Cajun Chicken, Chèvre and Veggie Flute

Did you know there are laws in France that dictate where, when and how bread is made and sold?

I didn’t either, until one of my fellow ex-pat friends told me.

Apparently, the law was passed in 1993 and dictates:

“traditional baguettes have to be made on the premises they're sold and can only be made with four ingredients: wheat flour, water, salt and yeast. They can't be frozen at any stage or contain additives or preservatives.” (http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/)

Once I knew this, it made a lot more sense that the ‘baguettes’ in our local grocery store look, feel and taste slightly different than the ones from the bakery near our house. They’re not made at the store, they’re bigger and much crunchier and they (gasp!) may have been frozen at one point. For these reasons, they’re not actually baguettes, they’re called flutes.

I know – my mind was all quoi?! too.

But a wise playwright once wrote: That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. Hence French bread, by any name, is still French bread and that means they make très beaux sandwiches.

Of course, it takes more than just beautiful bread to make a beautiful sandwich, hence the fun I had assembling the ingredients for a warm, juicy, spicy, strong, crunchy concoction that became the Cajun Chicken, Chèvre and Veggie Flute.

Beautiful fresh ingredients make a beautiful sandwich.

It requires:

-chicken breasts, one for as each sandwiches you make

-Flute (or other such loaf-y bread)

-red and green bell peppers

- Chèvre (which literally means goat, so basically goat cheese)

-greens, such as baby spinach, arugula, mizuna, lettuce, etc.

 -Cajun spice

A flute is a bigger, thicker French loaf. Perfect for this sandwich!

-Olive oil

-fresh ground pepper

Prep:

1-Saute the chicken in olive oil over medium heat.

2-While chicken is cooking, chop up the peppers, slice the chèvre and cut the bread in half lengthwise.

3-Add some Cajun spice to the chicken in the last few minutes of cooking. To check for doneness, cut into the breasts at their thickest. The meat should be white, not pink.

4-Remove chicken from heat and slice lengthwise to thin the meat; it fits better in the loaf this way.

5-Place chicken on the bread, top with chèvre and veggies.

6-Assemble the sandwich and cut in half, if you like.

7-Mangez le sandwich!

Veggies and cheese ready for meat and bread.

What I really enjoy about this sandwich is the variety of flavours and textures: the crunchy, crusty bread, the warm, yet spicy chicken, the strong and smooth cheese and the fresh vegetables. You could also sauté the peppers for another flavour layer; I actually used leftover sautéed peppers and they tasted great.

A word about chèvre: I really love this cheese but it’s strong smelling and has a crumbly texture that’s not for everyone. It really pairs nicely with the Cajun spice on this sandwich but you could substitute it for a mellower cheese, like emmental, if you like.

The Cajun spice is a special blend we picked up at the local market and truth be told, I don’t actually know what’s in it, but the spice man said it’s great for poultry and gives it a Cajun/Louisiana style seasoning. He was right.

For a sandwich that covers all four major French food groups: bread, cheese, meat and veggies, give this one a try! It doesn’t matter if you use a baguette, a flute or a sub, just pack it full of fresh, tasty ingredients and it’s sure to please.

Cajun Chicken, Chèvre and Veggie Flute

Special thanks and credit for this sandwich go out to my fellow Canadian friend Kellen. It's great to have a new friend to talk sandwiches with! 

For more information about French bread, check out these great websites!

http://about-france.com/french-bread.htm

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/how-buy-bread-french-way

An Ode to Whyte Ave and Dadeo's

When you think of Edmonton, what comes to mind?

Cold winters.  The beautiful colours of the River Valley in the fall.  A (losing) hockey team.  The Fringe. And last but not least, Whyte Avenue.

I love Whyte Ave. 

It’s my favorite place in this great city I’ve called home for the past nine years.  I love its vibrant community of local shops.  I love seeking refuge from the harsh winter inside the warm pubs and cafes and taking in the sun from the many patios that pop up in the spring and summer.  I love that I can easily spend an entire afternoon wandering up and down 82 Ave, just window shopping and people watching.  I love the sights and smells of the Old Strathcona Farmer's Market  I love going to live theatre at the Varscona, the Arts Barns and C103. I love that there’s always live music somewhere and that I’ll usually run into someone I know.

Dadeo's: A Whyte Ave institution!

And I love going for lunch or dinner at Dadeo's.

Dadeo’s is the New Orlean’s style diner located between 105 and 106 St and Whyte.  The retro atmosphere of vinyl booths, mini-juke boxes and funky tunes is always upbeat and the Cajun-inspired food never disappoints.  The Po’Boy Sandwiches, especially, are to die-for!

We gathered at Dadeo’s a few nights ago, myself and some friends, tired and excited from our successful dress rehearsal for Orchesis Modern Dance’s Motif 2014.  We’d danced hard all week and were looking forward to some celebratory drinks and their famous Sweet Potato Fries from the comforts of the booths in the back.

“I have to apologize in advance – we are sold out of the Sweet Potato Fries,” announced our server almost immediately. Collective gasp among our group.  The breaded yam fries are the clincher to any meal at Dadeo’s and selling out of them is pure prove of their popularity.  Still, we never thought it could happen to us!

“You’ll just have to try something new!” she said brightly and left us to our menus.  No worries, we soon discovered.  The ample side options - the Coleslaw, Potato Hash and BBQ Beans just to name a few – gave us plenty of alternatives.  We ordered drinks: a mixed round of Cherry Cokes, beer and water to refresh our dancer bodies and settled into the task of deciding on Po’Boys.

All Po'Boy's are $9 on Monday and all day Tuesdays!

I found myself, as always, torn between my two favorites: Pulled Pork or Bayou Burger.  I am still quite often a creature of habit, but if it’s not broke, don’t fix it, right?

“You are not allowed to have either of those two sandwiches,” declared our server when I confessed my inability to choose between my two favorite options.  She did have a point.  By always sticking to my favorites, I was denying myself the chance to experience more of Dadeo’s amazing sandwiches.  It was time to branch out.  My friends offered their suggestions (Blackened Catfish! Philly Cheese Steak!).  Finally, I had a new order.

“Andouilli Sausage then,” I announced.  She nodded approvingly and brought out the requisite appetizer of bite-sized biscuits and sweet jalapeno jelly. Here goes something delicious!

My new Po’Boy was absolutely worth the risk of trying something new!  The thick slices of Andoulli Sausage brought the heat and spice of classic Cajun food and were perfectly balanced out by the tomato sauce and herb mayo.  The Po’Boy baguettes are always soft inside and slightly crispy outside and taste so fresh.  As for my side option, I dug into the chunky, garlicky Potato Hash, a warmed-up version of potato salad, and found it a worthy alternative to the fries.  My one warning - pop some gum or brush your teeth afterwards since the garlic and spice flavors may linger…

Andouilli Sausage Po'Boy. A new favorite!

As with any good meal, the booths fell silent as we devoured our food: an Au Felix Salad for the friend to my left, the Fritters for the one opposite me, and three other kinds of Po’Boys for the rest.  The Cherry Cokes kept flowing, as did the funky tunes that had us grooving in our seats, and the great conversation between those amazing people; my friends from all different backgrounds, brought together through a love of dance and that night, of great food.

Thank you, Dadeo’s for being out of the Sweet Potato Fries and for making me try something new!  That’s something else I love about Whyte Ave – you never know what exactly you’re going to get!

Special thanks to the Old Strathcona Business Association for retweeting this post and then reposting it on their website!  Check it out!