Chicken Cacciatore (Pollo alla Cacciatora)

This is one of my favorite recipes because, like Pot Roast, it tastes even better the next day. If you make it in advance, transfer it to an oven proof baking dish overnight (preferably pottery, not metal) and then when you are ready to make dinner, remove it from fridge and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and cook for about 20-30 minutes. As soon as it is bubbly, you can take it out, sprinkle it with parsley and serve. If you are using a glass baking dish, you must be sure to bring it to room temperature before you place it in the oven or it may shatter.

As a special note, I always use organic ingredients, whenever I can.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

• 3 lb organic free- range chicken, cut up or boneless breast and thighs
• ¼ cup olive oil

Step One

• 1 (16 oz) can of Italian peeled tomatoes with their juices ( I smash them up with a fork…or my hands)
• 1 (8 oz) can of tomato sauce
• 1 cup of shitake mushrooms, sliced (or sliced white mushrooms)
• ¼ white wine or water
• ¼ cup of black pitted olives, sliced (you can also use calamata olives or even green olives)
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed or diced
• ½ -1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp crushed dried oregano leaves
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 1 large bay leaf

Step Two

• ½ cup of brown rice flour
• ½ -1 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• Garnish
• Snipped parsley
• Grated parmesan cheese
• Crushed Red Pepper

Directions:

1. Mix all the ingredients in Step One in a bowl and set aside. I like to clean up and regroup at this point; it makes it much easier to keep up.
2. Mix brown rice flour, salt and pepper together and coat chicken with mixture. You can put it all in a large rectangular Tupperware and shake it up until chicken is thoroughly coated.
3. Over medium heat, heat oil in a 12 inch pan until hot (do not allow to smoke) and add chicken. Brown chicken on all sides, about 15 minutes. If there is a lot of fat drain it from the skillet when you are done, otherwise proceed to step 4.
4. Pour the mixture (step one) over the chicken and heat until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until done, about 30 minutes. If you are using boneless chicken, it will probably be done sooner, so check in after 20 minutes. Make sure the sauce is gently simmering the whole time, do not let it be still or it will not cook evenly. Remove bay leaves.
5. Serve immediately over your favorite whole wheat/brown rice pasta.

Garnish

Sprinkle with parsley and a little grated cheese and serve over your favorite pasta; it is usually served with spaghetti; I like it with fusilli. If you haven’t tried Tinkyada brown rice pasta give it a shot, it’s pretty good. If you have a whole wheat pasta you love, please let me know; I have yet to find one that I a feel comfortable recommending.

Serve with crushed red pepper and extra parsley and cheese in separate little bowls.

Note: If you are working in the kitchen with kids, you can do all of the cutting first, and then have them come in and help mix everything and shake up the chicken. They love mushing up the whole tomatoes!