Mediterranean Chicken Sandwiches

Photo: flickr user stevendepolo

Ingredients

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Juice of 1 lemon

4 (4-oz) boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 (4') squares focaccia bread

1/4 cup prepared pesto sauce

4 ounces block feta cheese

2 mediums tomatoes, thinly sliced

1 small cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced

4 romaine lettuce leaves

Preparation

To prepare chicken: Combine salt, pepper and lemon juice in medium bowl. Add chicken breasts and coat. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium high heat.

Add chicken; cook 8 minutes per side, or until done. Remove from pan and cool.

Cut chicken diagonally into 1/4 inch slices.

To assemble sandwiches: Split bread squares in half. Scoop some bread out of each square to make room for filling. Spread top and bottom of bread with 1 tablespoon pesto. Layer bottom with remaining ingredients in order: (1-ounce)

Slice of feta, cucumber, four ounces sliced chicken, tomato, lettuce. Cover with top half of focaccia. Press down on each sandwich to compact fillings.

Refrigerate until ready to pack in cooler.

MEDYAS - Aromatic Filled Squash

"Sephardic Jews in Israel have come from many lands, although their place of origin was Spain.

From each country of their sojourn, they took on local nuances of cooking. Thus the summer squash (zucchini, vegetable marrow), which was even a Biblical favorite, takes on many different flavors."

2 lb baby squash2 slices white bread1 cup ground meat1/2 tsp cinnamonsalt and pepper to taste1 tbsp flour1 egg diluted with 1 tbsp wateroil for fryingjuice of 1 lemon1 tbsp sugarwater to cover

Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Moisten the bread and squeeze dry. Mix the bread with the meat and add spice and seasoning. Put the mixture into the hollowed-out squash. Dip the filled marrows first in flour and then in the diluted egg. Fry the squash on the meat side only. Put into a shallow casserole and sprinkle with the lemon juice and sugar. Just cover with water. Cook gently until squashes are tender and most of the sauce is absorbed

(35 to 40 minutes).

Serves 4 to 6 [[Spike would use lemon pepper for the seasoning.]]