Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken Cacciatore
Makes 12 servings
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes

3-pound whole chicken or chicken pieces
black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes, or to taste
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 28-ounce can peeled tomatoes with their juices
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Rinse and dry the chicken, cut into serving-size pieces and remove skin. Season with black pepper. Heat half the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and keep warm. Add the mushrooms and coo****il tender and most of the mushroom liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to the plate with the chicken.

Heat the remaining oil in the pan. Add the pepper flakes, onion, garlic, celery, and bell pepper and cook over medium heat until the vegetables are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices, bay leaf and oregano and bring to a boil. Add chicken and mushrooms and gently simmer the cacciatore over medium heat until the chicken is cooked and the sauce is thick and richly flavored, about 20 minutes. Add vinegar to taste the last 5 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Serve at once. For Non WLS people add pasta.

Nutrition information per serving: 100 calories, 4.5g fat, 1g saturated fat, 27.5mg cholesterol, 5g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 10g protein, 125mg sodium.