Mini Open Faced Turkey Avocado Sandwiches

Mini Open Faced Turkey Avocado Sandwiches

with Havarti cheese, cucumber and roasted red pepper mayo

Mini Open Faced Turkey Avocado Sandwiches

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

French baguette bread, approx. 6-8 slices

Smoked turkey deli meat, cut into rectangles

Havarti cheese, cut into rectangles

Cucumber, peeled and cut with Mandoline slicer

1 Avocado from Mexico, sliced

4-5 Tablespoons mayo

7 oz. Cento roasted red peppers

Red pepper flakes for seasoning

Don't forget to jazz it up with red pepper flakes or fresh black pepper!

Directions:

1.     Puree roasted red peppers and mix in with the mayo.

2.     Slice baguette bread, turkey meat, cheese, avocado and cucumber.

3.     Spread the roasted red pepper mayo on each baguette.

4.     First layer with cheese, then a few slices of turkey, two slices of avocado and last, cucumbers slice.

5.     Season to your liking with red pepper flakes or fresh black pepper.

6.     Enjoy every single bite!

These little mini turkey bad boys are fresh, healthy and abso-freaking-lutely delicious!

Close-up view of the mini open faced turkey avocado sandwiches.. YUM.

Ready to devour these cuties. Be back later.

Monday's lunch got me all inspired after hearing about Chef’s Roll's March Madness style competition leading up to the Final Four. Their “Avocado Madness”, sponsored by Avocados From Mexico, is starting on March 1st with a line-up of 64 chefs who will develop avocado-inspired recipes through a possible 6 rounds of competition. Each week only half will make it through to the next round until there are only four remaining.  From those finalists, two will be selected to travel to San Diego for a live head-to-head competition on April 11th, 2016 where the final contestants will create an avocado-inspired menu in front of the city’s best chefs and culinary press for a chance to win some amazing prizes. Eeeek!

Since my friends have been encouraging me to venture more into the cooking world, and after seeing this contest with a serious passion for avocados, I figured why the heck not?! So here you have it folks. First round's an avocado-inspired sandwich/wrap recipe, so for preparation today, I made mini open faced turkey avocado sandwiches with Havarti cheese, sliced cucumber, roasted red pepper mayo, sprinkled with red pepper flakes. I've been making this for years and usually I just do a regular sandwich with all the same ingredients but I wanted to create something more aesthetically pleasing to the eye. And this would be a killer hors d'oeuvre /appetizer for a lunch/dinner party. I'm digging this open faced sandwiches' versatility! What do you guys think? I'm ready to hork these bad boys down, stat!

Wishing everyone a great week! Check y'all later! 😉

Love & xx's,

Meisterdish

Incredibly easy dinner meal kits delivered on-demand, no subscription.

Everything is prepped, Meisterdish saves time in the kitchen for us busy New Yorkers!

Cherry, kale & walnut salad with radicchio, Pecorino cheese and pumpkin seeds. Yum!

Cherry, Kale & Walnut Salad with Lavender Steak on Pearl Couscous from Meisterdish in NYC.

This past week I tried out Meisterdish — incredibly easy dinner meal kits for New Yorkers delivered on-demand, no subscription. You can choose from a daily menu curated by top chefs. I went for the cherry, kale and walnut salad with radicchio, Pecorino cheese and pumpkin seeds as the starter and then for the main course; a lavender steak on a beet-reduction pearl couscous with green beans, leeks and cashew nut. Can I just say that I've never had lavender spice with steak and HOLY MOLY is it off the chain! And the beet juice rendered into the couscous was absolutely delicious. I'm still dreaming about it! 😊

I really love how the ingredients come washed, prepped and chopped, where I've heard mixed reviews on Blue Apron's prep time. Why bother getting a dinner meal kit when you have to do all the work to begin with? Sort of defeats the purpose, in my opinion, but with Meisterdish you can complete a complete, savory meal in 15 minutes! They've got a killer Korean bulgogi meal up this week but note that their menu changes on a daily basis, which was the only little thing I hope they'll be able to fluctuate in the future.

As a New Yorker who is crazy in love with cooking & food, my crazy schedule tends to make it nearly impossible to cook dinner every night. I don't even have time to prep in advance like some of my friends do! This is such a terrific option for those busy nights where you literally have only twenty minutes to whip something up in the kitchen. And no subscription required is definitely a plus in my book! I will definitely be trying Meisterdish again soon. If you're in New York City and into Blue Apron, I strongly recommend trying Meisterdish!

Get 50% OFF your first order by going HERE! Have a nice weekend, everyone. ❤️❤️❤️

Love & xx's,

My Favorite Breakfast

Avocado, I love you. 💚

For the longest time, when it came to what I ate first thing in the morning, I only opted for coffee & cigarettes. I love sandwiches but before you mistaken me for Joey from F.R.I.E.N.D.S, what I love even more is open-faced sandwiches. And what seals the deal? A-V-O-C-A-D-O. I love avocado like a fat kid love cake! It goes well with so many different types of food but the combination I'm most crazy for is eggs and avocado. It's my favorite go-to breakfast on a daily basis.

Not only do I love the creamy, rich taste and texture of avocados, I'm also really down with the benefits of eating them. Did you know avocados have more potassium than bananas? Avocados are also a good source of monounsaturated fatty acids (my favorite source for healthy fat), and they have a low sugar content. They are also rich in fiber and are a good source of energy and contain a number of essential vitamins and minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, copper, manganese, phosphorus and zinc. They've also been known for lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels, preventing cancer and even aiding in the relief of arthritis! These green gems are packed with nutrients and may even help you lose weight.

Close-up of the avocado and egg open-faced sandwich. Yum!

The combination of egg and avocado is simply sublime. But my favorite way to cook eggs are sunny side up eggs. That or over-easy, or even poached. Heck, who am I kidding... I love eggs. Period. To go with my favorite brekkie, I always sprinkle some red pepper flakes to give the sandwich an extra zing to the dish. Since I also love spicy foods, I also eat this sandwich with either hot sauce or salsa (depending on what's in the fridge). It's such a party in your mouth!

Nothing like a glass of OJ to help wash it down! So refreshing, mmmm! :)

I am a huge coffee drinker but I've limited it to only one cup per day. So with my meal, I usually accompany it with a glass of orange juice or sometimes if I feel like being extra healthy, I'll do a green/fruit smoothie. I'll go this route after a strenuous run or training session with MaQ. What's your favorite kind of drink in the morning besides coffee? How many cups do you (truthfully) have per day? 😉

Salsa, salsa, salsa! 💃

And what did you have for breakfast today? What's your favorite, quick and easy recipe for the morning? I'm so glad to break bad habits. For the longest time I wouldn't even eat in the morning, as coffee and cigs do not count! Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and I truly feel the benefits of packing in some fuel to get my day going. Got questions about my favorite open-faced sandwich? Feel free to comment below, I always love hearing from other fellow bloggers and foodie lovers! Have a great Tuesday, everyone! 😘

Open-faced sandwich with egg and avocado. Yum!

Love & xx's,

Korean-Style Pork Belly Nachos

Well, that title was a mouthful. And deservingly so! I came across this recipe while looking for a smacking good-ass recipe for the Super Bowl on Sunday. Initially I was going to cook kalbi (galbi) but I wanted to infuse a classic American football munchie snack into something partly Korean. That's where I ran into this article on Buzzfeed and DUDE. It. Is. Splendidly. Delish! The flavors are insane! I can assure you, anyone to scarf down on these bad boys will be your new best friends as you've made their life complete. An instant touchdown! Did I mention it's in a cast-iron skillet? The Lodge cast iron is one of my favorite pans to cook in.

Korean-Style Pork Belly Nachos

Serves 4-6

Korean-Style Pork Belly Nachos

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of pork belly, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
  
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp. red pepper powder
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• ⅓ cup + ¼ cup kimchi juice
• Tortilla chips
• Cheddar
• Monterey Jack
• Chopped kimchee
• Red onions
• Tomatoes
• Scallions
• ⅓ cup sour cream

Directions:

Combine pork belly slices with garlic, soy sauce, red pepper powder, honey, and ⅓ cup kimchi juice. Mix until the pork belly is coated in red. Pan-fry pork belly until fat has rendered and crispy.

Assemble your nachos. In a skillet, lay down a layer of tortilla chips, sprinkle on the cheeses, add chopped kimchi, toss on the cooked pork belly, top with some chopped red onions. Repeat.

Melt the cheeses under the broiler until crispy and bubbly. Mix together the sour cream and remaining ¼ cup kimchi juice and drizzle on top of the nachos.

K-Style pork belly nachos: Get. In. My. Belly. STAT!

These are the prettiest nachos I've ever made!

If you're a fan of pork belly like myself, make sure to get the meat nice and crispy. There's nothing sadder than soggy pork belly! The trick is not to cook the entire pound of meat all at once. Divide the meat into smaller portions when cooking it, that way giving the marinade and pork belly enough room to be cooked properly. I cooked mine just a knob above medium heat, because I like it really crispy. :)

And that sour cream kimchi sauce is OUT. OF. THIS. WORLD. I swear I could put this sauce on anything and it'd taste superb! That's like a fried foodie junkie saying, "I love anything fried. You could fry carpet and I'd eat it." Ha ha ha! But seriously, the combination of the dairy with the tangy juice from the kimchi is excellent and just the perfect complement to this dish. Are you ready for some football?!

What's everyone making this Sunday? Are you a football lover? I'm not really into the game itself, but I adore the ads/commercials and the live performances during halftime. I'm actually really excited to see Coldplay play as this will be their first appearance at a Super Bowl. Plus, Beyonce and Bruno Mars will also be performing, so I've got a pretty good feeling that this halftime show will be awesome! Who are you excited to see perform?

I'm such a girl that I didn't even know who was playing in the Super Bowl until just now when I looked it up! :X In which case, whichever team you are rooting for, whether it's the Panthers or Broncos, have fun, be safe and let the good times roll! Hope y'all have a very nice and cozy weekend. 🏈❤️🏈❤️🏈

Love & xx's,

Daktoritang (Korean Spicy Chicken Stew)

During the winter season, I love a warm, hearty bowl of comfort food. My girlfriend has been asking for my recipe of daktoritang, a Korean spicy chicken stew and ever since we chatted about it, I've been craving for it like mad! It's a quick and easy recipe, one of those 'throw it all in a pot' and 'sit back and relax' type of meals. Takes only about an hour total to make! Such a yummy dinner for any night of the week.

Perfect for any chicken lover, you can adjust the spiciness according to your taste.

Daktoritang 닭도리탕 (Korean Spicy Chicken Stew)

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

A hearty Korean chicken stew with rice.

Sushi rice

2 ½ pounds chicken thighs

2 large potatoes, cut into large chunks

2 carrots, chopped into ½ inch pieces

1 large onion, cut into 8 chunks

4 cloves garlic, crushed

¼ cup water

½ cup soy sauce

 2 tbsp white sugar

3-4 generous tbsp gochujang/Korean hot pepper paste

(adjust based on how spicy you want it!)

Directions

1.       Mix chicken, potatoes, carrots, onion and garlic in a large pot over medium heat

2.       Pour in water and soy sauce

3.       Mix in sugar and pepper paste and bring to a boil

4.       Reduce to low and simmer covered, for 45 minutes until chicken is cooked through and veggies are tender.

5.       Serve with sushi rice.

Close-up of daktoritang, a Korean Spicy Chicken Stew I made for tonight. Delicious!

Cooked in gochujang (a Korean fermented red chili paste) along with vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, and onions, it's a real hit for spicy lovers but what I love about this dish is the ability to be able to alter the hotness of the sauce. Growing up I remember seeing four different pots over the stove, straight up from Goldilocks, when my mother made this. One was extra spicy, one was regularly spiced, the third was mildly spiced, and the littlest pot was for, well, you know how the rest of this goes...

Anyone hungry? Winner-winner, chicken dinner! Don't forget to download the recipe above!

I love it spicy so I usually put in 4 heaping spoonfuls of gochujang in, however, if you would like it on the milder side, I'd recommend a generous 2 tablespoons for it. As for the chicken, you can use any part of the meat, just as long as it's close to 2.5 pounds. I really like chicken thighs, so I used boneless ones for this recipe.

Chicken stew, where are you? You're about to get in my belly, that's where! ;)

You can get gochujang at any Asian market. They're also available online at Amazon and other similar places. If you have more questions about this stew, please comment below. I am always happy to hear and answer questions from my readers. You guys rock! TGIF and hope everyone has a nice weekend! Have a good one. :)

Daktoritang 닭도리탕 (Korean Spicy Chicken Stew) Photos © Suzanne Spiegoski

Love & xx's