Chicken and Bread Panzanella

Chicken and Bread Panzanella

WOW. Sorry for the delay, my friends... it's been a whirlwind of a summer so far. For the past four weekends in a row, I have been out of town. I am definitely ready for some starfishing time at home (if you are unaware of what this is, see here). I love being out and about and doing stuff, but as a 23 year old poor professional, eating out constantly definitely makes a dent in my budget. My mom is away on vacation, so I am watching her house in Oakland right now. Though she moved into her new house in October, she still doesn't have simple things like... olive oil, salt, pepper... things that are pretty necessary to make dinner with. I finally sucked it up and cooked at her place without her there, paying for all the supplies. 

My three best friends from college came over, and we had ladies night. I mean LAY-DAY night. Wine, a plethora of cheese, gossip, magazines, and some real TLC from three girls who know me best. Sometimes, you just need to let loose and hang with your pals. It's been far too long since this happened, and it's about time. Maybe my head won't thank me in the morning, but my tummy and heart certainly thank me tonight. 

As much as I promised myself that I wouldn't have tomatoes in my next recipe, I apologize. It happened again. And if you still don't like tomatoes, then I suggest you just... I don't know. Just go on hiatus from the blog until I stop? Your problem, not mine.

This recipe is from the current Real Simple magazine.

Ingredients:

8 ounces cubed bread of your choice (I roughly shred this with my hands)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Salt and black pepper

6 cups baby arugula

2 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded (we use our hands)

8 oz torn fresh mozzarella

1 cup roasted red peppers, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped 

Directions:

1. Toss 8 ounces cubed bread with 2 tablespoons olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet

2. Toast at 350 degrees until crisp, 14-16 minutes

3. Meanwhile, roast a large red bell pepper over an open flame, on high heat. The purpose is to blacken the whole pepper, so don't worry when it starts to turn jet black. Turn it over as you need to, to cook the entire pepper. When it is completely black, take it off the flame and let it cool down. The black skin will peel off, so shed the black layer in your sink or trash. If you need help, feel free to do this under running water. If the pepper is not completely black, it will be much harder to peel. Seriously, cook the shit out of this sucker.

4. Whisk together 1/2 cup olive oil and 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar; season with salt and black pepper

4. Toss with the bread, 6 cups baby arugula, 2 cups sliced rotisserie chicken, 8 ounces torn fresh mozzarella, and 1 cup sliced roasted red peppers

Boom.