Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped green peppers
1/2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 can (7.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with
Italian herbs (with juice)
1/4 cup dry white or red wine or nonalcoholic white or red wine
1 cup halved or quartered mushrooms
Salt and ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups hot cooked whole-wheat pasta
Minced fresh parsley


Instructions
Coat a large no-stick skillet with no-stick spray. Warm the skillet over medium heat. Season both sides of the chicken with the Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Add to the skillet and cook over medium heat, turning once, for about 5 minutes, or until browned. Remove the chicken and set aside.

Add the onions, green peppers, and garlic to the skillet and sauté for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the onions are tender. Add the tomatoes (with juice), wine and mushrooms. Return the chicken to the skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center.

If the sauce is too thin, transfer the chicken to a warm dish and set aside. Cook the sauce, uncovered, at a brisk simmer for about 5 minutes, or until thick. Season to taste with the salt and black pepper. Serve the chicken and sauce over the pasta. Sprinkle with the parsley.


VARIATIONS
Greek-Style Chicken
Replace the mushrooms with 1/2 cup halved artichoke hearts. Omit the pasta. Serve over cooked rice and sprinkle each serving with sliced ripe olives and feta cheese.
Meatballs Cacciatore
Omit the chicken. Instead, make meatballs using 1/2 pound extra-lean ground beef, 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper. Make the tomato sauce as above; add the meatballs and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through.
Sausage Sandwiches
Omit the chicken. Instead, coat a large no-stick skillet with no-stick spray and cook 2 reduced-fat Italian sausages (4 ounces each) until well-browned; drain well, discarding all fat. Make the tomato sauce as above, omitting the mushrooms and adding 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning. Add the sausages and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes, or until cooked through. Cook, uncovered, until the sauce thickens to the desired consistency. Serve in warm crusty buns.

Nutritional Information:
420 calories
5.2 g fat mono
103 mg cholesterol
41.6 g carbohydrate
46.3 g protein
5.2 g fiber
325 mg sodium