1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, room temperature
3 to 4 tablespoons chili sauce to taste
4 (10 inch size) tortillas
2 cups finely shredded cucumber, cabbage, or lettuce
4 cups cooked turkey, shredded
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 small can sliced ripe olives, drained

Put cream cheese in a bowl with chili sauce and mash together, tasting and adding more chili sauce to taste.
Lay the tortillas out on a work surface and spread 1/4 of the cream cheese mixture evenly onto 1 side of each tortilla.
Spoon 1/4 of the cucumber, turkey, onions, cilantro, and olives onto each tortilla.
Roll tortilla up tightly to enclose filling. Cut each in half and serve.
Makes 8 single serving wraps.
Make dipping sauce of cilantro, sour cream, and chili sauce if desired.

In a food processor, put the ham and pulse until finely minced.
Put in a bowl and add the remaining ingredients; taste and season as desired.
Spread mixture on bread, bun, or crackers for a quick lunch or dinner on a busy shopping day after the holidays.

Ingredients:
4 small chicken breasts, skin removed and boneless
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
4 tsp red pesto sauce
¾ cup grated cheese of your choice
8 cherry tomatoes, cut in half

Instructions:
Beat the chicken breasts with a rolling pin to flatten them.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and cook the chicken breasts for a few minutes each side, until they turn brown. Remove the chicken from the pan and, with a paper towel, clean out the remaining oil in the pan. Arrange the chicken breasts in the pan and spread 1 tsp of pesto onto each breast. Top with tomatoes and sprinkle with cheese. Place under a hot grill and cook until the cheese has melted.

Serve immediately with a tossed salad and crusty bread or a plateful of green vegetables, such as broccoli or green beans.

Put coleslaw in a colander to drain out any excess liquid, then put in bowl.
Put tomato salsa in colander to drain out liquid, then put in bowl with coleslaw.
Toss together and add salt and pepper to taste.
Arrange rolls, cut side up, on working surface and divide turkey evenly between the two.
Spoon the coleslaw-salsa mixture on top of the turkey and put the top of the roll on top.
Serve immediately or wrap tightly.

photo credit: stevendepolo

1 1/2 lb. large round or oval hearty French bread
1/4 c. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, grated
3 large tomatoes, sliced thin
1/2 lb. assorted sliced luncheon meat
3 oz. sliced pepperoni or salami
1/4 lb. assorted sliced cheeses
6 oz. marinated artichoke hearts, drained
2 1/4 oz. sliced black olives, drained
2 to 3 large dill pickles, sliced lengthwise
1 mild sweet onion, sliced thin

Cut bread in half horizontally. Hollow out the soft bread from both sections, leaving 1/2 to 3/4 inch shell.
In small bowl, mix the olive oil and garlic together, then brush the insides of the bread with the mixture.
To assemble sandwiches: Layer a third of the tomato slices on the bottom bread, then top with alternate layers of meats, pepperoni, cheeses, half the remaining tomatoes, artichoke hearts, olives, pickles, and onion. Finish with the remaining tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste, then put the top on.
Press down and seal tightly with plastic wrap or foil. Refrigerate.
To serve, cut into sandwich size segments.

3 cups fresh lemon juice
1/2 to 1 whole habanero chile, chopped (a whole chili will be ultra-hot)
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 cup mayonnaise
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 small red onion, finely diced
1 large stalk celery, finely diced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 (8 ounce) tuna steaks
Olive oil
8 slices hearty bread (Italian, French, ciabatta, or country white)
Watercress

In a small saucepan, pour the 3 cups of lemon juice, and put over medium high heat; bring it to a boil and cook until liquid is reduced to 1/2 cup; remove and let cool slightly.
In your blender, pour the reduced lemon juice, habanero chili, lemon zest, and mayonnaise and blend until smooth; season with salt and pepper, taste and adjust as desired; then pour mixture into large bowl and add the onions, celery, and parsley; set aside.
Heat grill to high.
Drizzle olive oil over tuna, coating lightly, then season with salt and pepper, flip and repeat.
When grill is hot, put tuna on grill and cook 3 minutes, flip and cook 3 more minutes, making sure you have good charred marks on both sides; you want the tuna to be done medium.
Remove from grill and let rest for 5 minutes before flaking or chopping.
Add the flaked tuna to the lemon/mayonnaise mixture and gently toss together until tuna is coated well.
Make sandwiches by dividing the tuna evenly between 4 slices of bread, then topping each with watercress, then covering each with remaining 4 slices.

photo credit: 21TonGiant

photo credit: woodleywonderworks

2 Tbsp mayonnaise
2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 small eggplant, cut into eight 1/2 inch thick slices
1/2 tsp garlic salt
8 slices hearty bread
8 thin slices fresh mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup jarred sliced roasted red peppers
4 thin slices sweet onion

Set your grill to medium-high heat and allow to preheat.
Put mayonnaise and basil in a small bowl and mix to blend.
Brush 1 tablespoon oil on both sides of eggplant and sprinkle with garlic salt.
Brush remaining 1 tablespoon oil on one side of each slice of bread.
Put the eggplant on grill and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, flip, then top with mozzarella cheese; continue grilling until the cheese is melted and the eggplant is cooked, about 3 to 4 minutes more.
Add the bread slices to the grill and toast on both sides, about 1 or 2 minutes per side.
To assemble sandwiches: Spread basil mayonnaise on just four slices of the toasted bread.
Put a cheesy eggplant slice, red peppers, and onions on, then top with remaining bread slices.
Serve warm right off the grill.

Put kidney beans in a bowl with cold fresh water and let soak for 4 to 5 hours.
In a large saucepan, put soaked beans, uncooked quinoa, and water over medium heat, bringing just to a boil, turning heat immediately to very low, and simmer, covered for 20 to 30 minutes or until the kidney beans are tender and water is absorbed; remove from heat and let cool.
Once cooled to room temperature, put kidney bean and quinoa mixture into a bowl, then add all the remaining ingredients.
Using a pastry cutter or potato masher, start mashing mixture together until it has the consistency of hamburger.
In a large heavy skillet, heat a little frying oil over medium heat.
Form patties out of mixture, packing firmly.
Set patties in skillet and fry until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side.
Serve on buns with condiments as you would any burger, or alongside a salad.

1 medium beefsteak tomato
1 small red onion
1 avocado
2 lemons, one juiced, one cut in wedges
2 Tbsp sour cream
1 Tbsp mayonnaise
salt and pepper
1/2 lb smoked salmon, thinly sliced
4 medium size hard rolls
Romaine lettuce leaves

Slice the tomato and the onion into thin circles, set aside.
Halve the avocado, removing pit and skin, setting half the avocado in a bowl and slice the other half into thin wedges.
To the avocado in the bowl, add most of the lemon juice (sprinkling the remaining amount over the sliced avocado wedges), sour cream and mayonnaise. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Cut the rolls in half and lay out on a work surface.
Spread the avocado-mayo mixture on each cut side of rolls.
Put the sandwiches together in these layers: lettuce, tomato, onion, smoked salmon, avocado wedges.
Put top half of roll on and serve immediately or wrap tightly for transport to picnic.
Include lemon wedges in with each sandwich for garnish and extra lemon juice on avocado slices if desired.

2 ripe avocados
1 large lemon, juiced
1 drop Tabasco
1 dash salt
1 French baguette
1 pound sliced smoked turkey
6 ounces Gouda cheese, thinly sliced
8 slices good bacon, cooked until just crisp
2 large Beefsteak tomatoes, sliced
16 large arugula leaves

Put the avocado insides into a bowl, add the lemon juice, drop Tabasco, and dash of salt, and mash until smooth and spreadable.
Cut the baguette in half lengthwise and spread avocado mixture on both inside halves of bread.
Arrange the sandwich ingredients evenly over one half of the baguette, then top with other half.
You can wrap this as is to transport to picnic. Just bring a large serrated knife to cut into serving size.
Or, cut ahead of time and wrap each sandwich serving individually.