Apple & Honey Sandwiches

This year we're hosting Thanksgiving with a small group of friends. Pre-grad school I would have planned the meal by now with a detailed google doc of all the ingredients broken down by recipe and organized a pinterest board of tabletop holiday decor. Ain't nobody got time for that anymore. I'm lucky if I have enough time to make dinner each night and make it to the grocery store. But breaks will happen and the holidays will come and for that I'm thankful. I'm looking forward to taking Friday after turkey day off and to explore the city a bit with a friend whose visiting us from New York. I do know there will be an apple cheddar galette and autumn kale salad.

I've been making these sandwiches all season long this year. The apples make them crispy and juicy with just enough sweetness from the honey and a bit of tang from the brown mustard. The ingredients list is simple, so like Ina would say, use the best you can find. Splurge on some really good cheese, go for the $1.50 a pop honeycrisp apples, and layer on some really good seedy brown mustard. These sandwiches became a post-farmer's market Saturday afternoon tradition back in October for us. They make me want to pack them in a picnic lunch with a big flannel blanket and some chardonnay and go sit outside somewhere and watch the leave change colors. 

Apple & Honey Sandwiches
Makes 2 sandwiches

2 small demi baguettes
2 tablespoons seedy brown mustard
1/2 cup freshly grated gouda
1 large apple (I used honeycrisp)
1 teaspoon honey
flakey sea salt
1 handful arugula

Preheat the oven (or toaster oven) to 350 degrees. Slice the baguettes in half lengthwise and spread mustard on half of the pieces. Divide the cheese between the two sandwiches and sprinkle on top of the mustard. Heat the baguettes, open-face, in the oven for 2-4 minutes until cheese is melted and the baguettes are crispy and warm. Meanwhile core and thinly slice the apple.

Remove the baguettes from the oven and layer the apples over the cheese. Drizzle honey over the apples and sprinkle with sea salt. Top with arugula and serve. 

Ultimate Avocado Sandwiches with Sun-dried Tomato Basil Aioli

A couple things happened when I became vegetarian. My meals stopped consisting of the classic protein, veggie, carb template. I developed an almost instantaneous love for beans. And the turkey in my sandwiches got replaced with avocado. Not a bad swap, if I do say so myself! 

These sandwiches are inspired by my favorite avocado garden sandwich from Cafe Vida in Pacific Palisades. I've probably had this sandwich a dozen times and it's just so damn satisfying. I'm learning that just like a salad is only as good as its dressing, a sandwich is only as good as its aioli. It starts with sun-dried tomatoes and garlic. I use Vegenaise because it's vegan and somehow helps me convince myself it's less bad for you (though probably not true), but you could totally use traditional mayo as well. 

This sandwich is hearty, healthy, messy, and packed with flavor and a ton of avocado. 

Ultimate Avocado Sandwiches with Sun-dried Tomato Basil Aioli {Vegan} 
Serves Two 

2-3 carrots, shredded 
1/2 large roma tomato, sliced 
1/5 small red onion, sliced 
large handful baby spinach 
4 slices multi-grain bread (this is my favorite) 
1 large ripe avocado 
sea salt + pepper to taste 

aioli: 
3 large sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 tsp olive oil (only if your tomatoes aren't already soaked in olive oil)  
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup vegenaise (or mayo) 
8-10 fresh basil leaves 
pinch of salt 
fresh ground pepper to taste 

Grate your carrots using a food processor attachment or a box grater. Set aside. Make the aioli. Pulse sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. Add in vegenaise, basil, salt, and pepper and blend until smooth. Toast your bread. Spread a generous portion of aioli on half the bread (you will have extra). Top with thick slices of tomato, carrots, thinly sliced red onion, spinach, avocado and sea salt + pepper to taste. Enjoy!