The Soprano in the Kitchen: Chicken Cacciatori (Crock Pot)

This is on of the easiest recipes I've developed yet! And by "developed" I mean I threw stuff in a pot and turned it on high for 3 hours. Caleb says most of my cooking is ad lib - I like that!

So I skimmed couple online recipes, checked the contents of cupboard and fridge, then went at it. I didn't even bother to defrost the chicken or the peppers!

The only "work" involved was skinning the tomatoes, a step easily skipped of you have canned tomatoes on hand.

In spite of the quantity of garlic and onions, they are not overly present in the flavor, thanks to the crock pot's tendency to mellow all flavors beautifully.

Chicken Cacciatori served with brown rice

Ingredients:

4 frozen or thawed skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 onion (3 -4" diameter)
1 - 15 oz can stewed tomatoes (or 1 1/2 - 2 cups fresh, skinned tomatoes - see easy skinning directions below)
3 gloves of garlic
1 cup red wine (Optional, but wow the flavor boost! The alcohol will cook off. You can substitute chicken broth)
1 cup frozen red, yellow, green pepper and onion blend (I get mine at Kroger or Save-A-Lot. You can substitute fresh strips of peppers and a bit of additional onion if you like, but frozen is so easy!)
1 small can tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Mushrooms (optional - you decide quantity)

Directions:

Spray inside of crock pot with cooking spray for easy clean up.
Cut both ends off the fresh onion, slice in half, then slice each half in 1/4" strips. Place in bottom of crock pot.
Lay chicken breasts on top of onions.
Put peeled garlic in a blender or food processor and add tomatoes on top. Puree until just a few chucks of tomato remain. Pour over chicken.
Add wine if using. If not using wine, add chicken broth.
Add pepper and onion blend.
Add mushrooms, if using.
Add tomato paste in dollops over surface of chicken.
Sprinkle salt and pepper over contents of crock pot.
Turn crock pot on high for 3-4 hours or low for 7-9 hours.
Check part way through, if you are able, to make sure the chicken is submerged under the liquid.
Serve over brown rice (see below) or a high fiber pasta (Smart Taste is best!) to keep this dish a healthy as possible.

Skinning Tomatoes:

Bring pot of water to a boil.
Get a bowl of ice water ready.
Add a few tomatoes at a time and let cook for a minute or a bit less.
Remove tomatoes from boiling water and place them IMMEDIATELY in the ice water.
Voila! Their skins will come right off!

Perfect Brown Rice

1 cup short, medium, or long-grain brown rice (makes 2 cups of cooked rice)

1. Rinse rice in a strainer under cold running water for 30 seconds. Bring 10 cups water to a boil in a large pot with a tight-fitting lid over high heat. Add the rice, stir it once, and boil, uncovered, for 30 minutes. (Reduce heat slightly if necessary to keep from boiling over.) Pour the rice into a strainer over the sink.

2. Let the rice drain for 10 seconds, then return it to the pot, off the heat. Cover the pot and set it aside to allow the rice to steam for 10 – 20 minutes. Uncover the rice, fluff with a fork, and season with salt if desired.

Here we go Italian again! Shocking, I know. What is it with these people and their amazing cuisine?

I've been reading "Opera for Dummies" and I love it! It's as good as a self help book for a vocal music nut like me. I know opera fairly well, but I had no idea who much I still had to learn. It's been a fantastic read and I'm only half way through it.

My favorite new discovery is the duet I have included here for your listen pleasure. I adore Maria Callas. Here she sings with tenor Tito Gobbi "Dunque Io Son" (I Am Yours) from Rossini's The Barber of Seville. In the photo with the video, Gobbi is looking rather Tony Curtis with guy liner a la Some Like it Hot. Marvelous!

For the sake of relevance, I also included a Looney Tunes video I am sure you are all familliar with that also uses music from The Barber of Seville. Enjoy!

I bit of fabulous Italian opera to digest to!

"Dunque Io Son"