With busy schedules and a lot of moving pieces in my life right now, I’ve been feeling very disconnected from cooking. My dinners have been about what’s quick and economical, which doesn’t provide a lot of variety or creativity. Rather than watch one of my passions slip down the drain and become just another chore I said..
SCREW THAT.
I have the ability to take affordable ingredients and elevate them to something flavorful, new, and exciting and once I reminded myself of that, the wheels got turning and I got cooking! Aside from a baking sheet to roast the peppers on, this entire meal can be made in one skillet, saving you from a sink full of dishes to clean later. Cream sauces can often end up feeling too heavy or tasting too rich, so I added fresh squeezed lemon juice and white wine for something a little lighter. Toss in some garlic, shallots, roasted red peppers, and basil and you’ve got yourself a decadent and balanced dish!
(makes 2 servings)
Ingredients:
1 large red bell pepper
1 Tbs olive oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper to taste
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 small shallot, minced
3/4 cup dry white wine (I used Sutter Home’s Sauvignon Blanc)
Juice from 1 lemon
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 Tbs finely chopped fresh basil, divided
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 Tbs crumbled goat cheese (you can also use feta or blue cheese)
Turn oven broiler on to 500 degrees F and line a baking sheet with foil. Cut the bell pepper in half and remove stem, seeds, and membrane. Place the pepper (inside facing down) on the prepared baking sheet. Broil for 15-20 minutes or until most of the outer layer of skin on the pepper has blackened.
Remove from the oven, place pepper halves in a zip-lock bag and seal shut. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Remove peppers from the bag and pinch the outer blackened skin to start peeling it off. Remove all of the outer skin and discard.
Finely chop the pepper and set aside.
While you’re waiting for the pepper to roast and cool, get started on your chicken!
Heat olive oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium to high heat. Pound chicken breasts down so they’re even in size and season with a bit of salt and pepper. When the skillet is hot, add chicken breasts and cook for 2-3 minutes or until lightly browned. Flip and sear the other side for another 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cover tightly with foil.
Switch your heat setting to low-medium and in the same skillet add minced garlic and shallot. Saute for 1 minute or until it’s nice and fragrant. Add wine and lemon juice and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce until there’s about 1/2 cup of liquid (about 5-7 minutes).
This is a good point for you to kick that oven back on and preheat to 375 degrees F.
Stir in cream, 1 tablespoon of chopped basil, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 2-3 minutes stirring occasionally until sauce has thickened up. Stir in roasted red peppers, season with salt and pepper, and add chicken back to the skillet.
Spoon the sauce all over the chicken and place skillet in the oven.
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.
Transfer to plates, spoon extra sauce over the tops, add remaining tablespoon of chopped basil, and goat cheese crumbles. Serve right away.
Enjoy!
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