Chicken Cacciatore

Today I had the joy of cooking with my dear friend, Eric.  He would tell you that I'm teaching him how to cook, however I think that he is helping me learn to better explain how I cook.  We made Chicken Cacciatore.  Here's the recipe so you can give it a go!


Ingredients:

• 1 red bell pepper
• 4 boneless chicken breasts
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 package of mushrooms, sliced
• 1 onion, halved then sliced into strips
• 1 teaspoon of minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons of flour
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons of red-wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup of freshly chopped parsley
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

     First things first, preheat your oven to 375 degrees! 

     Then, take your red bell pepper and place it whole over the open flame on your burner or grill.  You are roasting the pepper, so turn in around with tongs until its blackened all over. After it is completely blackened, remove from flame and place into a bowl.  Immediately cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it steam for about 15 minutes.  Then, peel the pepper and throw away the skin.  Then core the pepper and slice into small strips and set it aside.

     Now, in a pot without plastic handles or a dutch oven heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper then add it to the oil over medium heat.  Cook the chicken until it is golden on both sides (3-4 minutes per side).  Then take the chicken out of the pot and set aside.

     Add 1 more teaspoon of oil to the pot and add mushrooms.  Cook the mushrooms for about 3 minutes or until soft.  Then go ahead and add your onions and garlic.  Cook that down until your onions become almost clear, about 3-5 more minutes.

     Then add 3 tablespoons of flour, stirring until it is well mixed.  Add the white wine.  Let it simmer for 1-2 minutes, then add the chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, and roasted red peppers.  Let it simmer for about 2 minutes.

      Add the chicken back into the pot and transfer the pot into the oven.  Cook it at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes.  

      Lastly, remove from the oven and stir in the vinegar and parsley.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Then Serve.

Tonight we served the Chicken Cacciatore with Pasta, a salad, and Italian bread.  It turned out wonderfully! It is relatively simple to make (minus the roasting of the red pepper) and I think it is a great meal for any occasion! 

DELICIOUS!

So don't be scared! Give it a shot.  Post comments on any adaptions you have made, I'm interested :)

Until we eat again,

Amateur Chef Cheryl