Chicken Cacciatore… Simple & Healthy

Chicken Cacciatore... simmered with tomatoes, peppers, garlic, onions and seasonings and then baked to create an amazing, healthy dinner! Perfect Italian-style meal, ready in under an hour. Super colorful and screams meal appeal! Best served over your favorite pasta. Without pasta… makes a perfect low carb entrée.

Chicken Cacciatore... Simple & Healthy

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 - pound chicken, 4 boneless/ skinless breasts or thighs
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Dash black pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 medium red, orange, and yellow peppers, 1-inch slices
Or 4 – 5 small gourmet peppers, assorted colors, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
2 – 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (15 ounce) diced tomatoes
1 can (8 ounce) tomato sauce
5 – 6 mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup red wine
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 teaspoon basil, dried
1 teaspoon oregano, dried
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons sugar

** Favorite cooked ribbon pasta, regular or gluten free

Garnish: Fresh Parmesan cheese, fresh basil

Equipment needed:

Cutting board
Chef knife
Waxed paper
Meat mallet or rolling pin
Dinner plate
Large 12-inch skillet
Measuring cups, liquid and dry
Measuring spoons
Tongs
Rubber spatula

Tomato dishes filled with fresh vegetables are some of my favorite dishes! Italian food is my go-to cuisine on most days. Think it is the blend of Italian herbs that I love... plus the fact that I grow them in my garden helps! This recipe is one of my favorites when peppers are abundant in the produce department. I never have had luck at growing peppers in my garden, except for hot peppers. Think I crowd plants too much and they don’t get enough sun. I buy them weekly...especially the little gourmet peppers! My recipe is placed in the oven which creates a wonderful mellow, caramelized vegetable medley. Serve it over ribbon pasta.... or any pasta... It’s amazing! Pour yourself a glass of red wine… while you cook… and maybe after too! Think your kids will also agree. Try it... grab your veggies and let’s cook!

Preheat oven to 350 F.

The first step is to prep your chicken! Place the chicken breasts under plastic wrap or waxed paper and pound thin, about 1-inch thick using a meat mallet or end of a rolling pin. Combine flour, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper on a dinner plate and mix well. Dredge chicken breasts well in flour mixture. Allow floured breasts to set ~ 5 minutes while heating pan. Place skillet with canola oil over medium high heat for 3 -5 minutes. Re-dredge chicken breasts and shake off excess flour. Place in hot oil and pan fry for 3 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove from pan to sauté vegetables.

**If cooking pasta, place water over high heat, covered to bring to a boil.

While the chicken is pan frying, slice your peppers and onions into thin strips, about 1/2 inch wide and 1 1/2 inches long… about mouth size. Place them along with garlic, in the skillet you used for the chicken, and sauté for 3 - 5 minutes or bright in color and tender crisp. While the peppers are sautéing slice the mushrooms. Add undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce and sliced mushrooms. Stir well to combine. Sprinkle on the remaining seasonings and blend.

Almost finished... Bet it looks fabulous! Place chicken in skillet with vegetable mixture. Nestle chicken into sauce to submerge and cover well. Place uncovered into preheated 350 F oven for 10 – 15 minutes or ready to serve. Cook pasta according to instructions ... until al dente. Drain pasta and drizzle with a tablespoon or two of olive oil to prevent sticking until serving time.

Dinner is ready! Smells amazing... so pretty too! Remove skillet from oven and allow to rest for a few minutes. This recipe is the epitome of meal appeal… Colorful, varying sizes and shapes of ingredients, wonderful aroma, steaming hot and of course takes spectacular! Add a tossed salad and your healthy dinner is ready in under an hour. Serve Chicken Cacciatore over pasta in shallow pasta bowls. Garnish with fresh grated Parmesan cheese and a sprig of fresh basil...Enjoy!!