I tell you what...one of my favorite food destinations is....Columbus Ohio. I've been to lots of big cities, and the one place that has me craving certain dishes over and over again is this city. We went and visited last year with friends and seriously just went from restaurant to restaurant and threw a football game in the mix. It was glorious! Here are just a few of our selections...
Olive Tree
Graeters
Jenis Ice Cream
North Star Cafe
And Cafe DaVinci
It's amazing how food brings people together and brings back the best of memories, isn't it?! Anyhow, after years of weekend cravings not being fulfilled, we decided it was time to try our hand at Cafe DaVinci's blackened chicken. It is a great mix of cajun/italian, definitely not something I would have dreamed up on my own. Lets just say this turned out rather spectacular and cravings were satisfied! Give it a try, just be warned this definitely has KICK :)
Copycat Cafe DaVinci Blackened Chicken Pasta
Kosher salt
Four 5-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 pounds)
Blackening Spice Rub, recipe follows
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 cup dry white wine
3 cups heavy cream
1 cup roughly chopped marinated sun-dried tomatoes
1 pound fettuccine
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion, for garnish
Basalmic Glaze (bought or homemade)
Blackening Spice Rub: (or can buy pre-mixed...we bought a Zatarains brand)
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons granulated onion
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over very high heat.
Dredge the chicken breasts in the Blackening Spice Rub. Place in the cast-iron skillet. Blacken both sides of the chicken, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Transfer the chicken to a baking sheet and place in the oven until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and slice the chicken into strips on the bias.
In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and lightly brown it, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the wine. Pour in the heavy cream, bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce is reduced by half. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and chicken slices.
Meanwhile, cook the fettuccine al dente, according to the package directions. Drain.
When the cream sauce is at the desired consistency, stir in 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, the sea salt, pepper and pasta.
To serve, toss the pasta with the cream sauce and serve on large rimmed plates. Garnish with the green onions and the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan. Drizzle with basalmic glaze.
Blackening Spice Rub:
Combine the garlic, black pepper, salt cumin, onion, cayenne pepper, Italian seasoning, paprika and chili powder in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container.
Recipe Source: Food Network
After returning from Disneyland and craving some gumbo from the Orleans Cafe, I went on a hunt for a recipe to satisfy my cravings! Granted, this may not be the easiest dinner out there as it takes a long time to brown the roux. It. Is. Worth. The. Time. Seriously! What is the saying...the secret ingredient is love?! I say the secret ingredient to many recipes is TIME, which I think equals LOVE. So, next time you are craving some Southern comfort food or want to host a Mardi Gras party...make this. It is soooo worth it! Enjoy :)
New Orleans Style Gumbo
For the Roux:
1 heaping cup flour
2/3 cup oil
For the Gumbo:
1 whole bunch/stock celery, diced, leaves and all
1 green pepper, diced
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 bunch of green onion, finely chopped
1 bunch parsley, finely chopped
2-3 cloves garlic
1-2 Tbsp Cajun Seasoning
6-8 cups of homemade chicken stock
1 Andouille Sausage, sliced into "coins" (substitute Polska Kielbasa if you can't find a good Andouille)
Meat from 1 Rotisserie Chicken*
2 cups cooked Shrimp
Cooked white rice, for serving
For the Roux*:
In a large, heavy bottom stock pot combine flour and oil. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring constantly for 30-45 minutes. This part takes patience--when it's finished it should be as dark as chocolate and have a soft, "cookie dough" like consistency. Be careful not to let it burn! Feel free to add a little more flour or oil as needed to reach this consistency.
In a separate skillet on medium-high heat place the sausage slices in one layer in the pan. Brown them well on one side (2-3 minutes) and then use a fork to flip each over onto the other side to brown. Remove to a plate.
Add 1/2 cup of the chicken broth to the hot skillet that had the sausage to deglaze the pan. Pour the broth and drippings into your large soup pot. Add remaining 5 1/2 cups of chicken broth. Add veggies, parsley, and roux to the pot and stir well. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 5-7 minutes, or until the vegetables are slightly tender. (Skim off any foam that may rise to the top of the pot.) Stir in cajun seasoning, to taste. Add chicken, sausage, and shrimp.
At this point taste it and add more seasonings to your liking--salt, pepper, chicken bullion paste, garlic, more Joe's stuff or more chicken broth--until you reach the perfect flavor. Serve warm over rice. (Tastes even better the next day!)
Notes
*You can make the roux a day or two in advance to cut down on prep time!
*The best way to make this gumbo is by buying a rotisserie chicken--removing all the chicken, and using the carcass to make homemade chicken stock. Then make the gumbo using the homemade broth. You could use store-bought chicken broth, but homemade is way better!
Recipe Source: Tastes Better From Scratch
