Pesto Chicken Sandwiches

This is a longtime favorite. It can be composed entirely of store-bought shortcuts – though I strongly recommend roasting your own peppers rather than buying the jarred kind. If you make a big batch of pesto or roast a whole tray of peppers – save ’em up in the freezer (pre-portioned) to make this meal easy for your future self.

To serve 4:

• 1 lb roasted or grilled chicken breast meat, sliced
• 2 red bell peppers, or jarred roasted red peppers
• 1/2 c pesto
• Mayonnaise
• Sliced provolone cheese
• Ciabatta rolls or sourdough sandwich bread

Preheat oven to 425. Place whole bell peppers on a baking sheet (lined with foil for easy cleanup) and roast, checking and turning every 10 minutes, until skin is well-browned and blistered on all sides and peppers are very soft. Place in a heatproof bowl, tightly covered, to let them cool for awhile. Then the skins will peel off easily. Remove the seeds and slice into strips. (Save the liquid if storing the peppers – you can pour liquid over them to keep them out of the air.)

To assemble sandwiches: Stir enough mayonnaise into the pesto to make a thick spread. Lightly toast your bread, then spread pesto on and add a slice of cheese. Return to toaster oven (or regular oven, 350) to melt the cheese. Then layer on the chicken and peppers.

Carrot “Fries”
Not crispy like fries, but still quite delicious.

• 1.5 lbs carrots (4-6 medium)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil or ghee
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cumin

Preheat oven to 425. Cut carrots into uniform sticks, about 1/2″ thick. Toss with olive oil or melted ghee, sprinkle with salt and cumin and toss again. Spread in an even layer on a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes or until tender and browned.