Day 18: GF Italian Chicken

Today, I had fully intended to make a slow cooker chicken dish that I had repinned from a neighbor, but this morning, I realized that I had forgotten to get the chicken out of the freezer! I didn't want to waste the ingredients that I had planned to use so I tweaked the original recipe by adding some oil and wine for a stove to oven cooking method. This meal only took an hour from start to finish and even with the tweaks, I managed to keep it at 504 calories per serving!

GF Italian Chicken:

2 tbsp saffron oil
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
2 large carrots, cut into ½-inch slices
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (3 oz)
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 cup red wine
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes, undrained
1 pkg uncooked GF penne pasta (16oz)
Parmesan cheese, to garnish
Chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, to garnish

Preheat the oven to 350*. In an ovenproof stockpot heat the saffron oil at medium. Sear the chicken 1-2 minutes on each side and then set aside on a plate. Add the garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add the carrot, bell pepper and mushrooms and cook another 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. After the vegetables are softened, add the wine and bing o a boil. Let the liquid reduce and add the seasoning, salt and pepper. After 5 minutes, add the crushed tomatoes and combine. Place the chicken back into the pot and cover with the sauce mixture. Cover the pot and place into the hot oven for 25 minutes. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Mix the pasta, sauce and chicken all together. Serve with Parmesan and parsley if desired.