Roasted Tomato and Chicken Sandwich

As far as sandwiches go, this one is GOURMET. It really has a unique and satisfying taste. And it's perfect for Summer, because you don't do a lot of cooking--unless you decide to make the French Bread yourself, which is DELICIOUS. I'll have to post that recipe another day. But back to this sandwich, this has become a regular meal in our home and it really is nice enough of a dish that you could feel good in serving it to guests. Enjoy!

{Roasted Tomato and Chicken Sandwich}

1 tsp. Olive Oil
3 medium tomatoes, chopped to BIG bit size pieces
2 T. Balsamic Vinegar
1 tsp. dried thyme (or 1 T. of fresh, chopped)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 c mayonnaise
1 T. Whole-Grain Mustard with Garlic (or you can use whole-grain mustard and add fresh garlic)
1 loaf of French Bread
3 oz. Mozzarella cheese (or try a different kind that you like!)
2 c. chicken, cooked & shredded
2 tsp. Olive Oil
1 tsp. Balsamic Vinegar
1/8 tsp. Salt
2 c. Spinach, fresh with stems cut

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Heat 1 tsp. oil in skillet. Add tomatoes and cook 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 2 T. vinegar, thyme, salt, and pepper. Place pan in oven for 15 minutes (be sure to wrap the handle in foil, if you don't have metal handles).

Meantime, in a small bowl, combine mayo, mustard, and set aside. In a medium bowl, place spinach and toss with 2 tsp. oil, 1 tsp. vinegar, and 1/8 salt.

Cut French bread in half lengthwise, like one BIG ole' sandwich. Spread mayo mixture on top half of loaf. Spoon tomato mixture over bottom half of loaf. Arrange the cheese over the tomatoes, and top with the chicken. Top chicken with spinach and replace the top half of the bread.

Cut sandwich into thick slices and serve immediately.

Glazed Cheese Croissants

I made these for the first time yesterday and I have to admit, I was a little concerned as I was mixing it together. But they were actually really good. AND they were really simple. Do I say that about everything? Maybe I need to post harder recipes. Anyway, these are definitely better served warm. In fact, I think we gobbled them up within about 5 minutes. So, you may want to consider doubling the recipe. Enjoy!

{GLAZED CHEESE CROISSANTS}

1/2 c. unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 c. small curd cottage cheese

1 c. all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. salt

Sugar Glaze:

1/2 c. powdered sugar

2 tsp. milk

In a medium bowl, combine butter, cottage cheese, flour and salt. Shape into 2 disks and wrap in plastic, refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a well floured surface, roll dough out to a 14-inch circle. Cut circle evenly into 8 triangles. Roll each triangle up, from wide end to tip, turning ends of roll in to form a crescent shape. Place croissants 3 inches apart on a baking sheet, bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack. Drizzle glaze over rolls. 

 

Broccoli Bacon Salad

It seems like a lot of times when we're invited to a dinner party and I ask, "What can I bring?" the answer is, "Why don't you just bring a salad." 

Yes, I simple assignment in theory, but I kind of stress over it. I don't have a lot of salad recipes and I always want to do something different than just lettuce, tomatoes, and croutons (not that there's anything wrong with those kinds of salads!). So, I've been collecting different salad recipes. And this one is definitely a winner! When I tried this, I was in love. Then I made it myself and my love grew! It was so easy to throw together. The dressing is so easy, and you'd never even know! 

It's a perfect recipe to add to your collection as we are now entering prime BBQ season! Enjoy!

{BROCCOLI BACON SALAD}

1 head Romaine lettuce, washed and cut into bite size pieces

1 c. broccoli, discard the stems and cut the tops into small pieces

1 lb. bacon, cooked and chopped

½ c. Parmesan cheese

½ purple onion, diced very thin

Dressing:

½  c. mayonaise

1 T. seasoned rice vinegar

¼  c. sugar