We’reeeeeee backkkk! Finally! Finally home! It was a long three days in the car with the Hubs while he listened to Barry Manilow (yes, my husband is 85 years old) and hockey games on satellite radio. Thankfully, we didn’t have any major problems on our cross-country drive. We had some crappy weather on the 2nd day through Texas, but that was it for bad weather! The only other mishaps were related to food. Let me just say that one of my least favorite things about driving for so long is food. I don’t want to eat fast food every day. I refuse to eat it. Subway and Chick-Fil-A are acceptable for me, maybe the occasional Wendy’s. Other than that, no thank you! But, of course, the only places that are always everywhere are McDonald’s and Taco Bell. And no, I do not want to eat a spicy bean burrito while driving across the country. Hubs and I also don’t like to stop and eat, we just wanted to get home so food was always on the go! I was thrilled on the second night when we found a Mimi’s Cafe and I had some salad and fresh fruit! We packed some snacks that weren’t too bad, but we had to use the GPS to find food options each day of the drive. Seems simple enough, except for the fact that I haven’t updated my GPS in like 3 years! Thus, Sally (my GPS lady) is nothing but a big liar. She led us to places that no longer existed! Stupid Sally…

Do you guys ever take long road trips? If so, what are your favorite foods for the road? How do you stay healthy while traveling?

Since I have been driving across the country, I am going to share another great recipe from my friend, Amanda. After eating one too many sandwiches over the last few days, this chicken cacciatore has me salivating! I hope you guys enjoy the recipe and I will be back to regular posting on Monday! Have a wonderful weekend!

Chicken Cacciatore
Yield: serves 4

Chicken Cacciatore

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Chicken Cacciatore - Classic Chicken Cacciatore is so simple and delicious! Chicken cooked with sauce and vegetables until tender!

Ingredients

  • 4 chicken thighs
  • 2 chicken breasts
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour, for dredging
  •  3 tbs. olive oil
  • 8 fresh plum tomatoes, chopped, seeds removed
  • 1 large green bell pepper, cut in strips
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 3/4 cup dry white wine
  • 3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves

Instructions

  1. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken pieces in the flour to coat lightly.
  2. In large pan, heat the oil over a medium heat. Add chicken pieces to pan and saute until brown on both sides. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
  3. Add the bell pepper, onion, and garlic to the pan that the chicken was in and saute over medium heat until the onion is softened. Season with salt/pepper. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half. Add the tomatoes, mushrooms, broth, and oregano.
  4. Return the chicken to pan. Turn and coat in the sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Cover and continue simmering over medium-low heat until the chicken is cooked through (20-30 minutes).

Notes

  • I always use chicken on the bone, because it adds flavor. However, you can use boneless chicken.
  • You can use skinless chicken to reduce calories/fat.
  • Removing seeds of fresh tomatoes reduces bitterness.
  • You can use canned tomatoes if you want.
  • White meat(breast) depending on thickness will need less time than dark meat (thigh). You can stagger the times you place the chicken in the pan with the tomatoes, so that you put the white meat in about 5-10 minutes after the dark meat (dark meat needs about 30 minutes and white meat needs about 20 minutes of cook time).

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 621Total Fat: 31gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 23gCholesterol: 217mgSodium: 1549mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 4gSugar: 7gProtein: 54g