Chicken Cacciatore

Notes: To save time, you can use purchased cooked polenta, often sold refrigerated in cylinders in supermarkets (near the cheese). Skip step 4; instead, cut cylinder crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds, lay on a baking sheet, brush with olive oil, and broil 4 to 6 inches from heat until lightly browned, or grill oiled rounds. In step 5, arrange polenta rounds on plates and top with chicken cacciatore.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

• 4  boned, skinned chicken thighs (5 oz. each)
• 1  teaspoon  olive oil
• 1  onion (8 oz.), peeled and chopped
• 2  carrots (8 oz. total), peeled and chopped
• 8  ounces  sliced mushrooms (about 3 cups)
• 2  cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1  can (14 1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes
• 1  can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
• 1  teaspoon  minced fresh rosemary leaves or crumbled dried rosemary
• Salt and pepper
• 1  quart fat-skimmed chicken broth
• 1  cup  polenta or yellow cornmeal (see notes)
• 1  tablespoon  chopped parsley
• Grated parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Rinse chicken and pat dry; remove and discard excess fat.

2. Pour olive oil into a 5- to 6-quart nonstick pan over high heat; when hot, add chicken and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, 5 to 7 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.

3. Add onion, carrots, mushrooms, and garlic to pan; stir often until mushrooms begin to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and their juices, tomato sauce, rosemary, and the chicken with any accumulated juices; bring to a simmer, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 5 minutes. Turn chicken over and simmer, covered, until no longer pink in center of thickest part (cut to test), about 5 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Meanwhile, in a 3- to 4-quart pan, stir broth and polenta until well blended. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring often; reduce heat to low and stir often until polenta is creamy and smooth to bite, 8 to 12 minutes (about 3 minutes for cornmeal).

5. Spoon polenta into wide bowls or onto rimmed plates. Top with equal portions of chicken and sauce; sprinkle with parsley. Add parmesan cheese and more salt and pepper to taste.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

560 (13% from fat)

Protein:

46g

Fat:

7.9g (sat 1.7)

Carbohydrate:

75g

Fiber:

12g

Sodium:

735mg

Cholesterol:

118mg