Well, pigs must be flying because I’ve actually taken some time to create a post that is not just a photo of the day.

When I worked in a Bellevue office building a few years ago, lunch options were not what they are today. Beyond the occasional Thai outing and the even more rare Chipotle visit {because who can eat that many carbs on a regular basis without blowing up…or working out three hours a day?}, my lunch options were really limited to SeaStar or Starbucks. Yes, I suppose I could have packed a lunch, but that would have required planning. SeaStar was great but even eating in the bar was a long commitment. Take out was a great option but sometimes I’d need a quick-grab option – so Starbucks’ tarragon chicken salad sandwich was it. I love all the flavors of this sandwich and have been replicating it at home for years, but with the edition of a dollop of pesto. This is a great recipe to use up leftovers – not only leftover roasted chicken but those last few stalks of celery and pieces of red onion that you have laying around in the fridge. I love mine on a single piece of bread {it’s that carb thing again} with some sprouts or wrapped in lettuce with no bread. It’s also great as a wrap using a whole wheat tortilla, which is a really good option for a packed or on-the-go lunch.

pesto chicken salad sandwich
serves 4

3 cups shredded roast chicken
1 tbsp basil pesto
¾ cup light mayo
1-2 stalks of celery, finely diced
1 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped
2 tbsp craisins, chopped
1 tbsp red onion, finely diced

Combine all ingredients together in a medium bowl. If you’d like, salt and pepper to taste, though I usually skip this. Serve on whole wheat bread with your choice of topping – sprouts, lettuce, spinach. Or spread on a whole wheat tortilla and roll to make a wrap.