Baked Chicken Smothered in Roasted Red Pepper and Garlic Sauce

Ingredients:

2 large red sweet peppers, seeds and stems removed, halved
1 large red ripe tomato, sliced into wedges
2 thick slices of a large red onion
3 cloves roasted garlic (see roasting instructions here)
5 basil leaves, roughly chopped
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp smoked paprika
¼ – ½ teaspoon black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets, raw (about 150g each)
2 cups mushrooms, sliced

Turn the oven on to its highest broiling setting. Line a baking sheet with foil, and place the red peppers (skin side up), tomato slices, and onion slices (fanned out) on the foil. Mist the tomatoes and onion slices lightly with olive oil, and season with sea salt and black pepper. You can roast the garlic at the same time if you want to, following the directions above.

Place the baking sheet in the oven and broil for 15 minutes, or until the red pepper skins are almost completely black. Meanwhile, combine all remaining ingredients in a blender.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place the onions, tomatoes, and 3 cloves of garlic in the blender jug. Wrap the red peppers in the foil that lined the baking sheet, and let them ‘sweat’ inside for about 5 minutes. Remove the foil and peel the skins off, then add the peppers to the blender. Puree the mixture until completely smooth, then transfer to bowl or other container.

Switch the oven to the bake setting and heat to 350F. Place the chicken breasts in a baking dish and scatter mushrooms on top. Pour the sauce over the chicken and bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Serve immediately.