Vietnamese Chicken Sandwiches

• 1 (12-ounce) French bread baguette
• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 1 pound chicken cutlets
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic, divided
• 1 tablespoon lower-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons hoisin sauce
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 1 cup matchstick-cut carrots
• 1 cup very thinly sliced radishes
• 2 cups thinly sliced English cucumber
• 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
• 1 tablespoon Sriracha (hot chile sauce, such as Huy Fong)

1. Cut bread in half horizontally; hollow out, leaving a 1-inch-thick shell.
2. Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with pepper. Saute 3 minutes on each side or until done. Let stand 10 minutes. Slice chicken; toss with 1 teaspoon garlic.
3. Combine remaining 1 teaspoon garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, and hoisin in a bowl; add chicken. Toss. Combine sugar and vinegar in a small saucepan; cook until sugar dissolves. Add carrot and radishes. Cool; drain, reserving 2 tablespoons vinegar mixture.
4. Arrange cucumber and lettuce on bottom half of bread; drizzle with vinegar mixture. Top with chicken, radish mixture, cilantro, Sriracha, and bread top. Cut into 4 equal portions.
5. If you like fresh basil, try Tuscan Pesto Chicken Panini: Prepare Vietnamese Chicken Sandwiches through step 2, substituting 8 ounces ciabatta bread for the baguette (do not hollow out bread) and sprinkling 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt on chicken with the black pepper. Combine 1 cup basil, 1 tablespoon chopped garlic, 1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts, 1 table-spoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon water, 1/4 -teaspoon black pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt in a mini food processor, and pulse until finely chopped. Cut a peeled roasted red bell pepper into quarters; discard seeds and -membranes. Arrange pepper quarters on -bottom half of bread. Top with 2 (1-ounce) slices provolone cheese and sliced chicken. Spread basil mixture on cut side of top half of bread; place on sandwich. Cut sandwich crosswise into 4 equal portions. Serves 4 Calories 391; Fat 8g (sat 4g); Sodium 793mg
6. If you like pickles, try Pressed Cuban-Style Sandwiches: Prepare Vietnamese Chicken Sandwiches through step 2, substituting 8 ounces Cuban bread for baguette (do not hollow out bread) and sprinkling 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt on chicken with pepper. Spread 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard over bottom half of bread; top with 1 ounce shredded Havarti cheese (about 1/4 cup), 1 ounce lower-sodium sliced ham, and chicken. Sprinkle chicken with 2 tablespoons chopped spicy kosher dill pickle; cover with top half of bread. Return pan to medium heat; coat with cooking spray. Add sandwich to pan; top with another heavy skillet to weigh down. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until toasted. Cut sandwich crosswise into 4 equal portions. Serves 4 Calories 315; Fat 9g (sat 5g); Sodium 761mg
7. If you like avocado, try Chicken-Avocado Club Sandwiches: Prepare Vietnamese Chicken Sandwiches through step 2, substituting 12 slices toasted thin wheat bread for -baguette (do not hollow out bread), substituting cooking spray for oil, and sprinkling 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt on chicken with pepper. Combine 1 cup mashed avocado, 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, 2 teaspoons canola mayonnaise, and 2 slices cooked crumbled bacon. Divide avocado mixture evenly among 8 bread slices. Spread 1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard over 1 side of remaining 4 bread slices. Top each mustard-topped bread slice with 1 Bibb lettuce leaf and 2 plum tomato slices; sprinkle evenly with 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Divide half of chicken among sandwiches; top each with 1 avocado-topped bread slice. Repeat layers. Serves 4 Calories 404; Fat 7g (sat 8g); Sodium 561mg

bread, canola oil, chicken cutlets, black pepper, garlic, lower, dark sesame oil, hoisin sauce, sugar, rice vinegar, matchstick, very, cucumber, romaine lettuce, cilantro, sriracha

Taken from www.myrecipes.com/recipe/vietnamese-chicken-sandwiches-0 (may not work)