Spice up your sandwich with an avocado

ShareThis

Dear Lynne: My brother is home on leave, we're having a picnic and a recipe for a sensationAL sandwich with avocado would make him happy. Do you have something that isn't run of the mill? -- SisDear Sis: Do a wrap for how easy it is to tote and eat. Your brother should enjoy chunks of avocado with the basil/balsamic/mustard sauce.AVOCADO-SALAMI WRAP WITH BALSAMIC BASIL SAUCEServes 3 to 4Balsamic Basil Sauce:3 tablespoons dark, spicy mustard1 tight-packed tablespoon fresh basil leaves, chopped2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, or to taste4 tablespoons regular mayonnaiseSandwich:1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced2 firm-ripe avocados, cut into 1-inch wedgesSaltFreshly ground black pepper2 to 3 tablespoons cider or wine vinegar12 large fresh basil leaves4 large flour tortillas (preferably whole wheat organic)4 handfuls (about 4 ounces) organic baby greens6 ounces sliced Genoa or other salami, cut into thin strips1. Blend together all sauce ingredients. If not using right away, cover and refrigerate up to two weeks.2. Sprinkle the onion and avocado with a little of the vinegar and season with salt and pepper.3. Make wraps by spreading a generous tablespoon of sauce over each tortilla. Scatter half of the onion slices over the sauce. Tear up 3 basil leaves over each tortilla. Divide the greens between the tortillas, leaving a 1-1/2-inch border. Scatter with the remaining onions, the avocado wedges, and salami strips. 4. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and roll each wrap tightly, sealing with a little extra sauce. If working ahead, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate. To serve, cut diagonally into 3 pieces. Arrange on a plate and enjoy.Dear Lynne: How do you substitute whole grain or brown rice for white rice in a recipe? Are there ingredients that taste especially good with it? -- Thurmond in DallasDear Thurmond: Where white rice usually cooks in 20 to 25 minutes, most brown rices need 45 to 50 minutes. So when using it in dishes where the rice cooks with other ingredients, take this longer cooking into consideration before adding ingredients.Of course many brown rices hold double the fiber of most white rice, five times the vitamin E, and three times the magnesium.You can shorten the cooking time of the rice by soaking it in very hot water 20 to 30 minutes. That said, cook brown rice the way I like to cook white rice. Cook it like pasta in a great deal of boiling salted water, tasting for when it is tender but not mushy. Drain in a sieve and serve.Brown rice has a nutlike quality and takes well to meats, to nuts and fruits (especially the intensity of dried fruits). For instance, cook the rice and then blend it with fresh ricotta, dried tart cherries and a little butter. Or toss it with steamed or roasted carrots, and leeks.Dear Lynne: You once mentioned marinating chicken overnight in Tabasco and buttermilk before making fried chicken. Do you still have this information? -- Fledgling Chicken Fryer in NashvilleDear Fledgling: You might be remembering a recipe I mentioned that was inspired by the late cooking authority, James Beard. He took a 3 to 4 pound chicken, cut it up for frying, put it in a bowl, poured an entire medium sized bottle of Tabasco over it and then covered it in true buttermilk. Our buttermilk isn't as rich as old fashioned buttermilk, so I like to use sour cream instead. Roll the pieces around in the mixture to thoroughly coat them.Beard refrigerated the bird overnight, drained it, rolled it in flour mixed with salt, pepper and paprika and skillet fried the chicken. The Tabasco carried a pleasing kick into the meat. If you feel like roast chicken, use the same marinade and instead of frying, roast the chicken at 350:F. in a large shallow pan for about an hour, or until the thickest part of the breast reads 170:F. on an instant reading thermometer. It's less messy than the frying and I can kid myself into thinking the bird is a bit healthier. The vinegary Tabasco does lovely things to the chicken, but it is hot. (Lynne Rossetto Kasper hosts "The Splendid Table," American Public Media's national food show and co-author of "The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper: Recipes, Stories and Opinions." Ask questions and find Lynne, recipes and station listings at splendidtable.org, or 800-537-5252.)(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)