Creamy Cajun Pasta + salad (use roast chicken)

Festive Milk Punch

Recipe from Rebecca Rather of Rather Sweet Bakery and Cafe, Fredericksburg.

1 1/2 gallons premium-quality vanilla ice cream
1 quart whole milk
2 cups bourbon
1 cup rum
1/4 cup brandy
nutmeg, for dusting

Remove ice cream from freezer and let sit at room temperature until it begins to soften, 15 minutes or more (cut into chunks to speed process). Put milk, bourbon, rum, and brandy in a large punch bowl and stir to combine. Spoon ice cream into bowl and stir lightly so that some is mixed in and some floats on top. Dust with nutmeg and serve immediately.

Makes about 30 eight-ounce cups, or almost 2 gallons.

Recipe from Rebecca Rather’s The Pastry Queen: Royally Good Recipes From the Texas Hill Country’s Rather Sweet Bakery & Café (co-written with Alison Oresman and published by Ten Speed Press).

Chicken Jambalaya

Serves 4-6
Prep 20 mins
Cook 40 mins

2T veg oil
2# chicken, cut up and deboned
1c course chopped cooked ham
1/2# spicy smoked sausage, sliced
2 med onions coarsely chopped
1 green bell pepper, coursely chopped
3 celery stocks with leaves, fine chopped
1 t dried marjoram
1 t dried thyme
1 bay leaf
2 x 16 oz cans whole tomatoes coarse chopped with juice
1 t tobasco
2 c chicken broth or water
2 c uncooked white rice

Heat oil in large deep skillet over med heat. Add chicken and brown lightly all over. Remove. Add ham, sausage, vegetables and herbs and cook, stirring til vegs are softenened. Stir in tomatoes and simmer 5 mins. Add tobasco and broth. Boil, then add rice and reserved chicken. Lower the heat and simmer until tender. 30 mins.

Serve with an earthy white wine: Rhone or California Syrah

Creamy Cajun Chicken

New Orleans style of chicken with an up-dated Alfredo sauce.

by Lorac

25 min | 10 min prep

SERVES 2

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
• 4 ounces linguine, cooked al dente
• 2 teaspoons cajun seasoning
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 thinly sliced green onion
• 1-2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1. Place chicken and Cajun seasoning in a bowl and toss to coat.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté chicken in butter or margarine until chicken is tender, about 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Reduce heat add green onion, heavy cream, tomatoes, basil, salt, garlic powder, black pepper and heat through.
4. Pour over hot linguine and toss with Parmesan cheese.