Free Fabulicious!: Teresa's Italian Family Cookbook by Teresa Giudice

kitchen, and maybe even money in the checkout line. Win, win, win.
     

 
     
    CHAPTER 7
     

The Main (Meaty) Event
     
    A re you finally ready for dinner? Me, too! What are you making? You’re probably waiting for me to tell you, right? Well, I have eight fabulicious dishes right here for you: classic Italian chicken, fish and seafood fantasies, and plenty of beef. (Vegetarians, you might want to flip ahead to the next chapter. I’ll hook you up, promise.)

     
     
     

 
    Hunter’s Chicken Cacciatore
     
    Makes 4 to 6 servings
    Chicken cacciatore is a “hunter’s” chicken because it uses mushrooms and herbs easily gotten from the forests of central Italy. I add extra veggies to my dish because you can never get enough of them into your kids! The longer you simmer the chicken, the easier it will just fall off the bone. It’s a long-cooking dish, but easy and so worth the wait! This would also work great in a slow cooker.
     
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 skinless chicken thighs on the bone (about 1 ½ pounds)
10 ounces cremini or white mushrooms, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into ½-inch dice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup hearty red wine, such as Shiraz
2 cups The Quickie Tomato Sauce ( page 22 )
2 teaspoons dried oregano
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 medium zucchini, cut into ½-inch dice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Audriana’s Creamy Polenta ( page 47 ), for serving (optional)
    1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a Dutch oven or flameproof casserole over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate.
    2. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the Dutch oven and heat over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, onion, red pepper, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 6 minutes.
    3. Pour in the wine and bring to a boil. Stir in the tomato sauce, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Return the chicken to the Dutch oven, and bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 1 hour. Add the zucchini. Continue cooking until the meat is very tender and pulling away from the bone, about 1 ¼ hours. During the last 10 minutes, stir in the basil.
    4. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Cut into bitesized chunks, discarding the skin and bones, and return the meat to the sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot, over polenta, if you wish, and garnished with a sprinkle of basil.

 
    Roasted Rosmarino Chicken
     
    **** (as long as you don’t eat the skin!) ****
     
    Makes 6 servings
    If you’ve never done it before, roasting a whole chicken can seem intimidating, but it’s actually soooo easy and so delicious! The secret is to stuff the bird with things that will steam it from the inside to keep the meat moist. I know touching raw chicken or sticking your hand up a bird isn’t everyone’s idea of fun, but we’re not going to form fancy stuffing balls or anything. Just close your eyes, shove it all in, and know that when it’s fully cooked, you will be an official rock star! If you don’t want to stick your fingers under the skin, you can certainly skip that step (or call in someone else, smile real pretty, and make them do it).
     
6 sprigs fresh rosemary
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, halved
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (7- to 7 ½-pound) roasting chicken, rinsed and patted dry with paper towels
1 small onion, quartered
½ cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
    1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F.
    2. Finely chop the leaves from 2 rosemary sprigs; you should have 1 tablespoon. Discard the stems. Reserve the remaining sprigs. In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped rosemary, olive oil, the juice of ½ lemon, and the salt and pepper; stir to blend. Reserve the squeezed lemon half.
    3. Slide your