I found both of these recipes in the Parade magazine that comes in the Sunday paper. I tend to like their recipes as they are usually both easy and at least somewhat healthy.
The chicken sandwich is adapted from Jessica Seinfeld, cookbook author and wife to Jerry Seinfeld. She is known for her recipes that incorporate including vegetables into the diet of fussy children (and possibly husbands). Fortunately Husband and I like veggies and include them willingly in our diet. Her original recipe called for a broccoli puree in with the chicken mixture. Sounded great; but I didn’t have any broccoli on hand.
2 pounds Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
½ tsp Salt
½ tsp Pepper
¼ cup Whole-Wheat Flour
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth
½ cup Balsamic Vinegar
6 Tbsp Firmly Packed Brown Sugar
6 Ciabatta Rolls
6 large Slices Tomato
½ cup Grated Part-Skim Mozzarella
Fresh Basil (Optional)
1. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Spread flour on a plate and toss chicken chunks in flour to coat completely. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Warm oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add chicken. Lower heat to medium and continue to cook until chicken begins to brown, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
3. Add chicken broth, vinegar, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 10–15 minutes stirring occasionally until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the center and vinegar mixture is thickened.
4. Place rolls on a large baking sheet. Top each of the 6 bottom halves with a tomato slice (and fresh basil, if desired); divide chicken among them and sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake until cheese is melted and edges of rolls are crisp, 5–7 minutes. Serve immediately.
*That vinegar/brown sugar mixture on the chicken is delicious. Make sure to scrap up all the wonderful sweet, flavorful goodness and get it into the sandwich. Yum.
I didn’t have any fresh basil, so I sprinkled a little dried on the tomato slice. Not the same, but I wanted to incorporate the Italian flavor.
The Ciabatta rolls are homemade too. I took my standard recipe for Ciabatta bread and separated the dough in half. I baked a small loaf of bread with one half and made four rolls with the other half. It worked. 🙂 True Ciabatta rolls are pretty putzy; if my internet browsing is to be believed. Maybe someday when I feel like putzing.
From an Italian-ish sandwich to an Asian-ish coleslaw….
This is a fun take on traditional coleslaw, with a nice spicy flavor. So far I have served it with Chimichangas and these sandwiches. Both worked. It’s very versatile!
4 cups Shredded Cabbage
1 cup Shredded Carrots
1 small Onion, finely chopped
Pinch Of Pepper
1 ½ Tbsp Rice Vinegar
⅓ cup Mayonnaise
1 ¼ tsp Sesame Oil
½ tsp Sriracha Sauce
¼ tsp Sugar
1 Tbsp Sesame Seeds Or Chopped Peanuts (Optional)
1. Toss cabbage, carrots and onion in a bowl. Season with pepper.
2. Whisk together vinegar, mayonnaise, sesame oil, sriracha, and sugar until smooth. Taste; add pinch of salt if needed.
3. Pour dressing over shredded vegetables and toss to combine. Serve slaw immediately or chill for a few hours, tossing again before serving. Finish with a shower of sesame seeds or some chopped peanuts, if desired.
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