Chicken Cacciatore

Our good friends John & Courtney were in town over the Labor Day weekend and they came over for dinner on Sunday night. I don't get to see them very often, so I wanted to make a nice meal for them. I decided on Chicken Cacciatore, using a Giada De Laurentiis recipe as a starting point.

First season 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts with salt & pepper, dredge them in flour and then brown them on both sides in a large skillet using a bit of EVOO. Transfer chicken to a plate, and to same skilet add 1 chopped onion, 3 finely chopped garlic cloves, 1 chopped small zucchini, 1 chopped small yellow squash and some chopped mushrooms (carrots or peppers would work great, too). Saute veggies over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Season with salt & pepper and add 3/4 cup white wine; simmer until wine is reduced by half. Add 1 (28 oz) can of diced tomatoes with juice, 3/4 cup chicken broth, a few tablespoons of capers and some dried oregano. Return the chicken to the skillet and turn them to coat in the sauce. Simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes.

To go alongside, I made roasted broccoli and Parmesan Smashed Potatoes. Wash and halve a good amount of baby red potatoes (about 3 lbs). Boil for about 15 minutes, drain, and mash with EVOO, parmesan cheese and salt & pepper (I didn't use measurements). Serve the Chicken Cacciatore over the potatoes and top with freshly chopped basil.

For dessert, I made Molten Chocolate Cakes, using a Martha Stewart recipe. These are not difficult to make, but they are fancy and perfect for special occasions. All you do is mix together butter, sugar, eggs, flour and salt; then add melted bittersweet chocolate. Divide batter between 4 buttered & sugared ramekins, bake for 10 minutes, let sit for 10 minutes and invert cakes onto individual serving plates. I served the cake with a scoop of real vanilla ice cream.

The Chicken Cacciatore was healthy, delicious and full of flavor. Courtney went back for seconds, something she said she never does! The Molten Chocolate Cakes were positively delectable and sinfully rich. After dinner, we went over to Chris & Rachel's new place for their housewarming party (My friends John and Rachel are brother & sister, for those of you who didn't know that already). Old friends, a wonderful meal and a fun party, what a perfect night!

Today, September 7, is Courtney's birthday. A very Happy Birthday to you!