"Why didn't I think of that?" was my main reaction when I first heard of avocado toast. I have enjoyed and advocated ripe avocado as a bread spread for years. Its creaminess and buttery flavor are ideal on toast in the morning, adding a rich yet healthful element to the breakfast plate. But aside from topping mine with a slice of tomato, that is as far as I took it.
Then avocado toast burst onto the scene, lifting my basic breakfast staple to new heights with all sorts of creative toppings, and spreading the love to meals and snacks throughout the day. Seemingly suddenly, variations of avocado toast were everywhere, from my Instagram feed to my favorite lunch spot. I quickly jumped on the bandwagon and started seeing my old friend in brand new ways.
Avocado toast is so simple that explaining how to make it is like giving someone a recipe for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. But getting key elements right will make for an outstanding treat. Start with bakery-quality whole-grain bread, preferably with some density and nutty texture to it. And perfectly ripe avocado.
Place the mashed avocado (to which you can add a squeeze lemon or lime and salt, if you'd like) on the toasted bread, and then have fun with the toppings. I recommend using some kind of protein, a crunchy element and something to add a kick of flavor. For protein try shredded or crumbled cheese, hard-cooked or fried egg, a dollop of hummus or Greek yogurt, or chopped cooked chicken. Get crunch from fresh vegetables and/or fruit, such as grated carrot, cucumber, sprouts, shredded cabbage, pomegranate, chopped apple or grapes. And add a kick from fresh herbs, a drizzle of hot sauce, some salsa, pickles or a sprinkling of crushed red pepper flakes. I like to finish it off with a bit of coarse sea salt as well.
Avocado Toast With Egg, Cucumber and Radish
1 ripe Hass avocado
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 slices whole-grain bread, toasted
1/4 seedless cucumber, unpeeled, sliced into thin half-moons
2 radishes, sliced into thin rounds or half-moons
4 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
Chile-garlic sauce, such as Sriracha, optional
Mash the avocado with the lime juice, the 1/4 teaspoon of salt and the 1/8 teaspoon of pepper in a medium bowl until it is fairly smooth, with some remaining chunks.
Divide the mixture among the slices of toasted bread, spreading it to cover. Layer the cucumber and radish slices on top, then scatter the egg over the vegetables. Sprinkle with more salt and pepper, if desired. Drizzle with the chile-garlic sauce. Serve right away.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 240 calories, 11 g protein, 14 g fat, 21 g carbohydrate (3 g sugar), 185 mg cholesterol, 330 mg sodium and 8 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 1 1/2.
Food on 01/21/2015