Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken Cacciatore is a very healthy and easy meal to make, full of exotic mushrooms, bell peppers and kalamata olives. It makes a hearty camping meal in the Dutch Oven, too.

I know, I know. Valentine’s Day is 5 days away and I don’t have a post on chocolate, heart-shaped goodies or romantic meals. Well, let me tell you what happens at my house on Valentine’s Day. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

I have one of those husbands who likes to on and on about how he doesn’t like the greeting card companies dictating when he tells his wife he loves her. I’m sure many of you have heard that one.

He tells me he doesn’t need to be told when to buy me flowers. In fact, he goes on, he will buy me flowers everyday, EXCEPT for Valentine’s Day. So, every year when a week or so before Valentine’s day, my husband likes to give me his devilish smile and tells me, “Happy Valentine’s Day!”

Then when the big day arrives, you guessed it, silence. And do I get flowers every day, except Valentine’s Day. I know, yeah right.

I don’t mind, really. I’ve always hated this holiday. I’ve never really had a good memory for Valentine’s Day, except as a kid when we would make each other little cards and put them in our friends’ boxes.

Of course, nowadays, teachers make sure if you bring cards to share, you bring cards for everyone. I am not a politically-correct person, but I think this is a good rule. I don’t think little kids should open their Valentine’s boxes and see only three little cards in it, while other students in class are over-flowing with cards.

If anything, I think it’s great to remind our kids, as often as possible, to share a little love or kindness to our fellow student.

So instead of chocolate, here’s a  delicious dinner you can make for your sweetheart! I have been craving Chicken Cacciatore for a couple months now. I adore mushrooms in all forms, and find any reason to cook with them. I did my usual research on the internet about the history and recipe of Chicken Cacciatore.

This classic Italian dish is prepared “hunter-style,” with whatever game or rabbit caught that day. Mushrooms found while hunting are added to dish, along with tomatoes, bell peppers, herbs and sometimes wine. I found many variations of this dish, so I decided to make it the way I personally like it: with a lot of basil and a whole lot of mushrooms.

Instead of white mushrooms, I used a variety of mushrooms I found on my hunt at the grocery store: crimini, oyster and shiitake. I added olives because we all love olives and I had a good pound in the refrigerator.

This is a very aromatic dish. You can make it at home or even in your Dutch oven on a camping trip, which is why I have those pictures in here, too. The technique is still the same except you control the heat by adding and removing coals from underneath your Dutch oven.

Whether you make this at home or outdoors, this chicken cacciatore is crazy good — even on Valentine’s Day.

A modified version of this recipe is also featured in my new cookbook, The Camp & Cabin Cookbook (Countryman Press 2018). I have 100 recipes that are all prepared outdoors and over fire using multiple techniques, including the beloved Dutch oven. Learn more about my new book and where you can get your copy here!