Smoky Chicken Hummus Melts with Peppers

Steps

1. Prep first: slice the chicken breast into thin cutlets, mince the garlic, slice the red bell pepper and shred the mozzarella. Divide the garlic in half, the salt into one third and two thirds, and the olive oil into a quarter, a half and a final quarter.
2. Make the hummus: mash the chickpeas well with a fork or potato masher, then stir in the tahini, lemon juice, half of the garlic, one third of the salt, a quarter of the olive oil and the cold water until creamy. Set aside.
3. Season the chicken with the paprika, cumin, oregano, black pepper, the remaining half of the garlic and the remaining two thirds of the salt.
4. Heat half of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken 3 to 4 minutes per side until it reaches 165°F (74°C) inside. Move it to a board, rest 3 minutes, then slice.
5. In the same skillet, cook the red bell pepper 4 to 5 minutes until soft and browned at the edges. Add the spinach and stir 1 minute until just wilted. Transfer to a plate and wipe out the skillet.
6. Brush one side of each bread slice with the last quarter of the olive oil. Turn 4 slices oiled side down and spread each with a quarter of the hummus, then layer on the chicken, peppers and spinach, and the mozzarella. Spread the remaining hummus on the plain sides of the other 4 slices and close the sandwiches, oiled side out.
7. Cook the sandwiches in the skillet over medium-low heat, covered, 3 to 4 minutes per side, pressing gently, until the bread is golden and the mozzarella melts. Cut in half and serve hot.