Cucina DiBella

Sicilian Eggplant

No, nobody has hacked my account; I'm actually writing NEW content! Just don't get too comfortable with the idea.  I make no guarantees that I won't fall off the face of the earth for a year again at any moment.

 

On to the good stuff!  Spring is back.  Which means all of the delicious fresh produce is just around the corner.  You know, once the spring snow storms stop.  I decided I wanted to make my blog comeback with food from my favorite region - Sicily.  That quickly led me to sifting through dozens of eggplant recipes.  I finally settled on this one for Sicilian Eggplant (descriptive name, I know).  The eggplant is fried and topped with a tomato based sauce.  Easy! Like a lot of Italian food, the key is great, fresh ingredients that speak for themselves.  Traditionally, the sauce used over the eggplant is a quick tomato sauce combining tomato paste and wine vinegar.  The kids and I were the first tasters, and none of us loved the sauce; the vinegar was too strong.  I tried another batch with regular marinara sauce which garnered a better reaction, but both of my kids (16 months and 4) and I opted for no sauce at all and just wanted the fried eggplant.  In a surprise turn of events, Ryan liked the traditional sauce the best.  With the vinegar in the sauce and the salt on the eggplant he said it tasted like a salt and vinegar chip.  So, use the traditional sauce recipe, use your favorite marinara sauce, or just eat the eggplant hot out of the frying pan while standing over the stove (guess which one I went with).

 

I'll be back soon with another recipe!  Or not. Who knows. I'm clearly not reliable.

Sicilian Eggplant

Ingredients:

1 eggplant
Salt
Flour for dredging
Olive oil for frying
Marinara sauce OR traditional tomato sauce referenced above (recipe to follow)

Process:
      1.  Peel the eggplant and cut lengthwise into slices about 1/8 inch thick (I got about 10 slices out of one eggplant).

      2.  Place the eggplant slices on paper towels.  Sprinkle with salt on both sides and let sit for about 1 hour to extract some of the liquid from the eggplant.

      3.  Dredge the eggplant lightly in flour, shaking off any excess.

      4.  Coat a frying pan with olive oil.  Heat over medium-high heat.  Fry the eggplant in batches until golden, about 2-3 minutes on each side.  When each batch is done, place on paper towels to soak up excess oil.

      5.  While hot, sprinkle with salt.  Eat as is or top with either marinara sauce or the following tomato and wine vinegar sauce.

 

Traditional sauce pairing for Sicilian Eggplant:

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1.5 tablespoons water

1 clove garlic, minced

3 tablespoons wine vinegar

salt to taste

Process:

      1.  Thin the tomato paste out with the water.  Cook tomato paste over low heat for 1 minute.

      2.  Add the garlic and cook another minute.

      3.  Add the wine vinegar and mix to incorporate.  Let reduce over low heat for about 3 minutes.  If it seems to be getting too thick, add a little more water to thin it out.

      4.  Add salt to taste.  Serve over the eggplant.

 

 Ryan's rating of Sicilian Eggplant: 5 for either sauce option, 4 for the plain option (swap those for me and the kids)

1 - Awful. If you make this again I'll shove a fork in my eye.

2 - Meh. It's not my favorite, but I won't threaten self-harm if it shows up again.

3 - Good. I wouldn't feel forced to order a pizza behind your back.

4 - Great! I will fight you for the leftovers.

5 - Love it! Make it again tomorrow. Or immediately and I will bathe in it.

 

Blueberries with Mascarpone

Oh, Hay-Seuss.  This may be my new favorite dessert.  I had a hard time stopping myself from eating the whole thing.  Mascarpone is similar to cream cheese, and, like cream cheese, can be used in either sweet or savory applications.  To make the cheese work as a dessert, I sweetened it with powdered sugar.  I then put the sweetened mascarpone over top of blueberries.  The reason I chose blueberries is because I then drizzled some white peach balsamic vinegar over the whole thing.  Peaches and blueberries go wonderfully together, but this would also be great with segmented peaches or plums, or with regular balsamic vinegar and strawberries.  In all honesty though, I don't think I'll give any of those a try. I don't think the blueberry and peach balsamic vinegar combination can be beaten!

 

Blueberries with Mascarpone

Ingredients:

8 ounces mascarpone cheese

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 pint blueberries

White peach balsamic vinegar

Process:

1. In a bowl, stir together the mascarpone cheese and powdered sugar until well combined.
2. Place most of the blueberries in a separate bowl, reserving a handful with which to garnish the top.
3. Top the blueberries with the mascarpone.  Place the reserved blueberries on top of the mascarpone. 
4. Drizzle the blueberries and mascarpone with the white peach balsamic vinegar.

Ryan's rating of Blueberries with Mascarpone: 5.  Judging by the way he devoured it, I would say Dominic rated it pretty highly as well.

 

1 - Awful. If you make this again I'll shove a fork in my eye.

2 - Meh. It's not my favorite, but I won't threaten self-harm if it shows up again.

3 - Good. I wouldn't feel forced to order a pizza behind your back.

4 - Great! I will fight you for the leftovers.

5 - Love it! Make it again tomorrow. Or immediately and I will bathe in it.

Braised Beef Rolls

Braciole is traditional Italian-American Sunday dinner.  I was hesitant to call this recipe "braciole" since I took some liberties with the recipe.  It is really more of a combination between traditional braciole and my Nonna's spadini. 

There is something so comforting about any recipe that involves sauce simmering away for hours. To make matters even better, the beef adds such an amazing depth of flavor to the sauce.  Tasting it immediately brought me back to New Jersey, eating veal parmesan in my grandma's dining room.  I think I found my new comfort food!

 

Braised Beef Rolls

Adapted from the Food Network

Serves 4

4 pieces top round thin cut steaks, about 1/2 pound each

4 slices prosciutto

4 slices provolone

1 small onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 cup red wine

2 cups marinara sauce

1 cup water

salt and pepper

Process:

1. If necessary, pound your steaks to about 1/4 inch thick. 
2. Place one piece of prosciutto on each of the steaks.  On top of the prosciutto, place one slice of provolone, cut in half and layered if needed so that the cheese does not reach past the edge of the steak.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat.  Once hot, add the onions and cook until just softened, about 2 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook another 1 minute.  Remove the pan from the heat and add the breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese. Stir to combine.
4. Divide the breadcrumb mixture between the four steaks, creating a layer of the mixture over the provolone slices. 
5. Starting at the short end, roll up each piece of steak and secure with toothpicks.  Season each roll-up with salt and pepper.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
7. In a large, oven safe pot, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.  Brown the beef roll-ups on all sides, cooking them about 2 minutes on each side.
8. Add the red wine to the pot and cook until the wine has mostly cooked off.
9. Remove the pot from the heat.  Add the marinara sauce and water, making sure that there is sauce on the top of each roll-up.
10. Cover the pot partially with tinfoil.  Place the pot in the oven and cook for 30  minutes.  Baste the roll-ups with the sauce, return the foil, and continue baking for another 30 minutes.  Baste the roll-ups again, remove the foil, and bake for another 30 minutes uncovered.
11. Remove the toothpicks and serve hot.

Ryan's rating of Braised Beef Rolls: 5.  I can't say enough about the sauce.  We had some extra left in our pan and I made sure to save it for pasta later in the week!

1 - Awful. If you make this again I'll shove a fork in my eye.

2 - Meh. It's not my favorite, but I won't threaten self-harm if it shows up again.

3 - Good. I wouldn't feel forced to order a pizza behind your back.

4 - Great! I will fight you for the leftovers.

5 - Love it! Make it again tomorrow. Or immediately and I will bathe in it.

Caprese Salad

There are few dishes that can outdo Caprese Salad in the presentation department.  Slices of tomato topped with slices of fresh mozzarella and basil leaves, the finished product is bursting with color.  Usually Caprese Salad is thought of as a summer recipe, and it really is wonderfully refreshing when tomatoes are in season.  However, I decided to make it today in defiance of the dismal winter weather we've had this year. 

 

There are a few ways that you can change up the following recipe.  I chose to drizzle balsamic vinegar straight from the bottle, along with some olive oil, on top of the salad.  However, you could also take an extra step and simmer the balsamic vinegar on the stove to create a balsamic reduction.  Another approach that you can take is to use smaller tomatoes, such as Romas, and cut them in half.  Then, you can roast the tomato halves and once they've cooled, proceed to top them with the mozzarella, basil, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil. 

 

Caprese Salad

Makes 12 slices

Ingredients:

3 vine ripe or hot house tomatoes

8 ounces of fresh mozzarella

12 basil leaves

Process:

1. Cut the tomatoes into slices about 1/4 inch thick. 
2. Cut the mozzarella into slices about 1/4 inch thick.
3. Place one slice of mozzarella on top of each slice of tomato.  Place a basil leaf on top of each slice of mozzarella.
4. Drizzle balsamic vinegar and olive oil over the tomato and mozarella slices.

Ryan's rating of Caprese Salad - 5.  And this is coming from someone who doesn't really like tomatoes. 

1 - Awful. If you make this again I'll shove a fork in my eye.

2 - Meh. It's not my favorite, but I won't threaten self-harm if it shows up  again.

3 - Good. I wouldn't feel forced to order a pizza behind your back.

4 - Great! I will fight you for the leftovers.

5 - Love it! Make it again tomorrow. Or immediately and I will bathe in  it.

 

White Peach Balsamic Vinegar

Ok, so this post is only tangentially related to Italian food.  It was too good to keep to myself though.  My mom recently sent me a bottle of White Peach Balsamic Vinegar.  I had no idea such a thing even existed, so I spent some time today playing around with some different ways to use it. 

 

My first experiment was to create a play on traditional strawberries in balsamic vinegar.  Instead of strawberries, I used peaches.  I "grilled" half of them, letting them caramelize a little in a dry sautee pan.  I then drizzled both bowls of peaches, grilled and ungrilled, with the White Peach Balsamic Vinegar and let them sit for about 1/2 an hour.  Both were great!  While trying them, I got another idea...

 

...French Toast with White Peach Balsamic Vinegar Peaches!  I made french toast as normal, with the exception of substituting some almond extract for vanilla extract.  I topped the french toast with the peaches and balsamic drizzle and a sprinkling of powdered sugar.  The balsamic drizzle acted almost like a syrup, keeping the toast from tasting dry.  This is something I'll definitely keep in the back of my mind for when we have company.  It is a great way to kick up your breakfast!

 

Now that I've given sweet variations of the White Peach Balsamic Vinegar a shot, I'm going to see what I can do with a savory dish.  Any ideas?

Ciabatta Bread

I know, I know. When I only manage to write a post once or twice a month I really need to branch out a little rather than giving you another bread recipe, but I just can't help myself.  I've become addicted to the smell of freshly baked bread in my own kitchen.  I decided to try ciabatta bread this time. Ciabatta is one of my favorites, but not just as a side at dinner.  This makes for a perfect roll for sandwiches in general, and for panini in particular.  It is crispy on the outside and soft and airy inside. 

 

I found ciabatta to be a little more difficult to make than pane toscano.  The dough is extremely sticky, making it pretty difficult to work with.  I almost threw out the first batch I made before even baking it because it was such a schloppy mess.  I decided to bake it anyway though, and somewhere in that process some magic happened.  Despite my less than stellar prep, the rolls were amazing.  So, if you give these a try and think all hope is lost after you make the dough, do yourself a favor and bake them anyway.  Your sandwiches will thank you.

 

 

Ciabatta Bread

Makes 16 rolls

Adapted from The Kitchn

*Note: Needs to be started the day before baking

Ingredients:

For the biga:

1/2 cup warm water

1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast

1 cup all-purpose flour

For the ciabatta:

2 cups and 2 tablespoons warm water

1 teaspoon active dry yeast

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons salt

Procedure:

1. Begin by making the biga.  Put the 1/2 cup warm water in a bowl.  Sprinkle the 1/2 teaspoon yeast over the water.  Stir gently to dissolve the yeast.  Add the 1 cup flour and stir about 50 times.  Cover with plastic wrap and let sit on the counter at least 8 hours or overnight.  When ready, it will have bubbles on the surface.
2. Using the bowl of a stand mixer, sprinkle the 1 teapoon of yeast in the 2 cups and 2 tablespoons of warm water, stirring to dissolve the yeast.  Add the biga to the water, breaking it into smaller clumps as you add it.
3. Add the flour and salt to the mixture and stir to throroughly combine.  Let sit for 15-20 minutes.
4. Place the dough hook on the stand mixer and mix at a medium speed for about 15-18 minutes.  (For my kitchenaid, I started on level 6 and then kicked it up one notch towards the end.)  About half-way through the kneading process, the dough should start to pull away from the sides of the bowl, but will quickly fall back into the bowl when the mixer is stopped.  
5. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit for 2-3 hours on the counter.
6. Prepare a work station by placing parchment paper on a baking sheet.  Liberally dust flour on work surface and on your hands.  
7. Carefully scrape the dough from the bowl to the floured work surface (you want to be gentle so that the dough doesn't deflate too much).  Dust more flour over the top of the dough.  Form the dough into a rectangular shape.
8. Cut the dough into 16 pieces (a pizza cutter works well). With floured hands, transfer the rolls one at a time to the parchment lined baking sheet.  This will be somewhat difficult; the dough is very loose.  Let the rolls sit, uncovered, for about 30 minutes.  During this time, bubbles will form under the surface.
9. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees while the rolls sit.  Bake the rolls for 20-30 minutes until golden brown.  Remove from the oven and let the rolls cool on a rack.

Ryan's rating of Ciabatta Bread - 5.  I think the same goes for Dominic, who gobbled down a roll as soon as it was cool enough to handle.

1 - Awful. If you make this again I'll shove a fork in my eye.

2 - Meh. It's not my favorite, but I won't threaten self-harm if it shows up 
again.

3 - Good. I wouldn't feel forced to order a pizza behind your back.

4 - Great! I will fight you for the leftovers.

5 - Love it! Make it again tomorrow. Or immediately and I will bathe in 
it.

 

Uses for Pane Tosacano

This isn't a real post with a new recipe, but I promised in my last post to give some more ideas on how to use pane toscano.  So if this isn't a real post, why did it take me over a month to write it? I don't have a good answer for that other than the fact that if you asked me to tell you what month it is I would probably tell you it's April. April, 2010.  Time just doesn't have the same slow-moving properties as an adult that it did when you were a kid waiting for summer vacation, does it?

 

So, to remind you, pane toscano is a relatively easy bread to make at home, but it is pretty bland because it is intended to be used alongside other flavorful foods.  It's perfect to grab the last spots of sauce off of your plate, or you can use it as a main component in a dish.  I used mine by cutting it in slices and lightly toasting it.  I then topped the slices with some spinach that I had sauteed with some garlic and butter.  This makes for a great appetizer. 

 

 

Another way to use the pane toscano would be to make a bread salad that can function as a side dish, an appetizer, or even a light lunch.  Just cut the bread into cubes and toss it with diced tomatoes, a little olive oil, and some salt and pepper.  You can dress this up however you would like by adding olives or some cubed fresh mozzarella as well.  If you go this route, you can toast the bread and it almost becomes a deconstructed bruschetta.  

 

What do you think?  How would you use pane toscano?

 

Pane Toscano

If there's one thing that has always intimidated me about cooking, it's yeast.  I had some pretty unsavory results from my first attempts at dough making. Recently I've tried to overcome this, first getting my toes wet with some simple pizza dough and then moving up to loaves of fresh bread.  My first attempt at bread was a Pane Toscano.  It's a little time consuming, taking over 24 hours.  You have to first make what's called a "sponge" that is a starter dough.  Despite this extra step, with only flour, water, and yeast, it's pretty straightforward; the perfect recipe for a first attempt at fresh bread.

 

If the ingredient list looks a little plain, that's because it is. Pane Toscano is a traditional bread from Tuscany.  It has no salt, giving it a very bland flavor.  This isn't as much of a tragedy as it sounds though, because the bread isn't really meant to be eaten alone.  Instead, it is dipped in olive oil or used as a base for fettunta. Check out the next post for some other ideas for how to use Pane Toscano!

 

Pane Toscano

Makes 1 loaf

Adapted from Ciao Italia with Mary Ann Esposito  

Ingredients:

For the sponge:

1 package active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water

1 cup all-purpose flour

For the dough:

1/2 package active dry yeast

1 1/4 cups warm water

4 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Procedure:

1. Begin by making the sponge. Pour the warm water into a bowl.  Sprinkles 1 package yeast over the water and let sit for 10 minutes to get foamy.  Add the flour and stir well to combine.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit for 24 hours in a warm spot.
2. After 24 hours, continue to make the dough.  Pour 1/4 cup of the warm water in a bowl.  Sprinkle the 1/2 package of yeast over the water and let sit for 10 minutes.  Add the remaining 1 cup warm water and the sponge and mix it well with your hands to incorporate the water into the sponge.   Add 3 1/2 cups of flour and mix well.  Continue adding flour a little at a time until you can form a soft ball with the dough.
3. Place the dough on a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic.  Lightly coat a bowl with olive oil. Place the dough in the oiled bowl and turn it over so that the dough coats in oil as well.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit for 3-4 hours to rise.  The dough should double in size.
4. Take the dough out of the bowl and form it into a round loaf shape.  Place the loaf on a greased baking sheet and let rise for 35 minutes.  If desired, brush the loaf with an eggwash to produce a golden color. 
5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake the bread loaf for about 35-40 minutes until it is golden brown on top. 

Ryan's rating of Pane Toscano - 5.  I think it's time to try some more bread recipes!

1 - Awful. If you make this again I'll shove a fork in my eye.

2 - Meh. It's not my favorite, but I won't threaten self-harm if it shows up
again.

3 - Good. I wouldn't feel forced to order a pizza behind your back.

4 - Great! I will fight you for the leftovers.

5 - Love it! Make it again tomorrow. Or immediately and I will bathe in
it.

Rhode Island Style Zeppole

Happy St. Joseph's Day! Just because I want everyone to know how impressed I am with myself, I will have you know that I actually wrote this post a day early! It has been a long time since I have been ahead of the game for...well, anything, really.  Although, since I promised a recipe for Rhode Island style Zeppole last year but never came through, I guess I shouldn't brag too much.

 

If you can remember back that far (I barely can), two years ago I made this recipe for Zeppole that were almost like small fried doughnuts with powdered sugar on top.  They are delicious, but they aren't the Zeppole that I grew up eating in Rhode Island. My zeppole were fried pastry filled with custard and topped with a cherry.  That is the version that I tackled this year, and I must say, it was much less difficult than I had anticipated.  Usually these are topped with a cherry, but I had some raspberries, so I went with that instead. 

 

Between these two versions of Zeppole, I think I will always choose the custard filled ones.  How about you?  Which kind of Zeppole did you grow up eating?

 

Rhode Island Style Zeppole

Makes 16 zeppole

Adapted from Giallo Zafferano

Ingredients:

For the custard:

3 egg yolks

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

Zest from 1/2 a lime

1 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the dough:

1 cup water

5 tablespoons butter

1 cup and 3 tablespoons flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1 pinch salt

Zest from 1/2 a lime

3 eggs

Oil for frying

Parchment paper

Procedure:

1. Start by making the custard.  In a bowl, combine the egg yolks and sugar until well incorporated.  Add the flour, lime zest and just enough milk to work everything together.  Set aside.
2. In a small saucebowl, add the remaining milk and the vanilla.  Heat until just before the milk starts to boil.  Turn off the heat and let the milk cool for 10 minutes. 
3. Add the milk to the flour mixture and stir well to combine.  Return this custard mixture to the saucepan and put over low heat to thicken.  This will take about 10-12 minutes.  Stir continuously with a whisk to make sure lumps do not form.
4. Once thickened, pour the custard into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set in the refrigerator to cool completely.
5. To make the dough, add the water and butter to a saucepan over medium-high heat.  Once the butter is melted and the water is just starting to boil, turn off the heat. 
6. Add the flour and stir until well incorporated and the dough forms a ball, pulling away from the sides of the pot.  Return to low heat for about 2 minutes to let the dough dry slightly. 
7. Put the dough in a bowl and let cool.  Once cool, stir in the sugar, salt, and lime zest.  I found using a whisk makes stirring easier and more even.
8. Add the eggs to the dough one at a time, stirring each egg in completely before adding the next.
9. Prepare to fry the dough by cutting 3 by 3 inch squares out of your parchment paper.  Line the squares up on a baking sheet. Put the dough in a pastry bag with a star tip.  Starting at the center of one of the parchment squares and working your way out, pipe the dough into circles about 2 inches in diameter and then pipe a ring on top of the circle to create a bowl (check out Giallo Zafferano  for a great visual example).  Continue with the rest of the dough.
10. Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot to medium-high heat.  Once hot, drop the zeppole on its paper into the oil in batches of 2 or 3 depending on the size of your pot.  The  paper will slide right off in the oil.  Cook the zeppole just until golden brown and remove to paper towels to drain excess oil.  Repeat with remaining zeppole.
11. Once all zeppole are fried and cooled, pipe the custard into the hollow center of each zeppole, allowing some to spill over the top.  Top with a raspberry (or cherry if you're going the traditional route) and a dusting of powdered sugar.  Keep refrigerated until they are eaten.

Ryan's rating of Rhode Island Style Zeppole - 5.  This was definitely a hit, with both Ryan and Dominic.  Since I made these yesterday, I'm lucky we even had any left to eat on St. Joseph's Day!

1 - Awful. If you make this again I'll shove a fork in my eye.

2 - Meh. It's not my favorite, but I won't threaten self-harm if it shows up
again.

3 - Good. I wouldn't feel forced to order a pizza behind your back.

4 - Great! I will fight you for the leftovers.

5 - Love it! Make it again tomorrow. Or immediately and I will bathe in
it.

 

 

Chicken Cacciatore

The idea to make this recipe came as a request (thanks for the suggestion, Kristie!).  Chicken Cacciatore is a traditional recipe from Naples.  Cacciatore means hunter-style and would originally have been made with some type of game bird like pheasant.  Now it is made with chicken, usually including both chicken breasts and thighs.  I chose to use only chicken breasts, so if you use thighs you will want to double the initial simmering time for the chicken.  You can also add mushrooms, which I omitted because of my great dislike of them.    

Chicken Cacciatore is really the perfect mid-winter recipe.  I heard the other day that this week is the most depressing of the year.  It's easy to see why.  There are no more half weeks at work in the near future, and those New Years resolutions are always such a downer.  After all, who really wants to cut chocolate out of their diet? Of course, that's assuming you didn't quit after day 3 like I usually do.  So, what better to brighten up those dreary January days than a recipe that looks like this with bright, beautiful colors.  I'd eat it just for that. It doesn't hurt that it is delicious, too. Here's hoping that your January isn't as gross as the weather.

 

Chicken Cacciatore

Adapted from Lidia's Italy

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

4 whole chicken breasts, fat trimmed

Salt and pepper

Flour for dredging

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 a large onion, chopped into 1 inch pieces

1/4 cup white wine

1 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes with juices

1 red bell pepper cut into strips

1 yellow bell pepper cut into strips

Procedure:

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.  Put some flour on a plate.  Dredge the chicken in the flour, shaking off any excess.
2. In a large pan, heat three tablespoons vegetable oil and two tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat.  Place the chicken in the pan and saute until golden brown, about 3 minutes.  Flip the chicken and brown the other side, about 2 minutes.  Remove the chicken to a plate.  
3. Add the onions to the pan and saute about 2 minutes.  Add the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.  Let the wine boil for about 2 minutes to reduce the volume.  Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Return the chicken to the pan.  Turn the heat to low, cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.
5. In a separate pan, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.  Add the peppers and cook about 5 minutes.  After the chicken has simmered for 15 minutes, flip the chicken over.  Add the peppers to the chicken, cover the pan again, and let simmer for another 10 minutes.  Serve hot.

Ryan's rating of Chicken Cacciatore - 5.  Dominic was giggling the whole time he ate his. I like to think he was enjoying it and not mocking me. I think I might be wrong.

1 - Awful. If you make this again I'll shove a fork in my eye.

2 - Meh. It's not my favorite, but I won't threaten self-harm if it shows up again.

3 - Good. I wouldn't feel forced to order a pizza behind your back.

4 - Great! I will fight you for the leftovers.

5 - Love it! Make it again tomorrow. Or immediately and I will bathe in it.