Chickpea salad sandwich!

http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/vegetarian-lunch-chickpea-of-the-sea-114022

When I ate meat, used to always do chicken salad sandwiches. Perfect!

I'm making pannukakku (dutch baby) with goat cheese and honey plus a salad. Super simple but I look like a friggin genius when I bring out an amazing-looking custardy crispy poofy thing. And it's delish.

http://erinskitchen.blogspot.com/2006/07/breakfast-with-grandma-pannu-kakku.html

I usually do this in a 10-inch cast iron skillet. This isn't the recipe I use but it's a good example. I always let the batter rest for at least 10 minutes after mixing. The recipe is really versatile and makes a great pallet for sweet or savory flavors. Or both!

My friend hosted a Mother's Day brunch last weekend and used my recipe for chicken salad. She said it was a hit, so perhaps it would be for others. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts or 10-12 chicken tenderloins
1 Tbsp. whole juniper berries
1 Tbsp. whole black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
4 cups (1 quart) chicken stock
4-6 sprigs fresh rosemary
½ cup olive oil (extra virgin not necessary—use an oil good for frying)
3-4 scallions (green onions), chopped
1 cup mayonnaise (honestly, reduced fat is fine here)
½ cup sour cream (full fat works better, but light would be okay)
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Bring stock to a simmer in a large skillet or pot. Add juniper berries, peppercorns, and bay leaves to stock. Gently place chicken into stock, taking care not to splash yourself.

2. Poach chicken in stock until cooked through, about 10 minutes for tenderloins, about 15-20 minutes for breasts. Remove from stock, discard berries, peppercorns, and bay leaves that may have clung to chicken, and let cool slightly.

3. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a frying pan (in about a 10 inch pan) on medium high heat until oil is hot. Add rosemary springs to pan. Rosemary should pop and sizzle in the oil if the oil is at the right temperature. Fry each sprig about 1-2 minutes, then carefully flip each sprig over with tongs and fry the second side. Fry each sprig until the green is a bit more muted than when it was fresh, and rosemary starts to become crisp. Remove from oil, and drain on a paper towel.

4. Chop chicken into small bite-sized pieces. In a large bowl, combine chicken, scallions, mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Hold sprigs of rosemary over bowl, and gently run your fingers down the sprig, letting the leaves fall into the bowl. It is okay to crush the leaves some, so you don’t have to be extra gentle. You just don’t want to break the stem and leave it in the bowl. Once the rosemary has been added, toss the chicken salad gently to evenly distribute rosemary.

Can be made up to 2 days in advance.

Serve with crackers, on hearty toasted bread, or with vegetable crudité. Can also be used as a filling for baked pastry puffs like puff pastry pouches or good old crescent rolls. Also goes great with homemade pita chips or as a tea sandwich filling. If desired, add a handful of dried cranberries.

A good homemade chicken salad would be lovely with a fresh fruit salad and some crusty bread.

Quiche is another good option, you can prep ahead a bit and just pop it in the oven the next day.

In my house, the traditional family gathering lunch is usually a sandwich board, with several meats, cheeses, and breads available. Everyone makes their own sandwiches, but with fancier ingredients than the usual weekday sandwich. Some veggies and dip on the side and maybe a homemade cookie for desert. It always feels like a treat.
You could use this same idea with salads too, have assorted veggies and toppings available, and a few dressings.

Soup is another option. A nice asparagus soup would be lovely this time of year, a few crostini and a nice salad and you have a lovely lunch.