Tuscan Cacciatore Risotto Rachael Ray Food

TUSCAN CACCIATORE RISOTTO (RACHAEL RAY)

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, bring the wine (or chicken broth) and broth to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and keep warm.
• In a large, deep skillet, heat 1 tablespoon EVOO, over medium-high heat.
• Add the pancetta (we used bacon) and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 7 to 8 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a paper-towelled plate; set aside.
• Add the remaining 2 tablespoons EVOO, the mushrooms, onion, garlic and crushed red pepper to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes.
• Stir in the rice until coated with the oil and slightly toasted, about 2 minutes.
• Stir in the rosemary and tomato paste, season with salt and pepper and cook for one minute.
• Reduce the heat to medium and stir a ladle or two of the warm broth mixture into the risotto every few minutes until absorbed.
• After about 7 minutes, stir in the chicken along with some broth.
• Continue to add the broth gradually, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to make a creamy consistency, until the rice is al dente, about 22 minutes.
• Stir in the cheese and green peas and adjust the seasonings.
• Serve the risotto in shallow bowls topped with the reserved pancetta(bacon) bits.
• Pass more cheese around the table.
• Enjoy with some Chianti and some nice and crusty warm bread!

TUSCAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat a large, deep skillet over medium high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, half the chicken pieces, and a couple of crushed cloves of garlic.
• Brown chicken 2 minutes on each side and remove from pan. Add remaining oil, another single turn of the pan, remaining chicken pieces and garlic. Brown chicken 2 minutes on each side and remove. Add vinegar to the pan. Let it cook off.
• Add butter, shallots, and rosemary to the pan and cook 2 minutes, add flour and cook 1 minute more. Whisk in wine, reduce 1 minute. Whisk in broth and bring liquids up to a bubble. Return chicken to the pan and simmer over moderate heat 7 to 8 minutes to finish cooking chicken through.
• Dessert: This is a very rich meal. My suggestion for dessert is to set out a small cookie tray and offer coffee or tea.

GRILLED CACCIATORE PANINI

Steps:

• Heat an outdoor grill or grill pan to high. If cooking indoors, char the peppers over an open gas flame on the stove top or under a hot broiler. Char the peppers until blackened all over, then put them in bowl and cover with plastic wrap to cool. If cooking outside, char peppers over the hot area of the grill.
• Meanwhile, in food processor combine the wine, rosemary, red pepper flakes, garlic and mustard. With the processor running, slowly stream in the extra-virgin olive oil to make a marinade. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the chicken to a resealable plastic bag and pour in 1/3 of the marinade and turn to coat. Add the mushrooms and onions to a small bowl and pour in the remaining marinade.
• Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill for 12 minutes. Grill the mushrooms and onions until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes and char the tomatoes the last 3 to 4 minutes of cook time.
• Remove the chicken from the grill to a cutting board and slice on an angle. Serve 1 1/2 thighs per person or 1 breast per person. Pile the chicken on the roll bottoms.
• Top the chicken with smoked cheese and sliced grilled mushrooms and onions, and squished fire-charred tomato. Peel, seed and chop the peppers and put them on top of the tomato. Sprinkle with a little parsley and cover with the roll tops.
• If you're felling ambitious, you can puree the peppers in food processor to make them saucy. Serve the panini with olive oil potato chips alongside.

QUICK CHICKEN CACCIATORE

Steps:

• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add half of the extra-virgin olive oil and brown chicken breasts or thighs for 3 or 4 minutes on each side. Remove chicken from pan and season with salt and pepper.
• Return pan to stove, reduce heat to medium and add the remaining. Add crushed pepper, sliced mushrooms, and garlic. Season with salt (salt is a magnet for drawing out liquid). Cover and cook mushrooms 5 minutes or until mushrooms are dark, tender and have given off their juices. Add about 1/2 cup of beef broth to intensify the wild mushroom flavor, then stir in the tomatoes and parsley. Cut the chicken into bite-size chunks or slices and add to sauce. Simmer sauce 5 minutes to finish cooking chicken pieces and to allow the flavors to combine. Toss pasta with cacciatore and serve with crusty bread and grated cheese.
• Tidbits: Beef broth and stock is now available in resealable paper containers, which can be found on the soup aisle of your market. These paper containers make storage of remaining broth easier; keep some on hand in your refrigerator. Beef broth is used instead of chicken broth in this recipe because it pairs better with the beefy taste of portobello mushrooms. The broth will make your cacciatore taste as if it simmered all day because it accents the mushroom taste well.
• Depending on your brand, 1 large can of tomatoes can vary in weight from 28 to 32 ounces. Use your favorite, but check to make sure the product is sugar free.

CHICKEN CACCIATORE SUBS

Steps:

• Heat a grill pan or large skillet. Drizzle chicken with oil, to cover,and season with grill seasoning blend or salt and pepper. Grill or pan-fry 6 minutes on each side.
• Heat broiler, lightly toast rolls on cookie sheet and remove.
• Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, mushrooms, peppers, onions and oregano. Saute veggies and season with salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes, then deglaze the pan with wine or stock. Pick up tasty bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon or heat safe spatula. Add tomatoes and parsley to the sauce. Slice chicken breasts on an angle and set into sauce. Pile chicken and veggies into sub rolls and cover with sliced provolone. Melt cheese under hot broiler. Serve.

WILD MUSHROOM RISOTTO

Steps:

• Place dried porcinis and stock or broth in a saucepan and bring stock to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer.
• In a large skillet, heat oil and butter over medium to medium high heat. Add shallots and saute 2 minutes. Add arborio rice and saute, 2 or 3 minutes more. Add Sherry and cook the liquid completely absorbed. Add several ladles of hot stock or broth and reduce heat slightly. Simmer, stirring frequently until liquid is absorbed.
• Remove mushrooms from water and reserve cooking liquid. Coarsely chop the porcinis and add them to the rice. Continue to ladle broth into arborio, half the remaining amount at a time. Stir mixture each time you add broth and remove from heat when the rice is cooked to al dente. Cool and store any remaining liquids if there are any.
• The ideal total cooking time for perfect risotto is 22 minutes. The consistency should be creamy.
• Stir in thyme and a few handfuls of grated cheese. Season your risotto with salt and pepper to your taste. Serve creamy mushroom risotto from the hot pan with warm, crusty whole grain breads.

TUSCAN SOUP (RIBOLLITA CON VERDURE) RACHAEL RAY

Steps:

• Heat soup pot over medium-high heat. Add oil and pancetta and render for 4 minutes. Add rosemary, garlic, 3/4 of onions, carrots, zucchini and season with salt and pepper. Saute veggies 7-8 minutes, then add wine and deglaze the pot.
• Stir in tomatoes and stock and bring up heat. When soup boils, reduce to a simmer and stir in bread and beans. Pile greens into pot and wilt them into the soup.
• Simmer 5-10 minutes, stirring soup as it simmers until it thickens to a dense stew-like consistency. A wooden spoon should be able to stand upright in pot.
• Turn off heat, adjust seasonings and ladle into shallow bowls. Top with grated cheese and an additional drizzle of olive oil, and a spoonful of remaining finely chopped onion.

RACHAEL RAY'S TUSCAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat a large, heavy, deep skillet over medium high heat.
• Season chicken with salt and pepper.
• Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, half the chicken pieces and a couple of crushed cloves of garlic.
• Brown chicken 2 minutes on each side and remove from pan.
• Add remaining oil and swirl around pan. Add remaining chicken pieces and garlic. Brown chicken 2 minutes on each side and remove.
• Add vinegar to the pan and let it sizzle till most evaporates.
• Add butter, shallots, and rosemary to the pan and cook 2 minutes.
• Add flour and cook 1 minute.
• Whisk in wine and allow to reduce and thicken for 1 minute.
• Whisk in broth and bring liquids up to a low boil.
• Return chicken to the pan and simmer over moderate heat 7 to 8 minutes for boneless (or nearly double that for bone-in) to cook chicken thoroughly.