Chicken Cacciatore & Family Sunday Dinner

 Chicken Cacciatore & Family Sunday Dinner

Chicken Cacciatore & Family Sunday Dinner

“Family life is a bit like a runny peach pie — not perfect but who’s complaining?”

~ Robert Brault ~

Good morning, dear friends!

Lately I have been feeling bit melancholy …. especially when it comes to Sundays ….

I grew up in Eastern Europe with very close knit family …. every Sunday we gathered at grandma’s house for big Sunday lunch & family afternoon.

My husband is Canadian Italian so he grew up with even bigger family that used to gather at his Nona’s house not only on Sunday.

As I am getting older & my boys are growing up I am feeling certain sadness that they will probably never know or experience Sunday tradition of large family gathering at grandma’s house.

My parents are away most of the year & we lost my mother-in-law to cancer before my children were born.

My husband’s large Italian family grew apart after Nona died & my family is in Europe.

Yes, it makes me sad ….. family is everything to me …. , but living in the past is not a good thing so I decided to bring some Sunday family togetherness to our home.

Over last  few years my best friend’s family became our family so I started Sunday Night Family Dinner & we try to get together whenever we can.

It’s not as I remember, but it sure feels nice to share a meal & time with people we love.

My husband can’t be here most of the Sundays (another reason for my melancholy) , but when he is I try to make favorite dishes from his childhood.

One of his favorite is CHICKEN CACCIATORE & since I don’t have Nona’s recipe I came up with my own version of CHICKEN CACCIATORE that he loves.

CHICKEN CACCIATORE

Chicken Cacciatore & Family Sunday Dinner

Ingredients:

• 4 Chicken Breast (skin on & bone in)
• 2 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Black Pepper
• 2 tsp Garlic Powder
• 2 tsp Oregano
• 1 tsp Paprika
• Flour
• Oil
• Onion
• 2 cups Mushrooms (sliced)
• 4 Cloves Garlic (chopped)
• 1/2 cup Red Wine
• 3 cups Crushed Tomatoes
• 1/2 cup Chicken Stock
• 2 cups Red & Orange Bell Peppers (sliced)
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 2 tsp Basil

Method

• STEP 1: In a small bowl combine salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano and paprika.
• STEP 2: Rub the chicken breast with the seasoning mix and drenched in flour completely.
• STEP 3: Heat the oil on medium-high in a deep Texas skillet or Dutch oven. When the oil is hot add the chicken breast and brown in on both sides for 3 minutes per side. Put the chicken aside.
• STEP 4: Add chopped onion to the skillet and sweat it for 2-3 minutes. Add mushrooms, garlic, salt and pepper and saute for another 3 minutes.
• STEP 5: Stir in wine, crushed tomatoes and chicken stock. Bring it to boil. Add bell peppers, basil and bay leaf.
• STEP 6: Turn the heat down to medium. Put back the chicken. Cover and let it simmer for about an hour.

So next Sunday ….. gather your family no matter how small & invite them for Sunday Family Dinner ….

…. just make big pot of CHICKEN CACCIATORE …. open good bottle of Chianti …. bring out loaf of fresh bread and …… MANGIA! MANGIA!

Chi mangia solo crepa solo.

He who eats alone dies alone.

Don’t forget …. Keep Smiling …. Keep Cooking!