

for the Cajun kick!*

9. Pasta should be close to done or done at this point (turn off fire and leave pasta in water if so). Transfer pasta over to skillet using a slotted spoon(don’t worry about draining too much of the water off). Transfer about ½cupof pasta water to the skillet as well. Stir to incorporate.

10. Turn heat to medium-low, add cooked chicken back to skillet,and cook until sauce is thickened!

11. Serve on a plate or in a bowl, top with sliced green onions if desired.

12. Bon appétit!