Chicken And Portabella Baguette

Total Time: 45 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 large red bell pepper, roasted and seeded (capsicum)
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
• 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, plus
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3/4 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
• 2 large portabella mushrooms, stemmed, brushed clean and halved
• 1 whole-grain baguette, cut crosswise into 4 sections, each about 6 inches long
• 4 butter lettuce leaves (boston)
• 1 tomato, thinly sliced

Recipe

• 1 chop the roasted bell pepper coarsely.
• 2 in a blender or food processor, combine the roasted pepper, shallot, walnuts, 1 tablespoon of the vinegar, the mustard, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper.
• 3 pulse a few times to puree and set aside.
• 4 in a large, nonstick frying pan, heat 1 1/2 teaspoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat.
• 5 season the chicken breasts with the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
• 6 add the chicken to the pan and cook, turning once, until lightly browned on both sides and no longer pink on the inside (170 f if using a food thermometer), 3 to 4 minutes on each side.
• 7 transfer to a cutting board and let cool.
• 8 thinly slice the chicken lengthwise into strips.
• 9 in the same frying pan, heat the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat.
• 10 add the mushrooms and saute, turning frequently, until well browned, 7 to 9 minutes.
• 11 remove from the heat and drizzle with the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar.
• 12 using a serrated knife, split the baguette sections in half lengthwise.
• 13 spread about 1 tablespoon red pepper mixture on both halves of each baguette section.
• 14 to assemble a sandwich, place 1 mushroom half on the bottom half of a baguette section.
• 15 top with 1/4 of the chicken, a lettuce leaf, and 1 or 2 tomato slices.
• 16 close the sandwich with the top half of the baguette section, and slice in half.
• 17 repeat to make 3 more sandwiches, and then serve.
• 18 if making ahead, omit the red pepper mixture, wrap the sandwiches in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
• 19 spread the red pepper mixture on the baguettes just before serving.