TINY Kitchen Spicy Chicken Enchilada Pasta

I don’t know about anyone else, but when the temperatures drop my body reverts to Cave (Wo)man mode and wants nothing but hearty comfort food: meat, carbs, salt and fat. And cheese. Lots of cheese. With the amount of snow on the ground lately, I’ve been getting creative in The TINY Kitchen, playing with different recipes and ideas for satisfying these cravings without sacrificing a healthy dinner.

Spicy Chicken Enchilada Pasta was one of those fun little experiments. I admittedly was “just winging it” (a phrase uttered way too much in our kitchen) when throwing everything together; but I resorted to my time-tested theory that anything with cumin is going to be good, and so I went for it.

Well, I was right. This recipe turned out great; a healthy meal masquerading as an indulgent treat, loaded with flavor and a subtle kick of heat. Just the way we like it.

The best part about this recipe is that I snuck in an extra full serving of vegetables to this already veggie-heavy dish by using Veggie Penne instead of regular pasta. If you haven’t tried Veggie Pasta, give it a try! It tastes just as good as regular store-bought dried pasta, and offers an extra healthy kick.

INGREDIENTS

1 tbs coconut oil

1 lb boneless/skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 red or orange bell pepper, seeded and chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

½ of a white onion, chopped

½ cup diced green chiles

1 cup uncooked veggie penne

1½ cup regular chicken broth

1 cup chunky salsa

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp cumin

salt and black pepper to taste

Optional: 2 tbs fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS

In a large nonstick pan, heat oil on medium-high heat.
Add chicken, bell pepper, garlic, and onion, with a pinch of salt and black pepper.
Cook everything together for 3-4 minutes or until chicken is just lightly browned.
Mix in the chiles and salsa, and add your cumin and cayenne, stirring everything together.
Add broth and the uncooked pasta.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until moisture is absorbed and pasta is tender.
Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.
OPTIONAL: add 2tbs of fresh cilantro and mix throughout
OPTIONAL TOPPINGS: sour cream, cheddar cheese, black olives