I have always loved Chicken Cacciatore, but Mr8 and the kids are not big fans of olives. Not that I love olives myself, but I don’t mind them in dishes where they blend in with the other flavours. So when I found this quick and easy recipe on the Coles website (you never know where you will find a great recipe) I decided to try it out on the family and just omit the olives. I made a few small changes, using chicken breasts instead of chicken maryland, and I used a can of diced tomatoes instead of fresh tomatoes because that is what I had in my pantry and I didn’t want to make another trip to the shops. I think the canned tomatoes gave the dish more sauce, which keeps the kids happy. The verdict was a big thumbs up from all 8 of us, with all of the kids asking for seconds. The mushrooms are quartered, so it was easy to avoid dishing them up to the kids who don’t like them, and easy for them to pick out the strays. More mushrooms for me! While I love cooking, weeknights are pretty manic around here with dancing lessons, homework and violin practice etc., so I need great recipes to fall back on that are quick and will be eaten by everyone, and this recipe ticks all of the boxes. I served this dish with rice and broccoli, but it would be beautiful served over creamy mashed potatoes.
Chicken Cacciatore with Mushrooms
Ingredients:
2 Cup Mushrooms, quartered
1 Tbl Olive Oil
4-6 Chicken Breasts (or Chicken pieces of your choice)
Salt and Pepper, to season
1 Cup Onions, thinly sliced
1 Clove garlic, finely chopped or minced
1 Red Capsicum, diced
1/2 Cup Red Wine
800g Can Diced Tomatoes (or 2 Cups fresh Tomatoes, diced)
1 Sprig Fresh Thyme
1 Bay Leaf
1/2 tsp Dried Oregano
1 Tbl Parsley or Basil, chopped (optional)
1/2 Cup Giant Pitted Kalamata Olives, roughly chopped (optional)
White Rice to serve
Directions:
Heat a large saucepan over medium high heat and add the oil to the pot.
Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper and sear the breasts in two batches until each side is golden.
Remove the chicken to a plate and add the onions to the pan.
Sauté the onions for 3 minutes stirring constantly, then add the garlic, capsicum and mushrooms and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Add the red wine and reduce until almost dry, then add the tomatoes to the pot along with the thyme, bay leaf and oregano.
Bring to the simmer and reduce heat to low.
Add the chicken back to the sauce and simmer gently, covered, for 18 to 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly, turning the chicken halfway through.
Once the chicken is cooked through, stir in half the parsley or basil, remove and discard thyme and bay leaf.
Serve over rice and sprinkle the chopped olives and remaining parsley or basil over each piece of chicken.
Source of Original Recipe: http://recipes.coles.com.au/recipes/997/chicken-cacciatore-with-mushrooms/