Receta Roasted Chicken, Brie, and Balsamic Tomato Sandwiches
This past week I was sitting in a noisy bar listening to the brave souls who waltz up on stage for the weekly Open Mic event. My husband and I sat at a table, greasy burgers in front of us, with a couple of friends waiting for his turn. Frankly, Open Mic Nights are a little too rookie for my husband.
He’s not new in the music scene. While out to eat at restaurants girls have flocked over to ask if he is who they think he is. He’s opened for the Indigo Girls and shared stages with Hootie and the Blowfish.
But the Omnivore is a humble guy and is test-driving a new ensemble with a fairly rookie vocalist so sitting at an Open Mic is where I found myself. The crowd was a rowdy one – most people were there to see only one of the various acts performing, thus they’d only quiet down during the 3 songs that “their band” was playing. In the meantime you could hear the musicians on deck tuning, drunk ladies laughing, and men shouting at sports on TV in the background.
My husband opened strong in his set with an upbeat original tune. There was a slight battle between him and the audience for air time. When the second song began – a quieter original tune – the noise in the bar halted. My husband sang a song that told the story of an old country woman whose farmer husband had died and how she carried on despite her heavy, broken heart.
Now she still cooks those country meals and keeps a handsome home / she still hangs his robe upon the door / and she still counts her blessing ‘fore she goes to sleep alone / it’s just that it’s harder than before.
At band practice earlier that week one of the musicians had commented, as I assembled the sandwiches you see, that I was an artist. What an insult compared to the people whose company I was in!
We all adored this meal. Roasted chicken, creamy brie, and sweet balsamic roasted tomatoes melted perfectly into a hearty dinner sandwich. Spinach added a touch of freshness but I also served the sandwiches with kale chips for an extra dose of vegetables.
Chicken, Brie, and Balsamic Tomato Sandwiches (Cooking Light 2001)
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes (about 1 pound)
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon whole-grain Dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 3 ounces Brie cheese, sliced
- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (about 1 pound)
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups fresh spinach
bread of choice
Instructions
Preheat oven to 300°.
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes; cook 4 minutes, stirring once. Remove from heat; stir in 2 tablespoons vinegar. Sprinkle tomatoes with thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Wrap handle of pan with foil; bake at 300° for 15 minutes. Keep warm.
Combine mayonnaise, mustard, and garlic in a small bowl.
Spread mayonnaise mixture evenly over 1/2 of sandwich slices. Spoon tomatoes evenly over other 1/2 of slices.
Arrange Brie cheese over tomatoes; top with chicken.
Combine 2 teaspoons oil, 1 teaspoon vinegar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add spinach, tossing gently to coat.
Top chicken with spinach mixture; replace top half of bread.