I've had these interesting-looking sandwiches on my radar for a while now. I just keep having bread and no turkey or turkey but no bread. I finally managed to have both together though, so I took the opportunity to try this slightly luxurious lunch offering.

Turkey Melts with Pickled Apples

Slightly adapted from Cook's Country February/March 2021

Ingredients

• 1 c. cider vinegar
• 5 Tbsp. honey, divided
• 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1 apple
• 1/2 c. mayonnaise, divided
• 2 Tbsp. Roman mustard
• 2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary (or 1 tsp. dried)¹
• 8 slices bread
• 8 slices cheese (cheddar, Swiss, or a mix)
• ~400g sliced turkey (preferably smoked)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F).
2. Core and halve or quarter the apple, then slice thin.
3. Combine vinegar, 1/4 c. of the honey, and the salt and bring to a boil².
4. Remove from heat, add the apple, and let stand for 5 minutes.
5. Drain³ the apple and set aside.
6. Whisk 1/4 c. of the mayo with the mustard, rosemary, and remaining 1 Tbsp. of honey.
7. Spread 1 side of each slice of bread with the remaining 1/4 c. of mayo.
8. Place the bread mayo-side down on a baking sheet and spread with the honey-mustard mixture (you may not need all of it).
9. Place a slice of cheese on top of 4 of the bread slices and top with ~100g of turkey.
10. Divide the pickled apple amongst the 4 sandwiches, then top with remaining cheese and bread (with mayo side facing out/up and the honey-mustard side facing in/down).
11. Bake at 220°C (425°F) for 8-10 minutes, flip, return to oven and bake for another 5-8 minutes.
12. Serve with carrot sticks and/or a soup⁴ or salad of your choice.

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¹ Whoops! Just realized that I completely missed the rosemary in mine! Didn't even see it in the ingredient list until just now. Oh well... it was still delicious. But I do think it would've been even better with a bit of rosemary in the sauce. ^Back
2 The Cook's Country folks have you do this in the microwave, but, having done it that way this time, I think I'd actually prefer doing it on the stovetop in the future. Use whichever method works best for you. ^Back
3 The brine can be reused once or twice more. The ATK folks also recommend that it makes a good base for a vinegarette and that they often serve these sandwiches with a green salad. I didn't have any salad greens handy, so TF just reheated the brine, added a few more apples to it, and stuck it in the fridge for now. We've been using them to make more sandwiches when we need a quick lunch fix. Maybe I'll try using it for a salad dressing once the apples run out... ^Back
4 I think a soup featuring white beans, pumpkin, or butternut squash would go particularly well with these sandwiches. ^Back

I was going to have soft-boiled eggs and toast for breakfast this morning, but I changed my mind at the last minute. I decided to just hard-boil a whole bunch of eggs and make a zesty egg salad out of them. I mostly followed the Cook's Country recipe for this, but I swapped in a mix of reduced-fat mayo and fat-free Greek yogurt for the regular mayo, swapped the Tabasco sauce for sriracha, used scallions instead of chives, and added a few capers.

I didn't have any celery on hand this time 'round, so I just left it out, but I'd highly recommend adding it in if available.

Deviled Egg Salad

Adapted from Cook's Country December/January 2020

Ingredients

• 8 large eggs, hard-boiled and peeled
• 2 Tbsp. 1/2-fat mayo
• 2 Tbsp. fat-free Greek yogurt
• 1-2 tsp. Roman mustard (or Dijon mustard)
• 1-2 tsp. sriracha
• 1/4 c. chopped dill pickle
• 1 rib of celery, chopped
• 1-2 green onions, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. capers, minced
• 1/4 tsp. black peppercorns, ground

Directions

1. Chop the eggs with a potato masher or pastry cutter.
2. Add the mayo, yogurt, mustard, sriracha, pickle, celery, green onion, capers, and pepper and stir to combine.
3. Serve on bread or in lettuce wraps.

Veggie Sandwiches & Protein Salad Plate

I'm sick and I'm tired, but between the two of us TF and I actually managed to throw together a reasonably healthy, quick, and easy dinner this evening. The sandwich recipe came from... somewhere on the web... PopSugar maybe? And the salad is basically a copycat of my lunch at the Boathouse last week.

Veggie Sandwich
2 slices bread (I used a nice sprouted whole grain, but use whatever you enjoy)
2 Tbsp. hummus (I'd use a bit more next time)
2-3 slices of tomato
9-10 slices cucumber
~1/2 a carrot, grated
~1/4 of an avocado, sliced
alfalfa sprouts (if you have them; we didn't so we went without)

1. Toast your bread.
2. Spread 1 Tbsp. (or more) of hummus on each slice of toast.
3. Pile on the veg and close the sandwich.

Next time I might try adding a Tbsp. or so of tzatziki if I have any on hand. A little bit of cheese might also be nice. This is one situation in which I might make a case for a nice thin slice of "American" cheese or mild-medium Cheddar.

Another interesting variation might be swapping out the tomato for thinly sliced apple or pear and adding a bit of blue cheese. I'm thinking a nice Honey Crisp apple or Anjou pear would work well here.

Protein Salad Plate
2 handfuls mixed greens
1/4 red bell pepper, chopped
1 radish, sliced thin
6-8 slices cucumber
1/2 carrot, grated (optional)
2-4 Tbsp. vinaigrette (to taste)
2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
1 tin tuna, drained
1-2 Tbsp. mayonaise
5-10 grinds black pepper

1. Combine all the veg, add the dressing, and toss.
2. Stir mayo and pepper into tuna
3. Place sliced eggs and tuna on top of salad and serve.

Cuban Sandwiches with a Twist

Based on the Pork Cutlet Cuban Sandwich recipe card from the most recent issue of Cook's Country, but we subbed out the ham for bacon.

Cuban Sandwiches with a Twist
Slightly adapted from Cook's Country December/January 2015/2016
4-8 slices bacon
4 pork chops, trimmed/de-boned
pepper, to taste
3/4 c. orange juice
1/2 c. chopped dill pickle
I forget how much yellow mustard
4 kaiser rolls
8 slices swiss cheese
1 c. chopped cilantro

1. Fry bacon.
2. Remove bacon from pan and fry pork chops, seasoning to taste.
3. Remove pork chops from pan and add orange juice. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until syrupy.
4. Remove from heat and stir in pickle and mustard.
5. Lightly toast kaiser rolls.
6. Add 1-2 slices of bacon to the bottom of each roll. Add a slice of cheese to the top and bottom of each roll. Continue to toast until cheese is melt-y.
7. Top each roll bottom with a pork chop. Spread 1/4 of the sauce over each chop. Sprinkle with cilantro and cap with the cheesy roll top.

Basil-Apricot Chicken Salad

This was so good! Although I think it could've used even more basil. Still, very tasty and extremely easy! Thank you once again, Cook's Country.

Basil-Apricot Chicken Salad
Slightly adapted from Cook's Country August/September 2015
3/4 c. mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 shallot, minced
1/4-1/2 c. fresh basil, chopped
1/2 c. dried apricots, chopped
1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 (900g) rotisserie chicken
1 head red or green leaf lettuce

1. Combine everything but chicken and lettuce in a large bowl.
2. Separate the skin and the bones from the meat of the chicken. Shred the meat and add it to the bowl. Stir to combine.
3. Put a few lettuce leaves on each plate. Spoon some of the chicken mixture onto the lettuce. Drizzle with a little olive oil if desired. (I didn't feel it needed the extra oil.)

Shrimp Wraps with Mango Salsa

Quick easy lunch or light dinner.

Shrimp Wraps with Mango Salsa
Adapted from Cook's Country
Heaping 1/2 c. frozen mango chunks, chopped smaller
1/2 onion, minced
1/4 c. fresh cilantro, minced
Juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
1 tsp. coarse sea salt, divided
1 tsp. black pepper, divided
3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
400g jumbo shrimp (21-30/lb.), peeled and deveined
2 tsp. chili powder
1 head green leaf lettuce

1. Combine mango, onion, cilantro, lime juice, jalapeño, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, and 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a bowl. Set aside.
2. Chop shrimp into chunks (roughly thirds). Toss with chili powder and remaining salt and pepper.
3. Heat oil in skillet and add shrimp. Cook over medium-high heat until shrimp is done (about 4 mintues).
4. Spoon shrimp into lettuce leaves (you should have enough for about 4 wraps). Top with mango salsa. Roll up like a burrito and enjoy!

Tuna Salad Sandwiches (with Eggs, Radishes, and Capers)

Yet another Cook's Country pick. I modified the recipe slightly, and I would make a few more tweaks next time. Nice change from your bog standard tuna salad for lunch or a light dinner though.

Tuna Salad Sandwiches
Slightly adapted from Cook's Country April/May 2015
1 onion, minced
6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided
3 cans low-sodium solid white albacore tuna in water
2 ribs celery, minced
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
3 radishes, halved and sliced thin
2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced thin
1/4 c. capers, rinsed and minced
4 slices bread, toasted

1. Combine onion and 2 Tbsp. olive oil. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes.
2. Drain tuna well and pat dry. Break up with a fork.
3. Combine tuna and all remaining ingredients with softened onion. Adjust seasoning to taste.
4. Assemble your sandwiches! Serve with a nice salad on the side and enjoy!

Breakfast Pizza

This is a recipe from Cook's Country magazine, which we've been cooking out of a lot. It's called "breakfast pizza", but it's fairly involved, so we made it for lunch instead.

The recipe as written calls for doing it in a baking pan, but we have a pizza stone and decided to use that instead. This also meant some changes to timing; as written, the original recipe calls for pre-browning the crust, then removing it from the oven, adding the toppings, and cooking it again.

Pictures to come once I find them. I'd swear that we photographed it...

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 6 slices bacon, cooked until just crisp
• 2 C shredded mozarella cheese
• ½ C fresh grated parmesan
• ½ C small-curd cottage cheese
• ¼ tsp dried oregano
• salt, pepper, and cayenne
• 1 lb pizza dough
• 6 large eggs
• 2 scallions, sliced thin
• 2 tbsp minced fresh chives

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 500°F with pizza stone inside.
2. Prepare toppings:
1. Cook bacon until just crisp and crumble into a bowl.
2. Mix mozarella and parmesan in another bowl.
3. In a third bowl, combine cottage cheese, oregano, a pinch of cayenne, ¼ tsp ground black pepper, and olive oil.
3. Roll out dough. Transfer to pizza peel.
4. Spread with cottage cheese mixture. Sprinkle bacon evenly over top.
5. Sprinkle mozarella mix evenly, then make six wells, one for each egg. Arrange them as you see fit for the shape of your pizza -- for a round pizza, 5-6 wells surrounding a central one works well. Season with salt and pepper, but do not add the eggs yet or they will go everywhere when you transfer to the pizza stone.
6. Open the oven, transfer the pizza to the pizza stone, then crack an egg into each well.
7. Cook until the crust is browned and the eggs are set to your taste, 10-15 minutes.
8. Remove, let cool, sprinkle with scallions and chives, slice, and eat.

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Cherry-Asparagus Panini

Yet another find from Spache's fabulous blog! I made a few modifications based on my own preferences and what I had on hand, but it's still her recipe at the core. It's somewhat involved for a sandwich, but very tasty if you're willing to put the effort in.

Balsamic Cherry-Asparagus Panini
1 c. pitted sweet cherries, chopped
3 Tbsp. pomegranate balsamic vinegar
zest of 1 large lemon
6 asparagus spears, shaved (with vegetable peeler)
2 Tbsp. fresh mint, chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
2 Tbsp. almond oil
2 long multigrain buns (or 1 baguette, cut in half)
Brie
fresh mozzarella
salt and pepper
~1 Tbsp. melted butter

1. Combine cherries, vinegar, and lemon zest. Add salt and pepper to taste.
2. Toss asparagus, mint, and basil with almond oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Cover the bottom half of each bun with pieces of Brie. (Make sure to leave the rind on for maximum delicious!)
4. Cover the top half of each bun with thick slices of mozzarella.
5. Slather the mozzarella with the cherry mixture and top the Brie with the herbed and oiled shaved asparagus.
6. Now, very carefully, combine the sandwich halves.
7. Brush the outside of the buns with the melted butter and grill/press until the inside gets deliciously melt-y and the outside gets deliciously toast-y. (If you have an electric panini press, use that, set to 350F. If you're doing this stovetop, I recommend cooking on medium-low.)

So much tasty!