Veggie Filled Chicken Cacciatore Recipes

Steps:

• Place the dried mushrooms in a bowl or heat-proof glass measuring cup and pour on 2 cups boiling water. Let sit 15 to 30 minutes, until mushrooms are softened. Drain through a strainer lined with cheesecloth or a paper towel and set over a bowl. Rinse the mushrooms in several changes of water, squeeze out excess water and chop coarsely. Set aside. Measure out 1 cup of the soaking liquid and set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and brown, in batches, for 5 minutes on each side. Transfer the chicken pieces to a bowl as they are done. Pour the fat off from the pan and discard.
• Turn the heat down to medium, add the remaining oil and the onion, carrot and celery, as well as a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, parsley, rosemary, red pepper flakes and salt to taste. Cover, turn the heat to low and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes, until the mixture is soft and aromatic. Stir in the fresh and dried mushrooms, turn the heat back up to medium, and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are just tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the wine and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring, for a few minutes, until the wine has reduced by about half. Add the tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down a little and smell fragrant. Stir in the mushroom soaking liquid that you set aside.
• Return the chicken pieces to the pan and stir so that they are well submerged in the tomato mixture. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes, until the chicken is tender. Taste, adjust seasoning and serve with pasta or rice.

Steps:

• Sprinkle the chicken pieces with 1 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour to coat lightly.
• In a large heavy saute pan, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the chicken pieces to the pan and saute just until brown, about 5 minutes per side. If all the chicken does not fit in the pan, saute it in 2 batches. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. Add the bell pepper, onion and garlic to the same pan and saute over medium heat until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice, broth, capers and oregano. Return the chicken pieces to the pan and turn them to coat in the sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Continue simmering over medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through, about 30 minutes for the breast pieces, and 20 minutes for the thighs.
• Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a platter. If necessary, boil the sauce until it thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Spoon off any excess fat from atop the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the chicken, then sprinkle with the basil and serve.

Steps:

• Mix salt, pepper& flour together.
• Wash chicken (taking off excess skin& roll in flour mixture).
• Put a little onion& a bit of the garlic& a few whole basil leaves in 3/4 the oil, then brown chicken on all sides in the oil.
• Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels (May need to add more oil as you go along).
• Remove gristle from pan, leaving the oil; add the onion& half the garlic and stir until onion is just wilted, then add, zucchini& mushrooms- cook, stirring for a moment (not long, it will also be cooking in the oven).
• Place the browned chicken pieces into a large oven-proof casserole& pour the onion-veggie mixture over the chicken.
• In the same frying pan, add the rest (1/4 cup) of the oil& add the other half of the garlic, then add the crushed tomatoes, bay leaves, Italian spices, and wine.
• Simmer a few minutes.
• Pour over the chicken, cover and bake in a 350 degree oven about 45 minutes or until the chicken is done; then, uncover the chicken, top with chopped basil& parmesan and bake an additional 15-20 minutes to allow cheese to melt& sauce to thicken.
• Serve with white rice with a little of the sauce on top.
• Note: To reduce fat& calories, you can remove the skin from the chicken& omit the olive oil from the sauce.
• I prefer to remove the skin while eating- the basil& chesse form a kind of crust so you can still have that without the skin.
• Cooking with the skin on keeps the chicken moist.

Steps:

• Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
• Heat the oil in a saute pan over moderately-high heat. Brown the chicken on both sides, about 8 minutes. Remove the chicken.
• Reduce the heat to moderate. Add the onion and pepper, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to brown. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half. Add the tomatoes and juice, oregano, red pepper flakes and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and simmer the mixture covered for 10 minutes.
• Return the chicken breasts to the pan and simmer, covered, until the chicken is just done, about 20 minutes longer.