FSDAhfkdshfksda. I have so much I want to say and I’m not sure if it’s because of today’s caffeine or the excitement from this dish. Either way, it doesn’t matter because today we are getting right down to the nitty griddy. I’m just going to cut to the chase – this needs to be your next meal. It’s colorful. It’s beautiful. It’s healthy. It’s easy. It’s delicious. It’s screaming your name.  

In the last week I’ve used canned tomatoes in almost all of my recipes (tomato-basil spaghetti, pizza sauce, cauliflower pizza) and that’s simply because I stocked up on a few cans of those dangerously delicious San Marzanos. Whether or not you do follow this blog and make my recipes, I want to give a few options for  the tomatoes since they do come in such a big can and you may not be using them all at once. Today I made enough for 2 servings and therefore only used half of the tomatoes in the can (about 4). Easily double the recipe and use the entire can, or use the remaining tomatoes for one of those links up there. 

Now as I mentioned in the other canned-tomato recipes, as the seasons change so will my methods and ingredients. I’m not going to use “fresh” tomatoes in the middle of February and this current Maryland weather is not outdoor grill friendly. If you’re somewhere where tomatoes are good fresh and you can fire up the grill, do so! Also, I envy you. 

With that being said, this dish is a sauteed chicken breast first dredged in flour and seared to perfection, then later finished in an aromatic bed of onions and garlic cooked au sec with white wine, roasted red pepper, juicy tomato,  buttery mushrooms, fresh lemon, and a splash of light cream. Whew, I’m out of breath. Let’s take a better look:

The absolute first thing I did was roast my red pepper. If I had a gas stove or a ready grill, this would have been quick and painless. Sitting the pepper over the fire until it’s black and charred is way faster then waiting for it to roast in the oven. Since right now I don’t have those luxuries, I broiled my pepper on high for 10 minutes or so, rotating constantly. It wasn’t as charred as I wanted it to be, but hey it still worked. 

Okay so my pepper wasn’t a very photogenic one, but that’s probably because it’s in a bowl covered with plastic wrap and filled with steam. The steam will help you peel the skin off, it’s essential!

I then lowered the oven to 200 and started to prepare my chicken. Depending on the size of your chicken breast, you can either place it in a ziplock bag or between plastic wrap and pound out the heavier part with a meat mallet until your chicken is uniform, or simply butterfly it. I think I broke my chicken’s heart. 

I then seasoned both sides with salt and pepper, dredged in flour and seared them in a little canola oil . You always want to sear the presentation side first because the first sear always turns out better for some reason. Once they’re done, slide them onto a baking sheet and pop in the oven until you’re ready for them. 

Now this is where the fun starts. The onions and garlic are cooked in the same pan as the chicken was cooked in and then the pan gets deglazed with about 4 oz. of good white wine. The rule with cooking with alcohol is always use a wine you would drink. I had some leftover Pinot Grigio from Valentine’s so I threw that in – and may or may not have poured myself a glass. 

Once almost all of the wine has been absorbed, the chopped roasted pepper and tomatoes are added and cooked. I added a splash of light cream and lemon juice to bind everything together before adding my chicken back to the pan. Once the chicken is back, let it cook in to absorb all of those yummy flavors. 

CAN YOU EVEN HANDLE IT? I cant. 

Roasted Red Pepper Chicken

2014-02-18 15:51:39

Serves 2

Chicken over a bed of sweet roasted red pepper and juicy tomatoes cooked with aromatic onions and garlic and other deliciousness. This is just another fun and colorful way to eat chicken!

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Ingredients

1. 1 red bell pepper
2. 2 chicken breasts
3. 1/4 c. flour
4. 2 T. canola oil
5. 4-5 tomatoes - concasse & diced
6. 1/2 onion - small dice
7. 2 garlic cloves - minced
8. 1/2 c. white wine
9. 4-5 button mushrooms - sliced thin
10. 1 T. butter
11. 1 lemon
12. light cream as needed
13. salt and pepper as needed

For the red pepper

1. Char the red pepper until the skin is black.
2. Tansfer to a bowl covered with plastic wrap. Let it steam for 15 minutes. The best method for charring is over a flame on the grill or gas stove, however you may use the broiler on high setting (just may take a little longer)(took me about 10 minutes).
3. Peel off the skin and rinse off any black char left behind. Cut the pepper lengthwise and remove the stem, seeds, and any excess water. Chop the pepper and set aside until needed.

For the chicken

1. Preheat the oven to 200
2. Even out the chicken breasts by either butterflying them or pounding out the thicker portion with a meat mallet. Do so until the breast is even (this way it'll cook uniformly).
3. Season both sides generously with salt and pepper. Dip in flour and shake off any excess.
4. Heat the canola oil in a large skillet. Once hot, add the chicken skin side down. Sear for 3 minutes on each side.
5. Transfer to an oven-safe plate or dish and place in the oven until needed.

For the remainder

1. In the same pan that the chicken seared in, add the onions and garlic. Keep the heat at medium-low and cook until the onions are translucent (3-4 minutes). Season with salt and pepper.
2. Add the wine and cook 3-4 minutes until most of the wine has absorbed.
3. While the wine is cooking, melt 1 T. of butter in a small saute pan and cook the mushrooms until tender and brown, about 3 minutes.
4. Add the chopped red pepper and tomatoes to the onions. Stir until combined.
5. Add a splash of light cream and stir until all of the vegetables come together. If a more sauce-like consistency is desired, add chicken broth until desired consistency. Pureeing is also an option for a thick sauce!
6. Add the chicken to the sauce and simmer for a few minutes to let the chicken absorb some of the flavor. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and some fresh parsley. Adjust seasonings.

Notes

1. To concasse a tomato, cut an "x" with a paring knife at the base of the tomato. Place in boiling water for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until you see the skin peel back. Immediately transfer to an ice bath and remove the skin. Cut the tomato, remove the seeds, and dice. If tomatoes are not in season, use whole canned San Marzanos and just remove the seeds and chop.
2. Add the salt and pepper throughout the entire cooking process, in small quantities. This will build flavor throughout!

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