17 December 2008

Chicken Caprese Sandwich for Taste & Create

Chicken Caprese Sandwich

Can you feel the warm breeze.... the scent of the ocean? I am sitting on a secluded beach on the west coast of Zakynthos, the third largest of the Ionian Islands with dramatic vistas. Steep cliffs plummet down to the pristine white sand beach. Can you hear the call of the sea birds? Now .....never mind that my warm breeze is actually the heat coming from the secondary heater in the living room to ward off the chill or the heat from the stove top as I brew yet another pot of warming tea. Now don't break my bubble. Shhhh!!!!I prefer to believe that I am sitting on this secluded beach in Greece........close my eyes.

For those of you who frequent my blog you know that I never miss the Taste & Create event which gets bigger and bigger each and every time. It is the brainchild of Nicole over at For the Love of Food . I love to visit her site for all the delicious recipes and tidbits of very helpful information. She even has an on-line store with wonderful kitchen gadgets and gourmet foods.



For the event this month I have been paired with our founder herself Nicole of For the Love of Food . It was very hard to choose just one recipe to prepare with dishes like Cuban Pastelitos de Carne , Homemade Chicken Tikal with Black Bean Puree , Indian Burgers and Roasted Tomato Pesto on Pasta . With this cold snap, and the temperatures dipping well below freezing, I felt the need to drift away to sunnier climates. Living in a Canadian winter I usually barbecue all year round but today it was too cold even for me, so, I opted for the use of my grill pan. This Chicken Caprese Sandwich enabled me to drift away to the Ionian Islands. I have had this recipe bookmarked for some time so it was perfect to attempt today. I also decided to marinate the fresh mozzarella slices as well as the tomatoes to top the sandwich.

Now let me get back to the beach.......................... better yet you better join me...............

**Chicken Caprese Sandwich**

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1- 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
2 garlic cloves, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
Twelve 1/2-inch-thick chicken breast cutlets (2 1/2 pounds)
6 ciabatta rolls, split
Six 1/3-inch-thick slices of fresh mozzarella
6 large basil leaves (optional)

In a large bowl, whisk 1/4 cup of the olive oil with the lemon zest, lemon juice, thyme, garlic and a generous pinch each of salt and pepper. Spoon 1- 1/2 tablespoons of the mixture into a medium bowl, add the tomatoes and turn to coat. Add the chicken to the large bowl and turn to coat. Let the tomatoes and chicken stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Light a grill. Brush the rolls with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and grill over high heat until golden. Add the chicken to the grill, season with salt and pepper and grill over high heat, turning once, until cooked through and lightly charred, about 6 minutes. Place the chicken on the rolls and top with the mozzarella, tomato and basil. Spoon any tomato juices on the top half of the bun, close the sandwiches and serve.

You are reading this post on More Than Burnt Toast at http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author/owner of More Than Burnt Toast. All rights reserved by Valerie Harrison.
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39 comments:

  1. ...so how did the sandwich get to be fronting the sea? Photoshop? I'm actually not familiar with Taste & Create so I'm going to have to go there and check it out. Stay warm...and happy holidays!

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  2. A great sandwich! Really scrumptious!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  3. This looks so comforting & good. We are having a snow storm and would love to feel the warm sun.

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  4. One of my favorites. Why have I never added chicken to it???

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  5. Val, why yes, I am familiar with that particular type of fantasy...mine is on the Big Island of Hawaii, I'm laying on white sand, while Piko, the beach waiter, brings me drinks!
    Alas...no Piko...just snow and the garage truck driver!
    But that summerish sandwich sure helps my craving for the smell of basil in a balmy breeze!

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  6. My goodness, does that look yummy! I am two weeks into my AeroGarden herb garden and when my home grown basil is big enough, this just might be my first dish.

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  7. Oh yes, I need one of these sandwiches right now. And a beer, of course, after all - I am Canadian too!

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  8. Oh man, you had me totally believing you were on the beach! I think I'll mentally join you there! And while we are there together, could you please oh please oh please make one of these sandwiches for me? I'll do all the clean up! YUM!

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  9. Looks so delicious! I love this recipe :) I could use a little getaway myself!

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  10. I'll bring along some spritzers, and we'll have a great time! :)

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  11. I love caprese sandwiches!

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  12. If you look closely at the photo the sandwich is in front of a calendar...yes even my calendars have photos of Greece.
    Nothing but snow here ladies and gents as well. The roads were treacherous today!!
    Piko can be my waiter as well Catherine while we're sipping back cactus juice.
    Lucky you growing your own basil this time of the year Terri.
    Yes a nice tall cold glass of Kokanee would go well Natashya!!
    Yes I'll make you a sammie Paula if you make me a Bellini!!!!Susan is joining us with the spritzers!!

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  13. I want to go to Greece, too! Caprese sandwich... take me away.

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  14. This looks seriuosly good Val! I can almost taste it, sitting on the beach, getting sand in my sandwich. Yeah that would be my luck!

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  15. This is my kinda sandwich!!!

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  16. gosh what a delicious looking sandwich! thanks for sharing, i look forward to trying this.

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  17. You know with my love of everything Caprese, I'm going to have to make this.

    How did you get so many links to this post? I see about 10.

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  18. No sand in our sandwiches Bunny...we have Ivy's Tupperware.
    I'm not sure how the links get there Psychgrad. I think that readers link themselves to each post.

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  19. What a lovely breathtaking view Val. I dream of being up there enjoying your Caprese sandwich.

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  20. What a delicious looking sandwich, Valli! It reminds me of a warm summer day!

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  21. Lovely sandwich and I love the picture too!
    Just wish I was there right now instead of all this rain and cold weather!

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  22. It sounds delish! For a moment there, I was on a sun-filled beach with warm breezes running through my rapidly thinning hair! I'm not ready to give up winter yet though, but check back with me on Jan 2. I'll definitely be ready then!

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  23. Wanted to stop in and say hi!

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  24. HAHAHAHA! I have to tell you I started reading and I got green with envy! I thought you really had skipped off to Greece. It's freezing here and I would love to go where that photo is from.

    The sandwich looks yummy!

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  25. This is sooo innovative! I want this right now.

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  26. I'm mixing the margueritas and taking the pitcher on the plan - as the crow flies, I should be there in 5 hours or so. Just keep that vision alive and the sandwich is perfect.

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  27. Great sandwich, though I am not sure Paris winter tomatoes will taste as good as the ones you used!

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  28. That's an amazing picture! Pity you really weren't at the beach!! It's hot and muggy here with rain almost every day and sometimes I wish we had winter here in Malaysia... sometimes.

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  29. good try, val. for a millisecond, i felt a bit of a warm breeze, but alas--it was just my space warmer. :)
    lovely sammich--easy and quick and still delightful.

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  30. That's a lovely taste of summer! I love the beautiful "scenery" in the photo. :)

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  31. Great photo! :-)

    For a moment I felt like I was on a warm, sunny beach too! (Don't I wish!) This sandwich brings back feelings of all things summer. Thank you---I needed that today (my toes are freezing).

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  32. Oh I DO love these little mini-breaks. I'll be right on that beach next to you! I'm ready for my chicken caprese sarnie and a nice glass of wine. MMMmmmm!

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  33. Did an Italian toss the Caprese across the Ionian Sea? I wish I was in Greece too and I've yet to visit Zakynthos and the Navagio site.

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  34. For a minute I thought you were really there...I wanted you to be! The sandwich and the sea are perfecto.

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  35. I'm stepping into your bubble with you Val...how delightful. LOVE LOVE LOVE the sandwich & I always look forward to your Taste & Create posts. I've recently planted some thyme which is just beginning to peep out of my pot. This is bookmarked for the inaugural 'crop' as I shall proudly call it (if & when the leaves grow).xoxoxo Thanks for sharing the warm wafts of breeze!!

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  36. I really thought you were enjoying a vacation, sitting on the beach, listening to the sound of the waves, and soaking up the warm rays of the sun, then reality hit. I love the places your imagination can take you to. :)

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  37. Val, your sandwich looks lovely.

    We do not experience extreme cold in our parts of the UK, but it is definitely colder than previous years for this time of the year...festive wishes to you and your family :-)

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  38. Mmmm, your sandwich sounds heavenly & so summery! I have yet to register for Taste & Create - every month I say I must, but never get that far. Maybe this will be the month...

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  39. I made this tonight without the bread. Delicious! Thanks!

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Welcome to my home. Thank you for choosing to stay a while and for sharing our lives through food. I appreciate all your support, comments, suggestions, and daily encouragement.

Val

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