Recipe(tried): Friday Night Supper in Fla....

Once again, it is muggy and humid and hot and all things yucky here in Central Florida. I gave myself a pedicure, polished those toe winkies real pretty and went to Blockbuster to get a video....because of the humidity here, the polish did not dry well. Ughhhhhh, when will it end....For dinner tonight I will be fixing Chicken Cacciatore, Salad, Rice and Banana Buttermilk Bread.

I had quite a bit of chicken chunks leftover from Labor Day and they have been marinating in lemon juice and garlic so this is a good way of using some up.

CHICKEN CACCIATORE A LA GINA

serves6-8

1/4 c. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 t. dried rosemary
1/2 tsp. dried parsley flakes
3/4 tsp. dried oregano
3/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper
4 chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1/2 c. red wine vinegar
6 cups drained and seeded, roma tomatoes halved
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 c. dry white wine
1/2 c. green olives, sliced
1 sweet red pepper, cored, seeded and cut into strips
1/2 c. sliced mushrooms

Heat oil, add onions, garlic, rosemary, parsley, oregano, salt and ground red pepper in a large pan over med. heat. Cook until onions are translucent. Add chicken chunks and cook til chicken is nicely browned on all sides about 30 mts.
Add red wine vinegar and cook 5 mts. more.

Place your tomatoes in the blender to crush slightly leaving some chinks. Add this to chicken and cook for 20 mts. more til slightly thickened. Add basil, wine, olives and red peppers and mushrooms and cook til peppers and mushrooms are softened and the chicken is very tender about 10 mts. Serve with rice to sop up the wonderful juices.

BANANA BUTTERMILK BREAD

yields 2 loaves
4 c. flour
4 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
4 large eggs
4 med. ripened bananas, mashed
1 c. fresh buttermilk
2 t. vanilla
1 c. pecans or walnuts, chopped
Oven at 350. Mix the flour, baking powder, soda and salt and set aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar til fluffy. At low speed, add the eggs and mashed bananas. Add the buttermilk alternately with the flour mixture. After each addition, beat just until incorporated. Add the vanilla and nuts and mix at low speed until fully incorporated. DON'T OVERBEAT AT ANY TIME OR THE BREAD WILL COME OUT DRY.

Pour the batter into two greased and floured loaf pans. Bkae for 55 mts. to 1 hour. Cool on a rack. These will keep quite well for up to 5 days at room temp. or 3 months in the freezer.