Open-Face Tempeh & Avocado Sandwich with Russian Dressing

About two weeks ago, Sprouts had a bunch of refrigerated items on sale due to new products coming into the dairy and frozen departments. Rick and I were lucky to get products like Lightlife tempeh (Three-Grain and Flax), vegan grated Parmesan from Galaxy Nutritional Foods, Lightlife SmartBacon (for lazy mornings), and Follow Your Heart Reduced Fat Veganaise.

All of these products were priced at one dollar each.
Our fridge is happily stuffed.

I decided to use the tempeh today in a yummy sandwich.

Open-Face Tempeh & Avocado Sandwich with Russian Dressing
(click here to see what inspired this recipe)
serves one

3 ounces of tempeh, cut into about five to six slices
oil spray
1 thick slice of bread, toasted
1/2 medium avocado, sliced
1 large lettuce leaf
1 small tomato

Dressing:
4 tablespoons fat-free vegan mayonnaise (Nayonaise from Nasoya is a good pick)
1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish (I did not use this)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon maple or agave syrup

1. Heavily oil a medium skillet with an oil spray and set on medium-high heat. Place the tempeh slices on the skillet and cook until browned, about three minutes on each side, being careful not to burn. When done, remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.
2. Prepare the dressing in a small bowl and mix well. Slather the dressing over the toasted bread.
3. Then place the avocado slices, lettuce, tomato, and tempeh atop the bread. If you have leftover dressing, you can drizzle it on top of the tempeh or use it as a dip (you can also use ketchup). Serve with fresh fruit and/or vegetables on the side.

Serving suggestion much? ;)

I really liked this sandwich. It was hearty and kept me full all afternoon. For sure, I will be making this again!
By the way, if you're not used to open-face sandwiches feel free to add another slice of bread; just make sure to spread the dressing on it or else it may be too dry (the info below represents the use of one slice of white bread).

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 493
Fat: 21.7g
Carbs: 58.6g
Protein: 23.5g
Fiber: 11.1g

Don't let that fat content scare you; avocado is great for your heart because, besides being a rich source of fiber, it contains good fats along with vitamin E, vitamin K, and folate. Also, you can thank tempeh for all of that protein. ;)
How do you like to use avocado and tempeh?