Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken Cacciatore is best described as an old fashioned, rustic Italian stew made with braised ( slow cooked) chicken and tomatoes, onions,mushrooms and peppers. I think of it as the Italian equivalent of the French Coq au Vin. Watch enough Mafia movies and you'll find yourself cooking Italian - it happens to me every time and it's no secret that I am a fan of the Mafioso... There's something about the way they twirl their spaghetti around their forks with gusto while plotting vengeance. They always eat in groups and seem to enjoy their food - not just to fill their bellies, so what's not to like?

Thankfully this dish is super healthy and can be eaten over pasta, rice or simply with some crusty French bread to soak up the gravy. Mild in taste and with it's fair share of healthy veggies, it's great for kids too. I like mine garnished with fresh basil, but you can use a sprinkle of fresh grated parmesan to finish it up.

Recipe for Chicken Cacciatore:

8 large pieces of chicken

Flour for dredging chicken

¼ cup olive oil

1 tbsp butter

½ cup flour

1 onion, sliced

1 clove garlic, chopped

2 carrots diced

1 green pepper sliced

1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

1 tsp dried oregano

1 lb button mushrooms sliced thickly

¼ cup white wine

1 cup chicken stock

1 can peeled Italian plum tomatoes diced

salt to taste

Freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly coat the chicken pieces in flour.

2. Heat the olive oil in large pot and saute the chicken in batches until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Set it aside in a baking dish and keep warm in the oven.

3.Melt the butter in the skillet and add the onion, garlic, rosemary and oregano to skillet. Cook for about 1 minute and add in the mushrooms, peppers, and carrots. Sprinkle with the flour and cook for a minute. Add the wine and the chicken stock and finally the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper.

4.Add chicken to pot. Simmer over low heat or cook in a hot oven until chicken is tender and cooked through, about 20 minutes. Serve hot over pasta, rice or with crusty bread.