Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 5-6 garlic cloves, peeled and either crushed or halved
• 1/4 cup white flour
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken breasts and thighs, trimmed of fat and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 cup apple juice or white grape juice
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 (6-oz) can tomato paste
• 1/4 tsp thyme
• 1/4 tsp marjoram
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 (16-oz) package linguine, cooked per instructions
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to taste

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions and garlic and stir frequently until onions are tender and garlic is fragrant. Remove with a slotted spoon (this is why you need to keep the onion and garlic pieces big) and transfer the onions and garlic to your blender. Increase the heat on the stove top to medium-high.

2. In a large zip-top bag, combine flour, 1 tsp salt, and black pepper. Add chicken pieces, seal bag, and shake to coat pieces with flour. Place all the chicken from the bag into the hot pan and stir quickly to prevent pieces from sticking together. Saute until chicken is golden. Remove the chicken with slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Remove the pan from heat.

3. While the chicken is draining, add the juice, vinegar, chicken broth, tomato paste, thyme, and marjoram to the onions and garlic in the blender. Blend until smooth. Place the chicken and bay leaf in a medium or large stockpot and pour the blended mixture over the chicken. Cover and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 60-90 minutes.

4. During the last 15 minutes of cooking, add the mushrooms and green peppers. When the mushrooms and peppers are tender, remove the bay leaf and serve over hot linguine or rice and garnish with Parmesan cheese if desired.