Comfort food, lightened up

Here’s the thing: sandwiches are delicious, but heavy on empty carbs from white bread (unless of course you’re using the local, stone-ground flour featured in last issue!). Enter a happy medium – this open-faced crowd-pleaser. Familiar flavor profiles deliver on comfort, a slice of thick sourdough adds B vitamins and a topping of nutritious vegetables finish the plate. Christine Anisko

Open-faced hot chicken sandwich

Ingredients

Breaded chicken cutlet (or vegan chicken cutlet)
Quick pickles (recipe below)
- 1 cucumber thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar or honey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt

Healthy ranch dressing (recipe below)
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 small garlic clove, grated
- 1 teaspoon chopped herbs (parsley, dill, chives)
- Salt and pepper to taste

Thick sliced sourdough bread
Butter, avocado oil or margarine
Butter lettuce, chopped
Avocado, halved and once side sliced
Plenty of salt and pepper
Hot sauce of your choice

Method
Fry cutlet at 400 degrees until browned (or prepare cutlet in air fryer per package instructions).

For quick pickles, combine all ingredients while chicken is cooking.

For ranch dressing, quickly whisk together all ingredients until smooth and let sit on counter while you assemble other ingredients, so the flavors meld.

Butter both sides of a piece of sourdough bread, then grill bread over medium-high heat in a skillet until golden brown. Place on a plate.

When cutlet is cooked through, place on top of grilled bread and cover generously with chopped butter lettuce. Add one half of avocado to the side of plate and then slice the other half and place over the top of the butter lettuce. Top with pickles (discard pickling juices), ranch dressing and hot sauce. Enjoy!