Recipes

Grilled Focaccia with Chicken and Vegetables

Preparation & Cooking Time:
Serves:

Ingredients

You can have a lot of fun customizing this great sandwich for a group. Use any kind of meat, cheese and combination of toppings. This favourite is just one variation.


2 large chicken breast halves, boned and skinned

1 medium onion, thickly sliced

1 red bell pepper

1 large portobello mushroom

1 small zucchini, sliced diagonally

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp pesto sauce

1/4 lb goat cheese, softened

4 sun-dried tomatoes, slivered

2 artichoke hearts, sliced

1 cup alfalfa sprouts


Method

Advance Preparation: Preheat barbecue on HIGH. Lay the whole red pepper on the grill during preheating stage and continue turning until the skin is charred all over. Remove from heat, cool and peel off the charred skin. Remove seeds, ribs and stems and chop coarsely.

Meanwhile, lightly brush the remaining vegetables and then the chicken breasts with olive oil. Reduce heat to LOW, brush grids with olive oil, and place the prepared food on the barbecue. Cook chicken 5 minutes per side or until it just loses any internal pinkness, and grill the vegetables until tender crisp. Remove to a cutting board and let cool. (May be prepared one day in advance to this point).

Slice the chicken into thin slices on the diagonal. Slice the portobello mushrooms, and roughly chop the zucchini. Separate the onion slices into rings. Slice the focaccia bread in half horizontally. Spread the inside of one half with pesto, and the other with the softened goat cheese. Lay the slices of chicken over the pesto, then layer with the grilled vegetables and then the sun-dried tomatoes and the artichokes.

Preheat the barbecue on LOW. Lightly brush the cooking grids with oil, then place the focaccia on the barbecue, turning once after 4 minutes, or until there are light grill marks and the bread is light golden brown. Remove from heat, open the sandwich and sprinkle with alfalfa sprouts. Reassemble and cut into 8 wedges.