Roasted Chicken Salad with Tarragon

Tea Sandwiches

To make these dainty sandwiches, purchase very thinly sliced bread and freeze an hour or two before handling.  Keep fillings at room temperature for easier spreading. Spread the filling all the way to the edges them trim and discard all the crusts. Use a serrated blade for neat trimming and cutting. If making sandwiches in advance, lightly spread with butter to keep the bread from becoming soggy. Cut the bread with cookie cutters for different shapes. Cover with a damp cloth until ready to serve.

Roasting the chicken breast takes a little more time, but is worth it for these delicious chicken salad sandwiches. Make ahead to allow the flavors to blend.

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/2 cup fresh herbs (thyme, parsley, lemon grass, marjoram, rosemary, and sage)
1 onion, thinly sliced
juice of 1 lemon
pepper

1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2  cup red onion; chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 TBSP. finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves
1TBSP. whole grain mustard
1/3 cup lite mayo
salt to taste
Whole grain bread cut into circles
Red lettuce

Roasting the chicken: Spray a shallow roasting dish with cooking oil spray. Layer the bottom with thinly sliced onions, 1/2 cup fresh herbs (combination of your choice). Lay chicken breasts on top and squeeze the juice of one lemon over the chicken. Pepper to taste. Roast uncovered for 35 minutes at 375 degrees or until a meat thermometer reaches 165 degrees.

Cool and chop for salad.

Making the salad: Combine the chopped chicken with the remaining ingredients. Salt to taste and then chill overnight to let flavors blend. Place 1-2 tablespoons of chicken salad in the middle of one bread circle and cover with a second; gently press down to distribute the chicken salad. Place the sandwiches on a tray and lay red lettuce leaves around the sandwiches.