A Taste of NoLa in CT

when I started to think about Sunday dinner i began to panic.  let's be honest, we have all been in that situation between paychecks where money is just a little tighter than we would like, and we are just a little to lazy to run to the grocery store...in that case it is time to RAID...THE... PANTRY -- and fridge and freezer, and that is how i came up with this recipe for my NoLa style chicken and chorizo.  this is a wildly flavorful dish, and it was super easy to make, only took about 30 minutes which is all i could stand in a hot kitchen in the summertime.  try it out, feedback is always appreciated!  eat laugh love & enjoy.




3 chorizo links [removed from casing]
1 lb of boneless skinless chicken cut into bite size pieces
1 medium red bell pepper
1 medium yellow bell pepper
1 medium red onion thin sliced, or 1/2 a large red onion
1/2 can of diced tomato
1/2 cup of chicken stock
heaping spoonful of minced garlic
salt pepper to taste
crushed red pepper flakes to taste

Start by rendering out the fat from your chorizo links.  begin to break up the chorizo as it cooks down and it will almost resemble ground beef.  once the chorizo has cooked through remove from the pan to a separate place and add in your veggies along with the garlic, the veggies will sweat down in the chorizo fat giving great flavor.  when the veggies are just starting to soften add in the bite size cubes of chicken and cook until chicken has turned white in color.  add in the diced tomato, chicken stock and bring to a simmer.  the last step is to taste test so you can add your S&P and crushed red to your liking.  my boyfriend and i are heat seekers so we really turn up the heat with our crushed red, but the chorizo adds a nice spice all on it's own so you will definitely want to taste your broth before adding.
i topped this over a bed of creamy, cheesy polenta. its healthier than mashed potatoes, better than pasta, and down right DELICIOUS! *recipe serves 6 = 5 points plus for WW*

1 QT of chicken stock
1 1/2 cups of polenta/corn meal
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 tbs butter
1/4 cup of heavy cream, or half and half
salt and pepper to taste
bring your chicken stock to a rolling boil, when you start to see bubbles whisk in your polenta so it does not clump and turn down the heat, splattered polenta will HURT if it gets on your skin.  add in the cream, the butter and just before serving add in your cheese.  it is creamy and the perfect supporting actor to the main dish! *recipe serves 10 = 3 points plus for WW *