Cilantro Cream Chicken

Cilantro Cream Chicken
Serves 6

Disclaimer: If you can feel your arteries clogging and your blood pressure rising as you read the ingredients, PLEASE keep reading. It's an OLD Atkins recipe that I modified when I went back to my beloved carbs. This recipe can be made as FAT or THIN as you like. There are options at the end.

1 pound fusili (or other short pasta)
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
salt and pepper
small onion, halved and sliced
small red pepper. sliced
6 oz. cream cheese, cubed
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
2 Tablespoons lime juice
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup bottled jalapeno slices

Put a large pot of salted water on to boil. When it boils, add pasta and cook according to package directions.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken to pan and season with salt, pepper and cayenne. Cook about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally until chicken is almost cooked through.
Add peppers and onion to chicken, continue to cook until veggies are crisp tender. About 5 minutes.
Add cream cheese cubes and whipping cream. Cook and stir until cream cheese melts and sauce begins to bubble.
Add lime juice and half the cilantro.
Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in remaining cilantro and jalapenos.
Pour sauce over cooked pasta and toss to coat.

*I have made this recipe with the following substitutions, all with very similar results.

Cream cheese: regular, reduced fat or fat free.
Whipping cream: heavy, regular, half and half and fat free half and half.
Butter: I've made it with the whole amount, smaller amounts, and even with a little olive oil instead of butter.
I used reduced fat cream cheese, half and half and about 4 T. butter for the recipe exchange.

About the cayenne and jalapenos: Our family likes the heat to hurt a little. But you can easily reduce or eliminate them as you prefer.
I made it half strength for the recipe exchange.