Easy Chicken Cacciatore

A 'back to basics' version of the classic Chicken Cacciatore. Chicken meat simmered with garlic, onion, green bell pepper, tomatoes, beans and oregano. This recipe can easily be doubled. Serve over cooked noodles or rice, if desired

INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper
3/4 pound chicken meat, cooked and cubed
1/2 cup whole peeled tomatoes
1/2 cup green beans
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano


DIRECTIONS
In a large skillet, saute onion, garlic and bell pepper until soft. Add chicken, then stir in tomatoes, beans and oregano.
Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and serve hot.

Mexican chicken wings

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
1 cup oyster sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1/4 cup gin
2 dashes liquid smoke flavoring
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 pounds chicken wings, separated at joints, tips discarded
1/4 cup honey

COOKING DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl, mix the teriyaki sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, ketchup, garlic powder, gin, liquid smoke, and sugar. Place the chicken wings in the bowl, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator 8 hours or overnight.
Preheat the grill for low heat.
Lightly oil the grill grate. Arrange chicken on the grill, and discard the marinade. Grill the chicken wings on one side for 20 minutes, then turn and brush with honey. Continue grilling 25 minutes, or until juices run clear.
Yield: 4 servings

Tomatillo soup

This is a great soup that can be spiced up or tamed down depending on your individual taste. Keep in mind that you if can not purchase fresh tomatillos at your local grocery store you can substitute with canned tomatillos, drained and chopped. Try garnishing with sour cream, as indicated in the recipe. Top with a leaf of cilantro

INGREDIENTS
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded thin
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound chopped tomatillos
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
4 cups chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup sour cream (optional)
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste



DIRECTIONS

1.Heat oil over high heat in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Saute chicken in oil until both sides are browned, approximately 2 minutes per side. Remove the chicken, and set aside.
2.Add onions and garlic to saucepan, and saute until golden. Stir in the tomatillos, jalapeno peppers, and broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover the pot, and simmer for about 15 minutes.
3.Puree vegetables in batches in a blender or food processor. Return to pot, and reheat. At this point taste the soup; if not piquant enough, add cayenne pepper or pepper sauce.
4.Slice the chicken into thin slices, and then shred. Stir into soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5.When ready to serve, stir in the minced cilantro and ladle into bowls. Put a dollop of sour cream on top of each portion, and let it melt a bit. Top each dollop with a single cilantro leaf, and serve immediately.

Chicken Cacciatore in the Crockpot

Ingredients

Starting from the bottom up in a crockpot:

4 lg. boneless chicken breasts
2 Tablespoons of Italian seasoning
onion powder (use amount that you like)
garlic powder (use amount that you like)
1 lg. green pepper, diced into small chunks
1 sm. pack of button mushrooms, chunked into pieces

Pour over everything:

2 cans Rotel or similiar tomatoes
1 C. chicken broth

Direction

DO NOT STIR -- It will cook down together.

Cook on High for 4 hrs. Remove chicken to a plate and shred with 2 forks. Add the chicken back into the crockpot mixture.

At this point, you could thicken the mixture if you like a more "gravy"-like sauce. I didn't thicken it.

Serve over rice.

Pasta e fagioli con sausage

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound mild Italian sausages
1 carrot, chopped fine
1 onion, chopped fine
1 rib celery, chopped fine
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
6 cups canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 3/4 cups canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup tubetti or other small macaroni
1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper

Directions

1. In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over moderate heat. Add the sausages and cook, turning, until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove. When cool enough to handle, halve the sausages lengthwise and then cut crosswise into slices.
2. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the pot over moderately low heat. Add the carrot, onion, celery, garlic, and rosemary. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften, about 10 minutes.
3. Puree 4 cups of the beans with 1 1/4 cups of the broth in a blender or food processor. Add the puree to the pot along with the remaining 1 1/2 cups broth, the whole beans, bay leaf, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes.
4. Stir in the pasta. Cook the soup over moderate heat, partially covered, stirring frequently, until the pasta is done, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaf. Stir in the sausage and the pepper. Cook until the sausage is warmed through, about 1 minute.

Yield: 4 servings