Chicken Cacciatore

Happy Almost Valentine's Day... 
I have been baking like a mad women. I had two customers throw in birthday cakes also.. And one of  the birthdays was in January. That cake is cool, but OMG people, I am dying here.. I may end up sharing a picture of the panda cake. And maybe next time.

So with Valentine's day being on a Saturday, are you a go out to dinner kind of person. Well we are not. My Husbands' birthday was 2 weeks ago and mine is in 3 weeks. We used to do very romantic things for each, but being married 12 years has changed that. Most of my Sweets job will be for Friday. I have a cake for Sunday morning pickup.. What a crazy weekend.

As much as I love surf and turf, that is not always budget friendly. And If you have a house full of kids, it totally does not work. In walks Chicken Cacciatore. This was fantastic. I think I made this years ago, but it has been a long time. This is a budget friendly dinner, that can feed 8 or make small packages for the freezer and later dinners. The recipe stated that you could spoon it over mashed potatoes or polenta. Both are my favorites, but we are dieting... Augh... So I cooked lentils and combined those with the chicken. My Husband would have LOVED mashed potatoes, but he wants to diet.

My Husband just needs to light diet and workout, and 

off come the pounds. Just sensible eating and portion control.

MEN!!

Chicken Cacciatore
very slightly modified from www.kitchenparade.com
Ingredients
1/4 cup flour
salt and pepper to taste
8 chicken thighs, skin removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped (2 cups)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, chopped
24 ounces canned diced tomatoes
16 ounces tomato sauce
1 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Directions
Combine the flour, salt and pepper in a large dish. Roll the chicken pieces in the flour until lightly coated. Heat a large Dutch oven on medium high. Add the olive oil and lightly brown the chicken on all sides. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

To the large pan, add the garlic, onion, red pepper and mushrooms. Saute until soft. Add the remaining ingredients, cook for 5 minutes and then add the chicken.

STOVETOP: Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 2-3 hours ( or longer) stirring occasionally.

OVEN: Cover and cook in a 200 degree oven for 2-3 hours (or even longer). To let the sauce thicken, uncover for the last 30 minutes or so.

Serve with Mashed potatoes, rice, polenta, or lentils to soak up the rich sauce.

I used average size thighs. This recipe has some flexibility 

to add more chicken for a larger group

I dumped in all the vegetables and started sauting

This is after it has cooked for awhile.

Do you see this RICH color of the slow cooked sauce.
Every meal cannot always take this long, but
once in awhile, it does taste delicious.
Sometimes, in our fast pace world, you forget
how savory food can really taste.
SLOW Down and enjoy dinner.

Chicken - Black Bean Tacos

Chicken, Chicken, Chicken... the lean white meat. Is there anything that chicken cannot do. Chicken is a go to meal. I am very lucky at my house that they like chicken as much as they do, or there would be HUGE problems.

Since we are STILL focusing on our healthy eating program, I decided to make tacos. Most people would say, "really Shayla", you have got to be kidding me. These tacos were lean and loaded with protein and vegetables. The Cheese was keep to a minimum. We did NOT eat any tortilla chips. Did not need them.

I think I use chicken as my "I do not want to cook dinner" meat. Eating out all the time is very expensive and loaded with calories. Even if you are conscientious about what you put into your mouth, a fry will still slip in once in a while. Healthy eating and working out is a lot of work, why add temptation into the mix.

Last night happened to be labeled, "Taco Tuesday." Shocking that it actually happened that way. My family loves tacos. I have been eating tacos since I was a little kid. My Mom would use hamburger for the meat and make all the fixings for our tacos. My tacos had more on the inside and less fixings. Still working on the weekly dinner menu / grocery shopping program. That is part of getting more organized.

My Husband is not to spicy, add more heat if it suits your taste.

I have tried several different types of shells. These Multi-grain shells were very good. A keeper.

Chicken - Black Bean Tacos

Ingredients

3 cups of Cooked shredded Chicken

1 can (15 oz) Re fried Black Beans

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion finely chopped

1 roasted red pepper finely chopped

1 teaspoon Adobe powder 

1 shake of Cumin

1 can of Enchilada Sauce 

1 cup Salsa

1 cup frozen corn

1 package of Multi grain tortilla shells 

1 cup shredded cheese

Directions

In a medium size saute pan, add olive oil and heat to a high temperature. Add finely chopped onions, reduce to medium heat until translucent. Stir in roasted red peppers. Pour in enchilada sauce and salsa. Slowly add in Refried beans until no lumps show. Add in Chicken and seasonings. Thoroughly heat through. Reduce heat and add in Corn. Cook until heated through.

In a small fry pan heat to a high heat, spray with Non Stick spray. Place tortilla in pan and warm up. When it puffs, flip over. Please spray pan after each shell.

Place shell on plate. Scoop up some Chicken and Beans, top with Cheese and any other fixings that sound good to you. Enjoy.

This was a plate full of delicious food.