Busy schedules have had me cooking quick meals lately, like soup and grilled cheese, or slow-cooker barbecue. I finally decided it was time to put some effort into a meal so my sons won’t grow up and tell their wives I threw microwaved burritos at them every night.
I pulled out one of my family’s favorites – Chicken Cacciatore.
They loved it like cheese loves grits.
For dessert, I made individual little tarts and topped them with strawberries from Piggly Wiggly, and the last of the blackberries I picked last summer.
The blackberries were a buried treasure discovered in the bottom of my freezer!
This guy sat outside my window and watched me cook.
Here’s the recipe:
Chicken Cacciatore
Ingredients:
chicken thighs and breasts
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
1/2 cup flour
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 onion
1 chopped bell pepper
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup red wine
1 large can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
handful of chopped fresh basil
Heat olive oil in large skillet. Â Salt and pepper chicken pieces, then toss with flour. Saute chicken in heated olive oil until brown. Â Remove chicken from pan and set aside. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic to the same pan and cook until soft. Season with more salt and pepper and add the wine. Â Let simmer over medium heat until reduced by half. Â Add tomatoes with their juice, chicken broth, and oregano. Â Return chicken pieces to the pan and turn them so they are coated with the sauce. Â Simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 – 30 minutes.
Transfer the chicken to a platter, cover with sauce and garnish with chopped basil. Serve over noodles.