My. Current. Favorite. Sandwich.

One of the yoga teachers I follow through and through, Jason Crandell, has always referred to Warrior II pose in class with the following quote: “If you’re thinking about what kind of sandwich you’re going to have for lunch today, you probably need to deepen the pose”.

Well. It’s hard to think about anything else for lunch this hot-Texas-June-summer when the tomatoes are ripe and I want to eat anything and everything with basil! It reminds me of several summers I have traveled in Europe, particularly, Italy, along the Ligurian coast, where pesto and focaccia (with cheese) is their specialty. It was the freshest sandwich – fresh bread, fresh pesto, fresh mozzarella, warm and toasted…and then I ditched my backpack on the rocks and jumped in the ocean after I ate it. I had a moment where I thought, “what I have been doing my entire life if not this?!” I enjoyed my way through Italy, as most people do, with the food.

THIS sandwich is my version recreated for our summer caprese-themed lunches and dinners (we enjoy it for dinner all summer, it hits the spot and we don’t have to turn on the oven!)

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Caprese Pesto Chicken Sandwich

Serves: 1

Total time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• olive oil
• (2 slices) ciabatta
• (1 TB) butter
• (1/4 tsp) garlic powder
• (1 TB) pesto
• (3 oz, or 1-2) cooked chicken breast tenders, thin-sliced or halved horizontally
• (2 oz) fresh mozzarella, sliced
• (1/2) Roma or vine-ripened tomato, sliced
• fresh basil leaves, torn
• (1 TB) balsamic glaze

Directions:

1. Heat a skillet over low-medium heat. Prepare the ciabatta by spreading the buter on the outside of both slices. Sprinkle the garlic powder on the buttered sides, flip the bread, and spread the pesto on the inside of one ciabatta slice. Lay the sliced mozzarella and the chicken on top of the pesto, and top with the ciabatta. Place the sandwich in the middle of the hot skillet. Drizzle the olive oil in the skillet next to the sandwich, lay in the tomato slices to heat up and soften, and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Cook for about 3-5 minutes uncovered until the bottom is golden, and then flip and cook the other side.
2. Remove the sandwich from the hot skillet and stuff with the softened tomatoes and fresh basil leaves. Drizzle with balsamic glaze.

Enjoy friends! And I hope you make it to Italy one day for a really fresh caprese!

Xx, Paris