So, I’m minding my own business, reading a murder mystery, and WHAM! The heroes pause for takeout Italian that I’ve never heard of… a quick trip to da Google filled in my knowledge gap, and, conveniently, provided a use for a jar of hot cherry peppers and some leftover wine I had banging around the fridge (Pinot Grigio is a favorite of Rich’s, but I am not really a fan).
Oh, and don’t worry about those “hot” peppers – they’re really a lot more tangy than they are hot.
Literally “chicken shoemaker style” – this dish is meant to be simple and quick to toss together, and easy on the budget to boot. Indeed, I had dinner put together in about 30 minutes using just 2 pans – one for the chicken, the other for the orzo; fitting, I guess, since the recipe I chose to use is from Rachael Ray.
INGREDIENTS
•1-1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast – I used thighs
•Salt and pepper
•Seasoned flour
•2 tbsp olive oil
•2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
•3 hot pickled cherry peppers, drained and chopped
•4 cloves garlic, chopped or thinly sliced
•1/2 cup dry white wine
•1/2 cup chicken stock
•1/4 cup chopped parsley
•2 tbsp juice from the pepper jar
Cut the chicken into chunks, season with salt and pepper, then toss in the seasoned flour to coat.
Set a large skillet over medium high heat and, when warm, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Add the chicken and cook, without stirring, for 3 minutes to let the chicken firm up. Turn the chicken and cook for another 3 minutes to brown, then remove from the pan and keep warm.
Add the peppers and garlic to the pan and sauté for five minutes, tossing and turning often.
Add the wine and reduce for 1 minute, scraping up all those tasty browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Add the chicken stock and the chicken pieces, bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for a few more minutes to finish cooking the chicken.
Sprinkle with parsley and drizzle that pickled pepper juice over all.
We had ours with that orzo, tossed with lemon zest, a bit more parsley, and basil oil.
Simple, quick, and TASTY.