Tonight I tried another Giada DeLaurentiis recipe, Chicken Cacciatore. Besides the yummy looking picture in my cookbook, this description caught my eye:
"Cacciatore means cooked in the "hunter's style". In many Italian-American restaurants this can be a greasy, overly sweet sauce with dry, overcooked chicken. But this recipe will make you fall in love with Chicken Cacciatore again; its really the ultimate in hearty, rustic Italian home cooking."
That intrigued me - she's really building it up! And it lived up to it! Yummy!!! The one word I can use to describe it is: Fresh. It just tasted so vibrant and fresh, which is kind of unusual for I stew-type dish. I wish the picture I took looked as good as I thought it tasted. Sadly, Sam was not as big of a fan. "I don't like big tomatoes - I thought it was like Prego sauce." he says. :( Maybe I'll just put his in the blender and put it on some spaghetti next time - that would also be delicious.
In other food news, my favorite person won "The Next Food Network Star!" In honor of Melissa and her first show, I will be doing one of her recipes next week. Way to go girl! 4 kids under the age of 4, the only "untrained" chef on the show... this soccer mom beat the other chefs to win her own program on Food Network. I can't wait to watch her show!
Ingredients
Chicken breasts, cut into pieces
salt
pepper
flour for dredging
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes with juice
3/4 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons drained capers
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup coursely chopped fresh basil
Directions
Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge the pieces in flour to coat them lightly.
In a large, heavy saute pan, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the chicken to the pan and saute until golden brown on each side. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
Add the bell pepper, onion, garlic and oregano to the same pan and saute over medium heat until onion is tender, about 5 minutes.
Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juice, broth and capers. Return the chicken to the pan and turn to coat them in the sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Continue simmering over medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through.
Finish the sauce with a little butter. Sprinkle with fresh basil, and enjoy!
Off the hook tomorrow night - we are going to friends' house for pizza! :) And Thursday we are gone as well. I'll be back next night we eat at home!
Did you use capers? I've never tried them are they good? I am making Kale chips and Kale pesto to freeze today. I think you would like both. I am going to try your recipes soon too! Love Mom
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