Apple chicken sliders

Posted by Cait Duffy, Director of Communication on Feb 13, 2013. Filed under Cait's Cookin'.

Lunch is a special break for those in the academic world. Throughout primary education, children and teens count down the seconds until they can step away from the classroom and enjoy conversation over tater tots and bologna sandwiches. In college, it’s much the same, though a quick run to Subway or a pre-made sandwich from Triton’s Pub replaced, at least for myself, mom’s prepared concoctions.

But what happens when all you want is a sandwich, and the crisply toasted submarine roll is likely to do more damage, rather than provide nourishment.

Apple chicken sliders. (photo by Cait Duffy)

Creativity.

Similar to the more popular Paleo diet, where individuals swear off anything our primordial ancestors couldn’t gather themselves, the Specific Carbohydrate Diet calls for its followers to avoid consuming most all grains, starches, preservatives, fillers and improperly processed dairy goods. In the United States world of corporate food, this eliminates the majority of goods found in any grocery store or distributed by a chain brand.

As a result, any easy sandwich ingredients are forbidden, but especially the bread that holds it all together. After experimenting with different methods of arrangement and substitutes, I was finally able to create myself a sandwich guaranteed to do no harm.

Though the sandwiches themselves are tiny, one good-sized apple can produce 3-4, a perfect amount for a fully filling lunch. The natural sugars and proteins will provide healthy energy that should help any academic finish their afternoon courses off well.

Ingredients:

1 large Red Delicious apple

Brie cheese

1 chicken breast

Lettuce or spinach leaves

Olive oil

Cinnamon

Directions:

1. After rinsing the chicken breast, slice it into 1/4 inch wide strips, no more than 2 inches long.

2. Heat olive oil in a stovetop frying pan on medium-high heat.

3. Cook the chicken strips in the olive oil for approximately 5 minutes on each side, until cooked thoroughly.

4. Preheat toaster or convection oven to 400 degrees F.

5. Slice apple horizontally into 1/4 inch wide slices. Slice out the center of the slice to remove any bits of seeds or the core that you do not want to eat.

6. On a cooking sheet covered with aluminum foil, place the apple slices side by side.

7. Place cooked chicken strips and slices of brie on half of the apple slices, leaving the other half bare.

8. Place in oven and bake for 5 minutes or until cheese has fully melted.

9. Add lettuce or spinach to the brie and chicken, then place uncovered slices on top of the mix.

10. Sprinkle with cinnamon, and enjoy!

Pro-tip: To save time cooking chicken myself, I purchase a cooked rotisserie chicken for the week. When I am cooking the chicken, jerk seasoning adds a fuller-bodied kick to the overall flavor of the sandwich.

Posted by Cait Duffy, Director of Communication on Feb 13, 2013. Filed under Cait's Cookin'. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry