Chicken Sandwich Awesomeness

Today has been rough. I don't think I've had that intense or that many different emotions in one day in a long time. Funny given I was teaching about toddlers and their varied emotions today. All this sent my head spinning, so my feet took control and carried me to the kitchen. Three projects later (well still wrapping up one), I feel like I have a little bit of a handle on things. And dinner was delicious.

First, I made these little mini-pop tarts. Not my own experiment, someone else's, but awesome just the same.

Then I took some inspiration from the Pioneer Woman and put my own twist on her delicious sandwich. Now she lives on a cattle ranch, but I am more of a chicken girl. After making this recipe of hers, I started playing around with my own. The results were yummy (and way more guilt-free than mini pop tarts and the other project-in-the-works).

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: About 20 minutes?

Leftovers: not sure yet, but I am thinking they'll need reheated in a pan on the stove, not microwaved

This makes about enough for 3 sandwiches: (Sorry I didn't measure well, I told you it was a rough day.)

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts trimmed and cut into thin slices

1/2 green pepper, sliced into thin strips

1/3 yellow onion, sliced into thin strips

2 cloves garlic, diced

white cooking wine

Worcestershire sauce

chicken bullion, dissolved in about 1/2 c water

olive oil

butter

chili powder

Tabasco or other hot sauce type sauce

Heat about 1 1/2 Tbsps of oil in a large pan/skillet. Toss in garlic, peppers, and onions. Saute for a couple minutes, then add about a 1/4 c. cooking wine and let cook until peppers and onions are no longer crisp. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add another 1 tsp. of oil to the pan. Place chicken in pan one layer high, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook for about 2 minutes, turn, and finish cooking. Set this aside and continue cooking chicken until all is done.

At this point I rinsed/wiped out the pan. Add about 1 Tbsp of butter, let melt. Add all chicken and vegetables back in and sprinkle lightly with chili powder, then add chicken bullion broth, another 1/3 c. or so of cooking wine, a teaspoon (or more if you like it) of Worcestershire sauce, and a few sprinkles of Tabasco. Now I don't have Tabasco, but I have a Chinese Sichuan sauce that is really spicy, so I added a few drops of that instead. Stir all this and allow to simmer for a few minutes, making sure there is liquid remaining. If all the liquid cooks out, add more bullion broth or white wine (or both!).

Grab your favorite (or easily located) bread, toast it just a bit, and scoop on the chicken, peppers, and onions. Be sure some of the liquid in the pan makes into onto the sandwich, even if it means eating with a fork! If you are the cheese eating type, I think a slice would help this sandwich. I also have hopes of making a garlic aioli someday that I think would be perfect on this. Enjoy!

There is something about slicing vegetables that is good for the soul. And something about them sizzling in a pan that is so satisfying. This, my friends, is why I find sanity in the kitchen. Some people meet with the Lord in nature, I think I do in the kitchen. It's like something about creating puts me in tune with the Creator. I'll share about the still-in-the-works project tomorrow!