This weeks featured recipe

Chicken Cacciatore: - This is one of those “fix and forget” suppers. It is so nice to come home to a wonderful aroma coming from the kitchen and know that a tasty dinner is waiting for you. The name means “hunter style” and requires a few basic ingredients and a slow cooker or casserole dish. Serve with rice and steamed vegetables- green beans or carrots work well.

Ingredients
1 whole chicken cut up, or your choice of breast and skinless thigh pieces (1 per person).
1 tsp salt and 3 tbls flour, mixed in a dish.
3 tablespoons of good quality olive oil.
½ medium onion, quartered.
3 cloves of garlic, sliced.
6 small brown mushrooms, halved.
1 can low sodium chopped tomatoes or 8-10 ripe fresh tomatoes chopped.
1 cup dry white wine (optional)
2 sprigs each of fresh sage and rosemary.
½ tsp crushed red chilli.
Ground black pepper to taste.

Cooking instructions
Switch on slow cooker and put on high. Add the tomatoes.
Place one tablespoon oil in a frying pan. Lightly sauté onion and garlic for 2 minutes remove from pan and add to slow cooker. Add the rest of the olive oil to the pan. Coat the chicken pieces in the flour and lightly fry for 2-3 minutes each side until the outside is no longer pink. Add to the slow cooker. Warm the mushrooms through in the same pan and then place in the slow cooker. Add the wine, seasoning and herbs and place the lid on. Leave on high until it is bubbling, approximately 30 minutes then place on low for 3 hours. After this the dish can be left on the “warm” setting mode until you are ready to eat. If you are going out all day just cook on low for 5 hours once all teh ingredients are in the dish.
If you will be cooking this in a casserole dish in the oven, pre heat the oven to 225 degreees centigrade. Place all the ingredients in the dish in the same order as above, put the lid on firmly and of course make sure the dish is only 2/3 full, otherwise it might bubble out.
Turn the oven down to 180 degrees centigrade when you place the dish in the oven. Cook for 3-4 hours.

Side dishes
I prefer serving this with a mixture of wild and white rice as this compliments the rustic flavour of the chicken better than just white rice. I like green beans or carrots as my vegetables. You can also add extra mushrooms on the side. Roast potatoes are good, but they need to be firm and lightly salted and definitely not greasy. Add a few black olives if you are an olive fan.
Need to make this go further or have room for a few extra calories - garlic toast made with whole grain French bread is really good to soak up the sauce.
Wine choice ?- a nice light red wine or crisp dry white are the best parings.
Low fat, full of anti oxidants and delicious. A dish loved by children and adults alike.

Room for dessert? Just follow this with fruit and yogurt or ice cream to cool off and “clear the palette”.