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California Melt

Ingredients

4 slices whole-grain bread, lightly toasted
1 avocado, sliced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/3 cup sliced toasted almonds
1 tomato, sliced
4 slices Swiss cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven broiler.
Lay the toasted bread out on a baking sheet. Top each slice of bread with 1/4 of the avocado, mushrooms, almonds, and tomato slices. Top each with a slice of Swiss cheese.
Broil the open-face sandwiches until the cheese melts and begins to bubble, about 2 minutes. Serve the sandwiches warm.

Apricot-Glazed Chicken with Spring Vegetables
Total: 35 min Active: 35 min Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 4)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 bunch asparagus (about 1 pound), ends trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces
12 ounces snow peas, trimmed (about 2 1/2 cups)
3 tablespoons apricot preserves
4 teaspoons dijon mustard
4 scallions, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Directions

Cut each chicken breast into 4 or 5 large chunks; season with salt and pepper. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil. Add the chicken and cook, turning, until browned on all sides and almost cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove to a plate.
Add 1 tablespoon butter to the skillet and reduce the heat to medium. Add the carrots and 1/2 cup water. Cover and simmer until the carrots are crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover and increase the heat to medium high. Cook until the water evaporates, 1 minute.
Reduce the heat to medium and melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in the skillet. Add the asparagus, snow peas and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Return the chicken to the skillet along with the apricot preserves, mustard, scallions, tarragon and lemon zest. Simmer, tossing, until the preserves are melted and the chicken and vegetables are glazed; season with salt and pepper.

GIANT STRAWBERRY CINNAMON ROLL CAKE
Yield: 8-10 SERVINGS total time: 3 HOURS OR SO

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE DOUGH:
1 package active dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
3/4 cup warm non-fat milk (heated to about 120 degrees, about 45-60 seconds in the microwave)
1/3 cup + 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar, divided
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3 - 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
Paddle attachment & dough hook for your mixer

FOR THE FILLING:
5 tablespoons butter, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups diced fresh strawberries (about 3/4 pound)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon sugar

FOR THE FROSTING
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 ounces cream cheese, very soft
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice or milk

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Summer Vegetarian Tacos with Avocado Cream
Prep time 15 mins Cook time 20 mins Total time 35 mins Serves: 6 to 8 tacos

Filling:
1 small zucchini, diced
1 small summer squash, diced
½ medium red onion, diced
1 ear sweet corn, removed from cob
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 medium red pepper, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons cumin
¼ teaspoon salt

Avocado Cream:
1 ripe avocado
⅓ Cup full fat, plain Greek yogurt
¼ cup cilantro
1 tablespoons lime juice

Everything Else:
Feta or Goat Cheese
6 to 8 corn tortillas
Extra cilantro

Preheat oven to 400˚. Prepare all the veggies as described and toss with olive oil, minced garlic, salt, and cumin. Roast until tender and lightly browning, 20 to 25 minutes.
While veggies are roasting, whip together avocado, Greek yogurt, cilantro, and lime juice either by hand or in a blender.
To assemble tacos, warm up tortillas over an open flame or on a heated griddle. Assemble with roasted veggies, avocado cream, and a sprinkle of feta.

Notes
If you want a bit of protein, black beans or chickpeas would make an excellent addition to this meal!