Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken Cacciatore
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Entree
Cuisine: Italian
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Ingredients
  • 3½ - 4 lb. chicken, cut up
  • ½ c. flour
  • ½ c. olive or cooking oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 medium onions, finely chopped
  • 1 can tomato paste
  • 1 green pepper, finely diced
  • 2 c. diced tomatoes
  • ¼ lb. mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp pepper
  • ½ tsp oregano
Instructions
  1. Dredge pieces of chicken with flour. Heat oil in large skillet.
  2. Brown chicken on all sides in oil. Add remaining ingredients.
  3. Cover; simmer 1 hour or until tender.
  4. Serve with hot cooked spaghetti & grated Parmesan cheese.

Photo Courtesy of Peter Sejersen on Flickr

Enchilada Casserole

Submitted by Nicole~
Serves 2

Ingredients

1.5-2 lb. ground beef 1 taco seasoning packet
1 tbsp oregano 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
2 cans corn 1 can Enchilada sauce
12-15 flour tortillas 4 c. cheese
salt & pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Brown meat with seasonings, adding corn & enchilada sauce until done.
  2. Place layer of tortillas on bottom of 9″x11″ dish, add layer of meat mixture, top with cheese. Repeat until out of tortillas & meat mixture leaving off top layer of cheese.
  3. Bake 25-30 minutes.
  4. Remove adding final layer of cheese & bake 5 minutes.

Chef’s Note: This dish is great for pre-making or giving to neighbors when in need.

Basic Tomato Sauce

Submitted by Ruth
Serves 2

Ingredients

5 truss tomatoes, skinned, diced, & crushed 2 tbsp tomato paste
large handful of oregano large handful marjoram
small handful parsley small handful basil
small package pine nuts ½ c. button mushrooms, diced
1 medium onion, quartered salt
pepper 1 c. vegetable stock or broth

Directions

  1. Slit the skins on the tomatoes & put them in boiling water for a minute to get the skins off.  Once skinned, put them in the blender to crush them.  Add tomato paste to thicken it.  Set aside.
  2. In a food processor, pulse the onion, herbs, & pine nuts until neatly smooth.
  3. In a nonstick pan, cook the mushrooms & onion/herb mixture with a bit of vegetable stock until translucent, then add the tomatoes.  Cook for about 1 hour on a very low simmer until reduced by about ¼.

Chef’s Note: When serving I add a chicken breast with all fat removed, thinly sliced & dry grilled, & some heart healthy bacon dry grilled.

The Califunky Hot Brown

Submitted by randilicious
Serves 2

Ingredients

5 tbsp canola oil 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1½ c. milk 6 tbsp Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
3 tbsp sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 egg, beaten
½ tbsp pepper ½ tbsp oregano
1 tsp paprika 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1 c. mushrooms, sliced 8 stalks asparagus
1 tomato, thinly sliced 4 slices of bread, toasted
1 avocado leftover turkey slices and/or ¼ lb. pork roast thinly sliced

Directions

  1. To prepare sauce, in a large skillet combine 3 tbsp canola oil & flour little by little & mix to create a roux.  Stir in flour to absorb the oil.  Slowly whisk in the milk, & add Parmesan cheese & cheddar cheese.  Stir in the egg to thicken the sauce, but do not allow to boil.  Season with pepper, paprika, & Old Bay seasoning & remove from heat.
  2. In a separate skillet, heat 2 tbsp canola oil.  Saute mushrooms in the oil until soft.
  3. In the same skillet, saute the asparagus.
  4. Preheat the oven broiler.  For each serving, put 2 slices of toast on a broiler-safe dish.  Cover toast with layer of slices of turkey/pork roast & mushrooms.  Smother each serving with sauce.
  5. Place dish in broiler until the top of the sauce in speckled brown & bubbly.  Remove from broiler, add tomatoes, & cross cross 4 stalks of asparagus (per serving) over top, & serve.
  6. For each serving, slice up half an avocado & add as garnish.

Chef’s Note: The Kentucky Hot Brown retains a special place in my heart, as I was born in Kentucky.  Of course, I had to add in more of a California flavor (and a dash of my Maryland side too) to make it healthier.

Randilicious Chili

Submitted by randilicious
Serves a lot

Ingredients

1 large onion, finely chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped 1 jalapeno pepper
2 tbsp tomato paste 2 tbsp butter, cut into pieces
¼ c. all-purpose flour 1 tbsp dried oregano, crushed
1 tsp ground cumin 2 tsp crushed red pepper
½ c. chili powder 14.5 oz. diced tomatoes with liquid (1 can)
1 lb lean ground turkey 15.25 oz. kidney beans, drained and rinsed (1 can)
2 tbsp Jack Daniels whiskey salt & ground black pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Brown the ground turkey with ½ the onion, ½ the garlic (2 cloves), & 1 tbsp chili powder.  Set aside.
  2. In a large skillet over medium heat, combine remainder of onion, garlic, & tomato paste. Cover & cook for 5 minutes.
  3. Stir in butter until melted. Stir in flour, oregano, cumin, red pepper, chili powder, tomatoes, beef, & Jack Daniels. Cook uncovered for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Stir in the beans & cook for another 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Salt, pepper, & other spices to taste.
  5. Simmer covered at low heat until serving time.