Chicken Cacciatore Stoup - Rachel Ray did it again with her ability to throw together an amazing meal, in limited time and still satisfy every one of my taste buds - minus the sweet one - that's for the Breyer's ice cream. :-) Barton and I were looking for a chicken dish this week that offered healthy, spicy, and colorful attributes and we found just that with this recipe. The slight seasoning of the chicken and the red pepper flakes added at the beginning of the recipe was prominent in the finishing tastes. I highly recommend serving this dish with a crusty French baguette. We did not have one so we had a piece of wheat bread with a light spread of butter, still delicious. This recipe offers a great variety of vegetables and leaves you feeling satisfied and content on the healthy choice made. Enjoy

Ingredients:

3 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
2 tsp grill seasoning, (I just used salt and fresh ground pepper)
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 large white potatoes, peeled and diced (I substituted the small white potatoes and used about 7, due to the lack of availability at the grocery store)
8 cremini (baby portobello) mushrooms, de-stemed and chopped
4 celery ribs from the heart, chopped
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered lengthwise, then thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup dry Italian red wine (I used a shiraz from California)
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 C low-sodium chicken broth
3 TBSP fresh rosemary

Directions:

Heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil then add the chicken. Season the chicken with the grill seasoning or salt and pepper. Cook until evenly and lightly browned all over, 5-7 minutes. Be sure to stir.

While the chicken cooks, chop up the vegetables.

Remove the cooked chicken from the skillet and put on plate. Reserve for later. Add the remaining extra-virgin olive oil to the pan. Add the crushed red pepper flakes and potatoes. Cook for a couple of minutes. 7-10 if you prefer your potatoes to be softer. Then add the mushrooms, celery, and onions. Cook for another 6 minutes. Make sure you stir every minute or so. Then add the bell peppers and garlic. Cook for another 3 minutes. Add the chicken back to the skillet and toss with vegetables. Add the red wine. Stir. Add the tomatoes and broth to the skillet and stir to combine. Stir in the rosemary. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.

Turn of the soup and divide into bowls. Top with fresh basil (I used basil flakes) and cheese. Recommended: parmigiano-reggiano. Serve with a few slices of a French baguette.

Please try this dish, it IS great and you might even thank me for it.

This recipe was found in Rachel Ray's 365: No Repeats.