The Chicken Game

    When I want to try out a new recipe its a process to say the least, especially with chicken. My husband does not like chicken cooked in liquid.  He likes it fried, grilled, or baked.  "Please honey", he begs, " just no stews or soups." So when I found this recipe for chicken cacciatore I knew I had my work cut out for me. It became an even greater challenge because the day I made this recipe, my Valentine's day gift (which was just beautiful) arrived.  It was going to be a hard sell. This recipe is an adaptation of Rachel Ray's recipe from her 30 Minute Meals Cookbook. As the Spice of Life cook I had to make this recipe my own. I encourage you to do the same.
     The original recipe calls for boneless skinless chicken breasts and thighs. They are cooked then sliced. I chose to use boneless skinless chicken legs and thighs. I boned them myself, kept the thigh and drumstick in one piece, then whole after cooking before adding to the stew. I'm sure you can find out how to bone a chicken leg somewhere out there on the Internet. Unless you have a really good sharp knife, buy the meat boneless.

Quick Chicken Cacciatore

 Prep time 10-15 minutes
Cooking time 20-30 minutes

Equipment:1- covered sauce pan
                     pot for boiling pasta
                     small  covered stew pot

6-boneless skinless chicken legs preferably with thigh and drumstick intact rubbed in balsamic vinegar.
2-portabello mushroom caps cut in half then sliced
3-garlic cloves minced
1-medium onion chopped
2-pinches of red pepper flakes
1-28 oz can of chopped tomatoes in tomato puree
1- handful of chopped flat leaf parsley
1/2 to 3/4 cups of good dry red wine.
2-tsp dried basil
2-tsp dried oregano
3-bay leaves
3-tbs evoo divided
S&P to taste
Grated Parmesan or Romano cheese when serving

Start a pot to boil for pasta on a rear burner.  Heat a sauce pan on high heat, then add one tbs of olive oil. When oil is hot, add your chicken, cook for 5 min on each side cover then set aside.  While chicken is cooking heat a  small stew pot on medium heat, add remaining oil.  When oil is hot, add onions, garlic and pepper flakes.  Saute for 2-minutes then add sliced mushrooms.  Stir all to coat mushrooms in oil, then cover and cook for 5-min.  Add pasta to boiling water, cook until al dente.  Mushrooms should be soft and have released a dark liquid, if not stir, cover and cook for another 2 min.  Add tomatoes, wine, parsley, oregano, basil and bay leaves, S&P.  Cover and cook for 5-min.  Sauce should be reddish brown color.  By now the covered chicken should have released its liquid, put chicken in the stew pot.  Stir up liquid from chicken in sauce pan getting up any bits from pan then add to stew pot.  Cover pot and cook on high heat for 7 minutes.  Taste and readjust seasonings as needed.  Place cooked pasta in a large pasta bowl, pour stew on top.  Serve with grated cheese.  Serves 4-6.

Note: dried herbs give big flavor when boiled, adjust seasonings to taste.
BTW: My husband loved the recipe. Good taste always wins.