Spicy Chicken Cacciatore w/ Red Pepper Tomato Sauce

This is one of my favourite recipes to make for Friday night dinners. It's from a special issue of Cuisine at Home called Cuisine for Two. It's a snap to make (35 minutes) and yet it taste like you slaved in the kitchen the whole day. Why bother going out when you can make this for a quarter of what it would cost in the little Italian restaurant and it taste the same if not better with half the fat. This recipe is made specially for two people just like the rest of my upcoming posts. The polenta recipe will be posted shortly.

1 oz. proscuitto or bacon, diced

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, seasoned with salt and pepper and red pepper flakes to taste

2 cups button mushrooms, quartered

1 cup onion, sliced

1/2 red bell pepper, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp rep pepper flakes

1/4 cup of dry white wine

1 can whole tomatoes (14. 5 oz)

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, save a couple of sprigs for garnish

Fry proscuitto or bacon in 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat until crisp, 2 minutes. Add chicken and sear on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken and proscuitto to a plate.

Saute mushrooms, onion and bell pepper in 2 tbsp of oil in the same pan over medium high heat until onion softens, 3-4 minutes. Stir in garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes; cook for 30 seconds.

Deglaze with wine, scraping bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer until wine is nearly evaporated. Add tomatoes, crushing slightly, and bring to a boil. Return chicken and proscuitto to the pan, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in parsley.

Garnish with parsley sprig before serving.