Chicken and Black Bean Sandwich

Chicken Sandwich With Black Beans and Avocado
Modified recipe from MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN (of the New York Times)

1/4 cup cooked black beans (you can use canned but homemade will taste better)
1 whole wheat sandwich thin
1/4 ripe medium avocado, sliced thin
Salt to taste
Lime or lemon juice to taste
A generous handful of dark lettuce, arugula, or spinach
1 teaspoon vinegar (sherry, white wine or red wine)
1 ounce shredded cooked chicken breas
1 small tomato, sliced

1. Mash the black beans, and make sure they’re well seasoned. Spread over the top and bottom halves of the sandwich thin. Layer the avocado over the beans on the bottom half, and sprinkle with salt and lime juice to taste. Top the avocado slices with the chicken. Toss the salad greens with the vinegar and additional lime/lemon juice until thoroughly coated, and pile on top of the chicken. Top with a layer of sliced tomatoes (a few leaves of lettuce on top of the tomato will keep the top of sandwich from getting soggy. Press down and wrap the sandwich tightly in plastic wrap. If possible, allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes, or for several hours in the refrigerator, before eating.

Advance preparation: This will keep for a day in the refrigerator.

Tri-tip sandwiches

Another man-pleasin' meal. Although this is about the only shredded beef (or any beef) sandwich I truly think is delicious! Sooo simple. 

tri-tip roast (triangle roast, sirloin roast)*
Lawry's auj jus seasoning packet
water

For every ~2 lbs of roast add 1 packet of auj jus and 2 cups water to crock pot.
Cook on high for ~6 hours or low ~8-10 hours.
Take beef out, shred. Meat should fall apart easily with a fork.
Ladle off extra fat from liquid (or use gravy separator). Use liquid for dipping.

Eat with kaiser rolls, avocado slices, tomato, lettuce, provolone cheese (or any combination).

*I have no idea what kind of roast I've purchased in the past. Sometimes I find sirloin, sometimes I don't. You want to make sure the meat is well-marbled (fatty) to keep it moist & tasty. If there's a thick layer of fat on one side, just remove that before shredding. I spoon some juice onto the meat/bread as well as dip.

BBQ chicken sandwich + buttermilk slaw

easy. messy. tasty. man-pleasin'. and woman pleasin', too. brandon told me he loved me several times while eating this sandwich. he may have even yelped. (from cook's country)

4 chicken breasts (1.5 lbs)
salt & pepper
3 TB unsalted butter
3/4 C BBQ sauce
1/2 C plus 1 TB cider vinegar
1 TB hot sauce
1/2 C mayonnaise
1/2 C buttermilk
1 (16 oz) bag coleslaw mix
hamburger buns

melt butter in large skillet over med-high. salt & pepper chicken breasts and add to skillet. cook until lightly browned. stir in BBQ sauce, 1/2 C vinegar, and hot sauce. bring to boil. reduce heat to med-low and simmer, covered, until chicken is cooked through (flip halfway through). transfer chicken to a plate, tent with foil to keep warm simmer sauce until thickened.

whisk mayo, buttermilk, 1 TB vinegar in bowl. add coleslaw and mix to combine. season with s & p.

shred chicken and add back to skillet, toss with the sauce. serve on buns topped with coleslaw.