Chicken Cacciatore Tenderized and Flavored in Wine

by Jane
(San Francisco)

Ingredients:

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Canned stewed tomatoes
Red wine
Mushrooms
Green bell pepper
Yellow squash
Angel hair pasta
Parmesan cheese

Cover chicken tights in wine. The wine does not have to be drinkable. From the frugal perspective, this recipe begins with at least a half bottle of red, which has been opened over three days.

A frugal and tasty way of using this wine is to marinate tough meat such as chicken thighs (or stew meat). The better quality wine, the better the flavor of the finished chicken. Soak the chicken for at least 6 hours.

Pour the wine down the drain. Rinse the chicken. Add chicken to the canned stewed tomatoes. Two to four thighs per 14 oz. can of tomatoes. Add vegetables. Simmer ninety minutes. Be frugal. Use any other vegetables. Frugal suggestions are using stems from broccoli or asparagus. Because stems take longer then the tips to cook, you might have uncooked broccoli stems available from a recent meal. The vegetables do not need to be covered in liquid.

The vegies could be piled a few inches over the stew. They will shrink to almost nothing leaving a hearty broth. When cooked, remove chicken and cut into small pieces. Return the cut up chicken to the pot and serve over angel hair pasta. Garnish with Parmesan.

Suggested salad is romaine lettuce with parmesan. Tomatoes are optional in the salad because there are plenty of tomatoes in the stew.