Cobb Salad Sandwich

Ingredients:
1/3 c. olive oil
1/2 c. blue cheese, crumbled (I don't like blue cheese so I use feta)
2 T. red wine vinegar
1 t. Dijon
salt and pepper to taste
1 turkey tenderloin, lightly coated with oil, seasoned with salt and pepper (you could also use chicken breast)
4 strips sliced bacon
1 loaf focaccia, halved horizontally
2 T. olive oil
2 cups arugula, or spinach
1 avocado, pitted, peeled, sliced
2 tomatoes, sliced
2 hard boiled eggs, sliced

Directions:
Preheat grill.
Whisk 1/3 c. oil, blue cheese, vinegar, Dijon, salt and pepper in a small bowl for the vinaigrette.
Grill tenderloin over high heat, turning occasionally, until it registers 180. About 10 minutes per side. Remove from grill and let rest 5 minutes, then carve across the grain into 1/4" thick slices.
Meanwhile cook bacon until crisp in a skillet.
Brush cut sides of focaccia with 2 T. oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill, cut side down, over low heat until toasted.
Brush focaccia with vinaigrette; toss arugula with 3 T. vinaigrette to coat.
Layer avocado, tomatoes, turkey, eggs, bacon, and arugula on bottom half of focaccia. Drizzle with remaining vinaigrette, top with remaining focaccia, and cut into 6 wedges.

Makes 6 servings. Total time 30 minutes.

Verdict:
I like this sandwich. I like that there are so many variations that you can make. I sometimes exchange the turkey for chicken, the focaccia for french bread, the arugula for spinach, and the blue cheese for feta. The one thing that remains the same is the vinaigrette.

Southwestern Turkey Club

Ingredients:
8 slices of bacon
1 lb. sliced deli turkey
1 ripe avocado, pitted and peeled
2 T. lime juice
1-2 T. pickled jalapeno chiles, chopped
12 slices whole wheat sandwich bread, lightly toasted
1 tomato, thinly sliced

Directions:
Cook bacon in a large skillet until brown and crisp, 6-8 minutes; transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Pour off all but 2 T. rendered fat from skillet.
In a small bowl, mash avocado, lime juice, and chilies with a fork; season with salt and pepper.
Using the rendered fat from the bacon heat turkey in skillet until warmed through.
Spread avocado mixture on one side of each slice of toast. Layer turkey, bacon, tomato, and toast to form four triple decker sandwiches. To serve, skewer with toothpicks; slice in half with a serrated knife.

Makes 4 sandwiches. Total time 20 minutes.

Verdict:
We have eaten these a few times before. We are sandwich fans at our house so this makes a good fast dinner. The kids don't normally eat this (they eat PB&J) but Blake and I really like them. If using the bacon grease to heat up your turkey grosses you out you could omit it. But I won't lie when I say it adds good flavor.

Savory French Toast BLT

Ingredients:
8 slices of bacon
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 c. heavy cream
1/4 c. fresh chives, chopped
coarse salt and pepper
3 T. butter
4 slices crusty bread, cut 1 inch thick
4 lettuce leaves
8 slices of tomato

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. Place bacon on a rimmed baking sheet; cook until golden and crisp, about 15 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through. Drain on paper towels.
Meanwhile, in a large shallow dish, whisk together eggs, cream and chives; season with salt and pepper. Lay bread in a single layer in egg mixture coating on each side. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium. When butter sizzles, add bread and cook until golden and crisp around edges, about 3 minutes per side, flipping once.
To serve, layer lettuce, tomato, and bacon on each slice French toast and sprinkle with chives.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 30 minutes.

Verdict:
When I thought about making this I was under the impression that it was going to rock our world. French toast and BLTs together. What wouldn't be good about this? I was underwhelmed. I like just plain BLTs better and plain French toast. Just not together.

Asparagus and Prosciutto Pasta with Ricotta Mint Pesto

For the bread crumbs:
1/2 c. fresh bread crumbs
2 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. lemon zest, minced

For the pesto:
1 c. fresh mint, packed
1 c. whole milk ricotta cheese
1/4 c. olive oil
3 T. lemon juice
1/3 c. Parmesan, grated
2 T. pine nuts, toasted

For the pasta:
1/2 lb. prosciutto or bacon, diced
1 T. olive oil
1 lb. fresh asparagus, stems trimmed, cut into 3 inch pieces
1/4 c. dry white wine
1 lb. campanelle pasta

Directions:
Toast crumbs in 2 t. oil in a nonstick skillet over med. heat until browned, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in zest, salt, and pepper flakes; set aside.
Process mint, ricotta, 1/4 c. oil, lemon juice, Parmesan, pine nuts, salt and black pepper for the pesto in a food processor; set aside.
Saute prosciutto in 1 T. oil in a skillet until crisp, 3-4 minutes. Remove to a paper-towel-lined plate; set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus and boil 2-3 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer asparagus to a bowl of ice water, then drain.
Saute asparagus in same skillet used for the prosciutto, 5 minutes. Deglaze pan with wine and reduce until evaporated; set aside.
Cook pasta according to package directions in same water used to boil the asparagus. Reserve 1/2 c. pasta water, then drain. Combine pasta with pesto and reserved pasta water in the pasta pot, then transfer to a serving bowl. Top pasta with asparagus, prosciutto, and bread crumb mixture.

Makes 8 cups. Total time 30 minutes.

Verdict:
I changed a couple things about this recipe. First off I used bacon instead of prosciutto. Then I also left out the pine nuts out of the pesto. Pine nuts are just so expensive I couldn't bring myself to buy them. With those changes I still think that it tasted great. I really liked that this was fresh and easy to make. Blake liked it OK. He is not the biggest fan of most herbs so take that with a grain of salt. I am also sure he would have been a bigger fan if it had chicken in it. That is just how he rolls.