Dinner and a Movie!

Dinner and a movie got off to a horrible start tonight. I was cooking away in my kitchen, water almost boiling, my hands full of pasta ready to be thrown into said boiling water. Then...the power blows. The lights shut off, the TV is off, air condition has stopped blowing cold air. But the worst part? I have an electric stove...

So there I am, dinner almost ready to be served, and I can't cook my frickin pasta. I sit down int he living room with my sister and start reading a book sure the power is going to come back on. An hour goes by and nothing. By almost 7:30 we gave up and went to TGIFriday's for dinner. Then we ended up at a friend's house for an hour or two. When we finally came home, the power was back. Granted, it had only been back for an hour and a half, but it was back. I finished making dinner and put it away in the fridge for lunch tomorrow (and by lunch, I mean breakfast because I don't think I'll be able to avoid the temptation past then).

For dinner I made a Cajun chicken pasta. It's the only thing I'll eat at Red Lobster (no seafood, remember?). I had been craving this as I wandered the aisles at the grocery store and even splurged on some bakery-fresh garlic bread. This would be great with a nice salad and a glass of wine (perhaps a fruity rose to offset the spice or even a nice red to add to it). As for the movie, I never got around to watching anything (I barely got this finished before needing to go to sleep). I promise, next week I'll try to not have a power outage. Enjoy!

Cajun Chicken Pasta

recipe by me

1 lb chicken tenders

3 Tbl Cajun seasoning, divided

2 cups heavy cream

2 Tbl butter

2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese (I used a blend of parm, romano, and asiago)

1/2 tomato, diced

3 scallions, sliced

1 lb pasta (the amount depends on if you like a lot of sauce or a little; also, I used spaghetti because I forgot to pick up some fettuccine, but feel free to use some farfalle or even some penne)

1. Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Use 2 Tbl of the Cajun seasoning to coat the chicken strips (you may use more or less depending on how spicy you'd like it). In a medium-sized pan, saute the chicken until cooked through.
2. In a large pot, boil water. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and place back in pot. Add chicken.
3. In a medium pot, place heavy cream and butter. Heat to a boil and lower temperature to medium. Add the Cajun seasoning and the shredded cheese a little at a time, stirring constantly until completely melted. After all of the cheese has been added, add tomatoes and scallions and cook until completely heated through. Add sauce to the pasta and chicken and stir until evenly coated.

P.S. Aunt Laura, thank you so much for the funny present (best "I Love You Day" present ever!). He sure is one fat bast...er...man. I have no idea why you would see that and think of me and Uncle Robert. Surely it had nothing to do with us watching that movie every day that summer I stayed with you. He's got a special place on my desk at work (I actually can't wait for Monday now). I love you!!!