The On-Call Cook: Zippy, Garlicky, Lime-ish Chicken Pasta

Is "Lime-ish" a word? Hmph... it is now. :)

First off, I have to apologize for my lack of posts recently. It's the end of the semester, and I have work samples, report card comments, and phone calls coming out of my ears! On top of that, I've got some new responsibilities in church. Ahh! I suppose it's no excuse, but when night time comes along, I want to sit on the couch and play angry birds or watch Lord of the Rings. I promise that I haven't completely flaked on all y'alls. I got a couple new cookbooks for Christmas, and I've already marked what I need to try. There will be many more recipes to come.

Now, back to the zippy, garlic, lime chicken pasta stuff. I was perusing another cooking blog when I stumbled upon this recipe. I had everything on hand, so I thought I'd give it a shot. Besides, I'm quite keen on recipes that have garlic, lime, pasta, or chicken. You throw those together, and I'm happy as a clam. Although I don't understand that expression. If I was a clam, I would not be happy. Then again... they don't have noses. Anywho- This recipe turned out wonderful. Even my husband liked it with the broccoli! That's a near miracle! It's worth a try. I think I'll make it every few months or so. It's got a good flavor, and it's a really quick fix for dinner. I served it with some rolls and fresh fruit. Blammo! There's dinner. I embrace dinners like this around the end of the semester.

Zippy, Garlicky, Lime-ish Chicken Pasta
source: http://amberskitchen.blogspot.com/2007/07/spicy-garlicky-and-limey.html

Ingredients:
1 c chicken broth
1.5 T lime juice (adjusting amount to your liking)
1 T corn starch
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
1/8 t cayenne pepper
1/4 t paprika
1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 t onion powder
1/4 t dried thyme
1/4 t dried parsley
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite size pieces)
1 T butter
Few drizzles of olive oil
8 oz pasta (I used whole wheat rotini)
1-2 cups broccoli florets
Optional - Parmesan cheese for topping

Prepare a pot of water to cook the pasta. Cook it according to package directions.

While it is cooking, combine all the sauce ingredients- chicken broth down to the parsley- in a bowl. Set aside.

Toss the broccoli in with the pasta during the last five minutes of the cooking time. Drain it and put it aside.

In a large skillet, saute the butter and oil over medium high heat. Add the diced chicken breasts. Cook them until no longer pink on the outside. Do you see that one little fella in the middle of the far-right hand side? Not quite done yet. He was holding up the cooking process.

Add the sauce into the skillet with the chicken. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the sauce has thickened. It took about five minutes.