Chicken Breasts with Red Wine Sauce

This is a lighter take on the classic Italian preparation of Chicken Cacciatore (or Chicken Hunter Style). Our made-over version uses white meat rather than dark and less oil to cut almost 60 calories per serving and reduce the fat and sodium of the traditional recipe.

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken
breasts
1⁄2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp canola oil
1 yellow or white onion, sliced
1 cup mushrooms cut into quarters
1 clove garlic, minced
1⁄2 cup (4 ounces) red wine (see Note)
One 14.5-ounce can stewed tomatoes,
with liquid
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp thyme
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
12 pearl onions, peeled and halved
(optional, see Note)

1. Slice the chicken breasts in half and pat dry with a clean cotton cloth or paper towel. Season with pepper.
2. Place the oil in a medium saucepan with a heavy bottom and a lid; once the oil is hot, add the chicken. Lightly brown the chicken on all sides, remove from the pan, and set aside.
3. Add the onions, mushrooms, and garlic to the hot pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions turn light brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Add the wine; stir to combine with the vegetables and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen the browned bits. Simmer until the wine reduces by half in volume, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, Worcestershire, chili powder, thyme and mustard; then return the chicken to the pan. Bring to a simmer and then reduce
heat to low. Cover with a lid and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes.

Garnish with the chopped parsley and pearl onions (if desired) before serving.

Note: In choosing a wine for cooking, always use one that’s good enough to drink. Never buy “cooking wine,” which is full of additives and sodium. Keep a four-pack of small wine bottles
on hand for cooking.

Halved pearl onions is a classic garnish for this dish. To serve them, peel and lightly brown them in a small sauté pan just before the chicken is done cooking. Add to the dish just before serving.