Turkey Sandwiches with Ginger-Avocado Relish

Sandwiches are synonymous with lunch. But the difficult part is keeping them exciting. There are a ton of different types of deli meats at the meat counter at the grocery, but at the end of the day, cold cuts are cold cuts. You can only add so much lettuce, tomato, mayo, and mustard to keep you wanting more. And thus comes this sandwich! The avocado mixed with wasabi and green onions keeps you wanting more, and the bread grilled with sesame oil is absolutely fantastic!

I didn't make any alterations to this recipe, but there are alternative cooking methods to cook this recipe even faster if you're short on time.

Courtesy of Williams-Sonoma Weeknight Fresh +Fast Cookbook


Recipe (makes 4 servings):
4 green onions, white and pale green parts, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 teaspoons rice vinegar
3 1/2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 teaspoons wasabi paste
1 avocado, firm but ripe, pitted, peeled, and diced
1 1/4 - 1 1/2 pounds turkey breast cutlets
4 slices country bread
4 large leaves butter letuce
asian sesame oil
coarse kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:
1. In a bowl, combine the green onions, olive oil, vinegar, 2 teaspoons of minced ginger, and the wasabi. Gently mix in the avocado. Season to taste with salt and pepper; and set aside.

2. Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for direct-heat cooking over high heat. Brush the turkey with sesame oil on both sides, and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons minced ginger over one side of the turkey. Grill the turkey until just cooked through, 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

Alternative #1: Instead of grilling, you can broil the cutlets, or even saute the cutlets in a fry pan.

3. Brush sesame oil over one side of bread. Grill the bread, oiled side down, until golden brown, 2-3 minutes per side.

Alternative #2: You can forgo grilling the bread and stick the bread in the toaster without the sesame oil.

4. Arrange 1 bread slice, grilled side up, on each plate. Arrange sliced lettuce over each, and then top with turkey. Spoon the relish over and serve right away.