Creative Cooks

Avocado Tuna Salad
Prep Time: 2 minutes Total Time: 25 minutes Servings: 6 sandwiches

Ingredients

US
3 (5-ounce) cans tuna in olive oil well-drained
3 tablespoons finely diced celery
3 tablespoons finely diced bread and butter pickles
2 tablespoons finely diced red onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Dressing
1 large ripe avocado divided, see note 1
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup mayo plus more as needed
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
1 teaspoon olive oil
Salt and pepper

Metric
425g tuna in olive oil well-drained
24g finely diced celery
24g finely diced bread and butter pickles
14g finely diced red onion
8g finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Dressing
1 large ripe avocado divided, see note 1
15g lemon juice
80g mayo plus more as needed
5g Dijon-style mustard
5g olive oil
Salt and pepper

Instructions

Thoroughly drain tuna and set aside.
Halve and pit the avocado. Mash 3 tablespoons and add to a large bowl. Dice the rest and set aside. Add lemon juice, mayo, mustard, olive oil, salt, and pepper to the mashed avocado. Whisk until smooth.
Add tuna, celery, pickles, red onion, parsley, and diced avocado to the bowl. Stir gently to combine. Adjust seasoning and add more mayo (1 to 4 tablespoons) if needed.
Enjoy on toasted bread with mayo, in a lettuce wrap, or with pita chips. Best enjoyed immediately, as avocado browns after 1–2 hours.

Recipe Notes
Note 1: Wait until the avocado is fully ripe for the best creaminess and flavor.
Storage: Avocado Tuna Salad is best eaten the same day since the avocado browns over time. Freezing not recommended.

California Melt

Ingredients

4 slices whole-grain bread, lightly toasted
1 avocado, sliced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/3 cup sliced toasted almonds
1 tomato, sliced
4 slices Swiss cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven broiler.
Lay the toasted bread out on a baking sheet. Top each slice of bread with 1/4 of the avocado, mushrooms, almonds, and tomato slices. Top each with a slice of Swiss cheese.
Broil the open-face sandwiches until the cheese melts and begins to bubble, about 2 minutes. Serve the sandwiches warm.

California BLTs
TOTAL TIME: 45 MIN SERVINGS: 4

12 slices of bacon, halved crosswise
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Salt
Pepper
8 slices multigrain sandwich bread, toasted
1 Hass avocado—peeled, pitted and sliced
2 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 medium tomato, thinly sliced
4 small Bibb lettuce leaves
1/2 cup mixed sprouts, such as radish, sunflower and alfalfa

Preheat the oven to 400°. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. For each lattice, weave 6 strips of bacon, 3 in each direction, on the prepared baking sheet.
Set an ovenproof rack upside down on the bacon to keep it flat. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until browned and crisp. Remove the rack, then transfer the bacon lattices to paper towels to drain.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the tarragon and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.
Spread the tarragon mayonnaise on each slice of toast. Arrange the sliced avocado, cucumbers and tomato on 4 slices of the toast and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with the bacon lattices, Bibb leaves and sprouts. Close the sandwiches and serve.

Runzas
Yield: 12 Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the Dough
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon warm water (110-115 degrees F)
1-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
3 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 to 2-1/4 cups bread flour

For the Filling
1 pound ground beef
2 cups chopped cabbage
1/2 cup chopped onion
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Instructions

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add sugar, egg, salt and 1 cup of flour; beat on low speed for about 3 minutes. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl and turn once to coat the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile in a large skillet, cook ground beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add cabbage, onion, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Stir in cheese. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Punch down dough and divide into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a 5-6 inch circle. Top each circle with about 1/4 cup of the filling. Fold dough over to meet in the center and pinch edges to seal.
Place seam-side down on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes. Brush with butter. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Vegetable Hummus Wrap
Prep time 5 mins Total time 5 mins

Ingredients

Spinach Wrap (or wrap of your choice)
Hummus (any flavor will do)
Cucumber, diced
Red pepper, diced
Shredded Carrots
Tomato, diced
Lettuce, shredded

Instructions

Spread hummus evenly on the wrap. Add vegetables and roll.

Notes
You can purchase a bag of lettuce, shredded carrots, 1 cucumber, 1 container of cherry tomatoes, 1 red pepper, and 1 container of hummus and can make 5 wraps out of it with left over carrots, and lettuce.

Grilled Avocado Sandwich
Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 10 minutes Total Time 20 minutes Servings 2

Ingredients

US Customary

1 ripe avocado
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
4 slices sandwich bread
2 tablespoons vegan butter
8 jarred roasted red pepper slices
1/4 cup coconut bacon
1/4 cup baby arugula or spinach

Metric

1 ripe avocado
14.79 ml lime juice
4 g fresh cilantro
1.23 g salt, plus more to taste
4 slices sandwich bread
29.57 g vegan butter
8 jarred roasted red pepper slices
25 g coconut bacon
5 g baby arugula or spinach

Instructions

Mash the avocado in a small bowl using a fork.

Stir in the lime juice, cilantro, and salt. Taste-test the mixture and add more salt if needed.

Place a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat.

Slather one side of each bread slice with butter.

Slather the opposite side of two of the slices with the avocado mash, then top each with roasted red pepper slices, coconut bacon (if using) and arugula or spinach. Close the sandwiches with the remaining bread slices, buttered sides out.

Place one or both sandwiches in the hot skillet (as many as will fit at at time) and cook each sandwich for about 5 minutes on each side, until golden and crispy.

Serve the sandwiches immediately.

Muffuletta Sandwich
Serves 6 Prep time 6 hours, 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 x round crusty loaf of bread (boule, cob or sourdough - about 6" or 15cm diameter)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (can use herb infused oil)
2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
2 to 3 sprigs of fresh oregano (leaves only or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano)
1 tablespoon capers
1/2 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
75g pimento stuffed green olives (cut in half)
4 x slices smoked pork loin (or smoked ham)
6 slices provolone cheese (or provoletta cheese)
8 slices coppa (or salami)
100g mozzarella cheese (cut into thin slices)
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Cling-film, greaseproof paper and string

Note
A Muffuletta Sandwich is a popular sandwich originating among the Italian immigrants in New Orleans, Louisiana, using a Sicilian sesame round bread loaf, it is stuffed with ham, salami, cheese and an olive salad.

Directions

Step 1 Cut the round loaf of bread in half horizontally, and scoop some of the crumb out, to make a hollow. Keep the breadcrumbs for later, I usually freeze them.
Step 2 Drizzle the olive oil inside the bread, top and bottom and season to taste with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Step 3 Start to fill and layer the sandwich as so: sliced tomatoes, oregano leaves, capers, sliced red onions, olives, 2 slices of pork loin or ham, 3 slices of provolone cheese, 4 slices coppa or salami, the mozzarella slices and the remaining 3 slices of provolone cheese and 4 slices of coppa.
Step 4 Place the lid of the sandwich loaf on top, pressing down to make a seal; wrap tightly in cling-film and then in the greaseproof paper tying it all up with string.
Step 5 Place some heavy weights on top of the sandwich and keep it in a cool place, such as the fridge, for up to 6 hours or until you need to serve it. Take the weights off the sandwich and unwrap the sandwich, then slice it to serve in wedges, or in thick slices.
Step 6 This is better if made several hours before serving, or even the night before. Serve with side salad and extra olives and pickles.

Havarti and Arugula Grilled Cheese with Smoky Bacon Jam and Triple Herb Butter
YIELD: SERVES 2

Ingredients:

Bacon jam
1 pound bacon, chopped
1/4 cup diced onion
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons brown sugar (light or dark)
1 cup bourbon
2 cup low-sodium chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoons unsalted butter

Triple herb butter
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon fresh chopped oregano
1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme
1/8 teaspoon salt

Sandwich
4 thick slices Italian or ciabatta bread
12 ounces cold Havarti cheese, sliced
2 cups baby arugula greens

Directions:

Bacon jam
Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat and add the bacon. Cook until the fat is started to render and a few pieces of the bacon are crispy. Stir in the onion, paprika, salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar and cook for another minute or so.

Stream in 3/4 cup bourbon and 1/2 cup of chicken stock, stirring with a wooden spoon to release any bits of flavor from the bottom of the pot. Simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until the liquid has evaporated and the mixture has thickened. Stir in the remaining bourbon and 1 cup of stock, cooking again for 10 more minutes while stirring, until that liquid has evaporated too. Add the last of the chicken stock.

Transfer the mixture to a blender and very carefully, blend until pureed.

Return the mixture to the same pot and cook for another 10 minutes until it has cooked down a bit more and thickened. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Stir in the butter. Let cool completely before scooping into an airtight container and storing in the fridge. I like

Triple herb butter
Whisk ingredients together until combined.

Sandwich
Heat a griddle or skillet over medium-low heat. To assemble the sandwich, spread the inside slices with bacon jam. Top with a few slices of cheese and 1 cup of arugula each. Spread the outsides with the herb butter . Cook until the bread is toasty and golden brown and the cheese is melted. Serve with extra bacon jam.

The Ultimate Vegetarian Club Sandwich
active: 20 mins total: 30 mins Yield: Serves 4 (serving size: 1 sandwich)

Ingredients

1 Japanese eggplant, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
.38 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
.38 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons canola mayonnaise
1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
⅓ cup pitted kalamata olives plus 1 tsp. olive brine
8 (1/4-inch-thick) slices seeded whole-grain bread
½ cup hummus
1 cup roasted red pepper, sliced
1 ripe avocado, peeled and thinly sliced
1 Roma tomato, sliced
2 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 to 1 1/2 cups arugula

Directions

Step 1 - Season eggplant with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Generously coat with cooking spray. Heat a cast-iron grill pan over medium-high. Working in batches, add eggplant, cut sides down, to pan, and grill 2 to 3 minutes, turning 1 or 2 times. Transfer to a plate; let cool.
Step 2 - Stir together mayonnaise, mustard, and horseradish in a small bowl. Set aside. Using a small food processor, whirl the olives and brine into a spreadable puree.
Step 3 - Grill bread directly over a medium flame, turning often, about 1 minute to slightly char the surface and impart a bit of smokiness. Let cool briefly.
Step 4 - Spread about 2 tablespoons hummus on each of 4 bread slices, and top evenly with eggplant, olive puree, roasted red pepper, avocado, tomato, cucumber, and arugula. Spread 1 1/2 teaspoons mayonnaise mixture on each of the remaining 4 bread slices. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and top the sandwiches. If you like, add a little more arugula for bite. Serve sandwiches whole or cut in half.