I enjoyed a pre-wedding lunch on Saturday. My dear friend Liz and her girlfriend Martina were set to wed at 4:30 pm, but it was snowing at noon, and over lunch we worked on risk management in case the worst happened and Atlanta became paralyzed by our inability to handle icy weather. After what turned out to be some uneccesary handwringing, the wedding (and afterparty at 10 Pin Alley) went off gorgeously!
A small detail of this lovely day was that the pre-wedding luncheon was at Vickery’s in Midtown. I don’t like Reubens (the sandwich, not the painter or the comedian*) so I don’t know why I even read the description. Vickery’s version is a grilled chicken breast smothered in cheese, cabbage, and onion, on a kaiser roll. Pretty much not a Reuben. I loved it. It’s a good way to get some cruciferous veggies. I adapted it as follows:
Makes: 1 Fake Cuban Reuben
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1 flour tortilla
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Grilled chicken breast, cut in slices (I used leftovers, flavored with garlic and cumin before cooking) How much? How much do you want on your Reuben? That much.
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Jarlsberg cheese, finely grated
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3/4 cup shredded cabbage (I mixed purple and green)
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3-4 finely sliced rings vidalia onion
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1 tsp olive oil
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1 tb parmesan peppercorn dressing (I use Ken’s)
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a tiny amount of butter
Heat the olive oil in a small skillet. Toss the cabbage and onion over medium high heat with a little salt until just beginning to wilt. While you’re doing that, put some cheese on the tortilla and microwave for 15 to 30 seconds, just to soften. If the chicken needs warming, hit it with about 15 seconds in the microwave. Dump the cabbage and onions onto the tortilla, followed by the chicken, salad dressing, and a few drops of hot sauce (optional). Put a bit of butter in the pan, or you can just coast on the residual olive oil for the last step: Fold the tortilla in half (good luck with this part!) and fry for a few seconds on each side, to get a little crispy crunch going.
I think the next time, I’ll try a few crushed red pepper flakes in the cabbage instead of the hot sauce.
*Yeah, yeah, I can spell. Just go with it.
