Healthy Monte Cristo Chicken

By Joanne Lusted

Serves 4

4 x 6oz boneless, skinless Yorkshire Valley Farms Organic chicken breasts, butterflied or pounded ½ inch thick
1 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
⅓ cup organic egg whites
1 whole large organic egg
2 tbsp skim milk
Ground cayenne pepper, to taste
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
8 slices whole-grain bread
2 cups baby arugula leaves
1 sweet, crunchy apple, thinly sliced
4 x 1oz slices low-fat Swiss cheese
Olive oil cooking spray

In a small bowl, season chicken with 1 tsp oil, thyme, salt and black pepper.
Heat a large nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Mist with cooking spray, add chicken and sauté until light golden at edges and fully cooked throughout, about 4 minutes per side. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a shallow dish, whisk together egg whites, egg and milk. Season with salt, black pepper and cayenne. Set aside.
Spread about 1 tsp (adjust to taste) Dijon mustard on 1 side of each bread slice and place, Dijon-side-up, onto a flat work surface. Layer equal parts arugula, apple and cooked chicken onto 4 slices of bread. Top each stack with 1 slice cheese and another slice of bread, Dijon-side-down, pressing gently.
Heat a large non-stick sauté pan over medium heat. Mist with cooking spray.
Using a spatula, carefully dip 1 side of a sandwich into egg mixture (egg mixture should go about halfway up the bread slice when immersed). With your hand on the top of the sandwich and spatula underneath, carefully flip to immerse the other side in egg, then gently transfer to hot pan.
Sauté sandwich, turning once, until golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan; repeat with remaining sandwiches, misting pan with cooking spray as needed. Cut sandwiches in half and serve immediately.