EARNING MY KEEP

We all have to earn our keep now and then. Life cannot be all TV football, NASCAR, Internet and what have you. Wifey has to know that I am still worth my salt.

So, I empty the dishwasher.

Take out the garbage.

Garden.

And lots of other stuff not worth going into.

But I also cook. Last night I decided to prepare chicken cacciatore. It was a lot of work but well worth the trouble. This dish is sooooo scrumptious.

Actually, on the plate looks better than in the pot. Don't let this picture fool you.

The best part of the preparation was when it called for 3/4 cup of white wine. When I cook with wine it goes like this. . . one for in the pot, one for me, one for in the pot, one for me. The bottle of wine usually goes empty pretty quick so I open another.

One for in the pot, one for me. . ..

I cooked pasta to lay the chicken caccitore on. I'm not Italian but it sure felt like it last night.

Here's the receipe taken from the Food Network website:

Chicken Cacciatore by Giada


Serves: 4 servings

4 chicken thighs 2 chicken breasts with skin and backbone, halved crosswise

2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

1/2 cup all purpose flour, for dredging

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large red bell pepper,

chopped 1 onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3/4 cup dry white wine (some in the pot, some for me)

1 ( 28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice

3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

3 tablespoons drained capers

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves

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.