Tonight’s Dinner: Chicken with Bell Pepper Ragout

Chicken doesn’t have to be fried or grilled in order to make an interesting dinner. A simple ragout of broiled bell peppers and tomatoes turns chicken into something you’d find in a five star restaurant.

Chicken is one of those proteins that goes great with just about anything. Slice up some fruit for a delicious salad. Dredge it in flour and spices for a nice fried chicken, or cover it in salt and pepper, throw it in the oven for a wonderful roast. But if you’ve done all those things are dying to try something a little different that doesn’t take too long, why not roast some peppers and tomatoes for a delicious ragout. Mix the veggies with some capers for a salty zing, throw it over a few chicken cutlets and you’ve got a chicken dinner everyone will love.

Chicken with Bell Pepper Ragout

Ingredients

1 pound heirloom tomatoes, cored, halved and seeded
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 garlic clove, mashed
3/4 cup flour
1-1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and patted dry

Directions

Position a rack six inches from the broiler element and heat the broiler on high.
Line a baking sheet with foil. Put the tomatoes cut side up on one side and the peppers and onion on the other side. Drizzle everything with three tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss the peppers and onions. Broil until the tomatoes are collapsed, about seven minutes. Flip the tomatoes, toss the peppers and onions and broil until the tomatoes have large black spots and the peppers and onions are tender, about five more minutes. Use tongs to pull the skins off the tomatoes and transfer tomatoes to a cutting board.
Place the peppers and onions in a large bowl and add the garlic paste. Chop the tomatoes and add them to the bowl with the other vegetables. Mix well, season to taste with salt and pepper and keep warm.
Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the flour, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture. Working in batches, cook the chicken, flipping once, until just cooked through, 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to serving plates; set aside.
Wipe out the pan. Heat one tablespoon olive oil and fry the capers over medium-high heat until they pop open and become crisp, about two minutes. Sprinkle them over the chicken and serve with the ragout.