balsamic chicken sandwich. with peach jam & brandied onions.

The weather has been absolutely glorious in Maine over the past week.  We are truly having that mid-summer weather.  Jediah, the pups & I have been frequenting the pebbly beaches of the Sandy River everyday. Usually this time of year it is getting shallow & basically, un-refreshing.  Not so this year, with all the rain we had earlier this summer it is simply lovely.  Stay posted for some photos of our eatings & adventures.

This recipe is based on a longing for a Thanksgiving left-overs sandwich.  I wanted to use ingredients that represented the season, while still embodying a homey, left-overs deliciousness.  Luckily, this recipe fulfilled my expectations!  The chicken, jam & onions can be made ahead & eaten cold or room temperature.

balsamic chicken sandwich with peach jam & brandied onions.

serves 4

for the chicken:

1 lb. boneless free-range chicken breast, cut into strips

1 cup balsamic vinaigrette (I use Newman's Own)

sea salt & cracked pepper

1. Marinate for a hour or up to overnight.
2. Preheat a grill or a pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle with a little olive oil & cook chicken strips for 4 minutes per-side.  Remove & set aside.

for the peach jam:

1 peach, chopped

2 TBL organic sugar

1 tsp brandy

a pinch of sea salt

1. Add ingredients into a pan over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium & continue to cook for about 7 minutes. Using a potato masher, smash the peaches until the big lumps are gone.
2. Turn off heat, put in a jar to cool.  The jam can last up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator (if it lasts that long!).

 for the brandied onions:

1 red onion, thinly sliced

a glug of olive oil

1 TBL brandy

sea salt & cracked pepper

1. In a small pan, heat the oil over medium heat & add the onion slices.  Add the salt & pepper; cook for 6-7 minutes stirring often.
2. Add the brandy & continue to cook until the alcohol is absorbed, about 2-3 minutes.  Take off heat & set aside.

for assembling:

1 loaf of bread from the bakery (I used French bread), sliced

Vegenaise or your favorite mayonnaise

head of lettuce (Boston or green/red leaf would work)

1. Lay out the slices of bread.  Spread the jam on one side & Vegenaise on the other.  On top of the jam, add the chicken, onion, then the lettuce. Viola!

happy eatings & cheers!