Slurpin' Good Blackened Chicken Fettucini! (It's gluten free, too!)

Mmmm ... here you go! Open wide and take a bite! My husband did his ravenous bear impression and chowed down on this recipe. CHOWED DOWN. I can tell when he really likes something because a) he sets a world record at speed consumption of the food, and b) he gets up and serves himself seconds. I suspect he likes to refill his own plate because he can pile on more food than his loving wife who doesn’t want him to overeat. I’ve been instructed to place this recipe on his repeat list.Do you maintain a “repeat” list? You know what I mean ... the lofty list of recipes that the family will actually eat again with gusto. The problem here is that although my husband all but licked his plate clean twice, the children in my life were not so enthusiastic. My girls did eat it without complaint and actually asked for seconds of the chicken. My son, well, he told me he wasn’t very hungry. Yeah, like I’m gonna buy that one. (eye roll) My son is not a fan of sauce. He’s not a fan of food groups that touch. This recipe does both. Despite his displeasure, I have absolutely no leftovers of any aspect of dinner. Therefore, this will get made again ... I’ll just keep the boy’s portion separate.

Credit for this recipe goes to Guy Fierri from Food Network. It’s full flavored, creamy, and delicious. If you like creamy, delicious food, this one’s will make your repeat list, too! Like most of us do, I did modify it just a bit.Plus, I made mine gluten free by using Tinkyada brand rice fettucini. See how lovely the rice pasta cooks up? Of course, if gluten is your friend, you can always use regular fettucini. This recipe is easy to make, comes together really fast (so have everything ready first!), and would also qualify to serve company. YUM!

The ingredients call for Blackening Seasoning. Have you "blackened" anything before? I’ve never made anything blackened before. Truth be told, I don’t even know if this qualifies as blackened because I ended up grilling it. Uh oh, I can hear the sirens from the the seasoning police now. Hey, officer, it was hot inside and outside, so I opted for cooking outside. Perhaps I could bribe them with a bite of this. Back to the seasoning ... I decided to make my own rub! I’m so glad I did; it’s "money" as Guy says.

Ingredients
• 4 (5-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I brined mine first)
• 1 tablespoon of canola oil
• 1 cup blackening spice (I made my own and used less than called for)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 cup roughly chopped marinated sun-dried tomatoes
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 2 baby zucchini, halved, grilled and sliced (my garden addition)
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound cooked fettuccine (I used gluten free fettuccine – awesome!)
• 1/2 cup sliced scallions

Directions
Before you begin, make sure all the ingredients are chopped and ready to go as this recipe comes together rather quickly. Also note that I grilled the zucchini at the same time as the chicken. While preparing your chicken, cook your pasta according to package directions. I used gluten free rice fettuccine and loved it. It needs to boil for about 10 minutes.

Pat the breast dry and dredge them in the blackening spice. Drizzle with most of the canola oil, saving some for the zucchini, and rub it in. Set aside while you heat up the grill. Fire up your grill to medium high heat. Grill chicken for about 4 minutes on each side, place on a plate and cover with foil while you prepare the rest of the recipe.

Halve your baby zucchini, season with salt and pepper, drizzle with the remaining canola oil, and grill about 5 minutes per side. Remove and let sit while the chicken is sitting. Slice into bite sized pieces. I grilled these at the same time as the chicken.

In a saute pan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil. Add garlic and lightly caramelize. Then add the sun-dried tomatoes. Slice your chicken on the bias into medallion sized slices, and add them along with the zucchini to the pan. Deglaze the pan with the white wine.Add the heavy cream, increase the heat to a simmer, and reduce the cream sauce by half. Stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan, salt, pepper, and pasta. Garnish with scallions and the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.
Here is the recipe for the Blackening Seasoning. I LOVE this spice. It’s not too hot in the heat department, and it smells terrific. This would go great on fish, too. YUM. I found this recipe on About.com and I’m so pleased with it.

Ingredients:
• 2 teaspoons ground paprika (I used smoked paprika)
• 4 teaspoons dried leaf thyme
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, or to your taste
• 1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preparation:
Combine ingredients. Put in a jar and store in a cool dark place. Shake jar well before each use.I just made a paper cone and spooned it into a recently empty spice jar. I love re-using jars in this way.Do you date your spices? I do. That way if something gets shoved to the back of the drawer, I know at a glance if it’s still palatable!

This mixture was, in my opinion, the star of this recipe. The aroma was so enticing, and the texture just blended right in ... no bits of unwanted texture anywhere. I really enjoyed concocting my own mixture. What’s your favorite spice mixture?