Meatless Monday: Avocado Toast

Over the weekend we were pretty much stuck indoors again. There was a mad dash on Saturday morning to get the requisite errands done before the latest Blizzard Warning went into effect. In the end we were spared the predicted dump of snow, but we did not escape the wind and bitter cold. It was decidedly not the weather for venturing out.

The grocery list is still stuck on the fridge, and over the last few days we’ve played “Chopped,” trying to create the best possible meals from what we could find in the freezer, fridge, and cupboard.

We were lucky enough to have a couple of ripe avocados on hand. One was turned into guacamole, but the second became a version of Avocado Toast, the perfect accompaniment to our two remaining cups of homemade chowder.

Here is my version of this (still) trending treat.

Elaine’s Avocado Toast

(serves two as a side)

Ingredients

• 1 ripe (but still firm) avocado
• 2 eggs
• 2 thick slices of whole grain bread
• Butter (for greasing the egg poacher)
• Cayenne pepper flakes

Directions

• Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit, and carefully scoop the flesh from the skin.
• Slice the avocado lengthwise.
• Poach the eggs to the desired doneness.
• While the eggs are cooking, toast the bread.
• Put the toast on two plates.
• Arrange half the avocado slices on top of each piece.
• Turn the poached egg out on top of the avocado.
• Sprinkle with cayenne pepper flakes to taste. 

One of my two vintage egg poachers. They do the job.

While my recipe features an egg, there are scores of variations on this theme, with and without eggs, to satisfy everyone from a vegan to a carnivore. Check out these 5 recipes from Bon Appétit or these 10 from Self for inspiration. These are some of the easiest small plates that you could possibly whip up in your kitchen. 

Why is Avocado Toast enjoying such popularity? Avocados are considered by many to be a “super food.”  Don’t let the 250 calories in a medium (5 oz.) avocado keep you from enjoying this heart-healthy fruit, rich in both polyunsaturated fats and mono-saturated fats which help to lower cholesterol. Avocados are an excellent source of vitamins B6, C, E, and K, as well as folate, lutein, magnesium, and potassium. They are high in fiber and have been shown to boost the absorbency of fat-soluble nutrients in foods with which they are eaten.

Happy Meatless Monday! Once again, bundle up and watch out for any icy patches!

On Mondays I often blog on food, food issues, or gardening in support of Meatless Monday, one of several programs developed in the Healthy Monday project, founded in 2003 in association with Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communications. Meatless Monday’s goal is “to help reduce meat consumption 15% in order to improve personal health and the health of our planet.”