what are we having for dinner?

I grew up with a best friend whose Jewish mother was THE Jewish mother. She was ALWAYS cooking and everything she cooked was amazing. One of my favorite dishes of hers (Leila’s) was her Chicken Cacciatore. She used a whole chicken cut up and it cooked for hours. THIS version is much simpler using a crock pot and boneless chicken breasts. But it’s an easy peasy weeknight dinner that still packs a lot of flavor. Add a salad and you’ve got yourself a meal!

Now if only I could get my hands on her Pistachio Cake recipe that I’ve been craving for the past 20 years….

MENU:

Chicken Cacciatore

Butter Lettuce with Shallot Dressing

CHICKEN CACCIATORE

(Adapted from kitchentrialanderror)

It seriously gets no easier than this recipe! Throw everything in a slow cooker; turn it on. And walk away for 4-6 hours. Come back to a fabulous dinner!

28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 TBSP tomato paste
2 red or yellow bell peppers, cut into strips
1 medium onion, sliced
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 bay leaf
2 large, boneless skinless chicken breasts
egg or zucchini noodles, for serving

In a 4 or 6 quart slow cooker, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, peppers, onion, garlic, oregano, and bay leaf. Stir the mixture to combine.

Nestle the chicken breasts in the tomato mixture.

Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. With about an hour left, uncover the slow cooker, and shred the chicken with two forks.

Then cook on high for about 1 hour to thicken the sauce. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve over noodles, if desired.

SHALLOT VINAIGRETTE DRESSING

This dressing is one of my favorites! It dresses up plain butter lettuce nicely and the shallots are what make it stand out in the crowd. Allow time for the shallots to macerate (fancy word for wait a bit for the flavors to blend).

1-2 shallots, minced
2 TBSP Lemon juice
1 TBSP Rice vinegar
Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Combine 1 finely chopped shallot, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (I use Nellie and Joe’s Lemon), and 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar in a jar or small bowl; season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.