truffled avocado toast

Avocado toast belongs to a sacred food category at our house. That would be the category “I can eat this everyday and not be upset about it.” It is one of those meals that I will make at home several days a week, then go out to brunch on the weekend and promptly order the restaurant’s signature avocado toast and “force” Patrick to share it with me as an “appetizer.” It always sounds good. As Dr. Seuss would say,

“And I would eat them in a boat!
And I would eat them with a goat.
And I will eat them in the rain.
And in the dark. And on a train.
And in a car. And in a tree.”

I once asked a physician I work with if there was such thing as eating too much avocado (I was asking “for a friend”). Her answer reassured me that “my friend” would be just fine eating avocado every day, though it can be an expensive daily ritual. I did some research and confirmed that avocados are indeed healthful whole foods (ok, that was obvious) and packed with water, fiber, healthy fats (mostly monounsaturated), minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and drumroll please… ZERO grams of cholesterol. A good reminder, all plant based foods are cholesterol free, as dietary cholesterol is found only in animal products. The fat and fiber content of avocados are very satiating, though if you are trying to loose weight, eating a whole avocado every day might not be the best idea. I am pretty sure a nutritionist would rather I ate a higher percentage of healthy fats in my daily diet rather than a smaller percentage of saturated/processed fat. So there. Forgo your nightly ice cream routine and have an avocado every morning instead.

Avocado toast is extremely versatile, and this particular recipe can be tweaked to your preference. I can sometimes get a little heavy handed with the truffle oil, whereas Patrick generally wants just the tiniest hint of truffle flavor. Different finishing salts can be fun, and I sometimes substitute garlic salt. If I am feeling a bit onion-y, which is pretty much all the time, I add a bit of green onion. Sometimes I leave the tomato out, and sometimes I don’t care enough to hunt down sprouts at the grocery store. Whatever your preference, overly or under-ripe avocados can make or break your avocado toast experience. But in that case, just whip it up with some cream cheese (seriously not caring about fat content anymore) and no one will ever know the difference. Not that I would know from personal experience.

TRUFFLED AVOCADO TOAST

1 large avocado
1/3 cup (approximately) sugar plum tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
freshly ground pepper
truffle oil, just a few drops
red pepper flakes to taste
olive oil, for brushing on bread
2 large slices rustic bread
finishing salt, i.e. maldon or fleur de sel
sprouts for garnish (optional)

Gently smash together avocado, tomatoes, lemon juice, few grinds of fresh pepper, few drops of truffle oil, and red pepper flakes to taste. Taste avocado mix and add another drop or two of truffle oil if desired.

Brush some olive oil on top of your two slices of bread and toast until light golden brown. Spread avocado mixture onto toast and garnish with sprouts and a generous pinch of finishing salt. This tastes great with a fried egg on top, too!