Bacon to Chicken

Okay, off the bacon kick and back to chicken.  Lower in fat.  Much lower in sodium.  Better for you unless you speak Vegan.  Then it's no chicken and a lot of other things, too.

Last night Bob cooked this.  You'd have to really dig to find any place that can prepare something as scrumptious as this.  I mean it. 

Can't take credit for the recipe.  It's from Giada DeLaurentis on Food TV.  Giada hangs her boobs out while cooking which makes watching her cook more interesting.  Women complain to Food TV about the hanging out the boobs while cooking deal.   Nonetheless Giada keeps hanging them out.  Guess it makes for higher ratings.  I think hanging boobs out if you got them to hang out is the fad.  Don't you see a lot of ladies doing that? 

In case you're feeling creative here's the recipe.  Follow it to the letter and you can't go wrong. . . well, almost to the letter.  I used two large skinless chicken breasts instead of what's called for which really didn't change anything other than add all white meat instead of a mix of white and dark.  There's enough sauce involved to use four breasts instead of two.

By the photo you can see that I served the Cacciatore over noodles.  Carrots and corn were sides to this entree. 

Chicken Cacciatore by Giada
Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 40 min

Level:  Easy - - Even Bob can do it.

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

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 (if you use skinless chicken there will be no fat to spoon off).

Spoon the sauce over the chicken, then sprinkle with the basil and serve.