Spicy chicken cacciatore

Yield: 6 Servings

Ingredients:

6 Chicken breast half; -skinned/boned
2 T Olive oil or cooking oil
3 c Mushrooms small fresh
2 md Sweet red or green peppers; -cut in strips
1 lg Onion; thinly sliced -separated into rings
2 Garlic clove; minced
1/2 c Dry white wine
1 sm Serrano; seeded & finely -chopped (opt)
28 oz Tomatoes; cut up
2 T Tomato paste
2 T Lemon juice
2 ts Basil dried; crushed
1 ts Sugar
1 ts Thyme dried; crushed
1/2 ts Salt
1/4 ts Pepper

Instructions:

black Hot cooked penne or rigatoni -pasta (opt) In a heavy 12-inch skillet or Dutch oven brown chicken on all sides in hot oil (4 to 5 minutes total). Remove chicken; set aside. Add the mushrooms (if using fresh) sweet peppers onion and garlic to the skillet drippings. Cook until the vegetables are tender. Add the mushrooms (if using canned) wine and serrano or crushed red pepper to vegetable mixture. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered until almost all of the liquid evaporates. Add the undrained tomatoes tomato paste lemon juice basil sugar thyme salt and pepper. Return the chicken to the pan. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes or until the chicken is tender and no longer pink. OR after returning chicken to pan bake uncovered in 350 F oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until the chicken is done. (Use an oven-proof skillet for this method. Serve over cooked pasta. [ BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS March 1990 ]