char it. [sautéed chicken breast w. roasted red pepper & tomato sauce]

It’s no secret that I’m a huge chicken fan. The meat is versatile, easy to cook and high in protein. Since my freezer is always stocked with chicken, I’m constantly on the hunt for unique recipes to spruce up a plain chicken breast. This roasted red pepper and tomato sauce sure did the trick. It was scrumptious drizzled over chicken and rice, and I can imagine it working wonderfully as a pasta sauce.

Since I won’t post again until next week, I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend. I’ll be baking up a storm on Saturday morning for my boss’ Christmas party that night. Pressure’s on. ;)

Recipe:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded

Olive oil

2 red bell peppers

4 Roma tomatoes

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Char bell pepper and tomatoes directly over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Transfer tomatoes to plate. Enclose pepper in paper bag 10 minutes. Peel, halve, and seed tomatoes; place in blender. Peel, seed, and chop pepper; add to blender. Add oil, vinegar, garlic, and cayenne; blend until smooth. Season sauce with salt and pepper.

Warm a medium skillet over medium-high heat then add olive oil. Once hot, add chicken breasts seasoned with salt and pepper, and saute until cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Spoon warm sauce over sautéed chicken and rice or vegetables and garnish with parsley. Use as a pasta sauce, if desired.

Recipe adapted from Epicurious.