Avocado toast for breakfast and brunch has really taken off lately. You can find the avocado all over nowadays from fast casual concepts to the fanciest and trendiest cafe/restaurants.
Fresh avocados do not ripen on the tree, they ripen or “soften” after they have been picked, so try to select avocados that are darker in colour than others.
Gently squeeze and if it feels mushy it’s overripe.If it feels soft then it’s perfect to eat that day. And if firm then leave at room temperature for a few days – place in a paper bag with a banana or apple to speed up the ripening process.
The simple recipe of crushed avocado on toast has been around for years but adding different layers of flavours really brings it alive!
Peel ½ a pink grapefruit removing any seeds and pith. Cut into segments then small pieces and place in a bowl with some the juice.
Halve 1 ripe Hass avocado, then remove the stone, peel off the skin and roughly crush with a fork. Add to the grapefruit pieces along with 80g of thick, sliced cherry tomatoes, ½ of a thinly sliced red chilli and stir roughly to combine, season with Maldon salt then cover and set aside.
Toast 2 teaspoons of flaked almonds in a small dry frying pan over a medium heat for a few minutes until golden brown, shaking the pan regularly to prevent burning.
Toast two slices of sourdough bread on both sides and place on serving plate. Divide the avocado between the two slices of toast, scatter with toasted almonds and serve with a soft poached egg and some small picked fresh basil leaves.
Heart-healthy fats
Avocados are loaded with heart-healthy fats. Don’t be afraid of eating fats when you’re on a diet, they help you feel full. Just limit your intake of saturated fats in particular and try to avoid fatty processed foods!
For the perfect poached egg every time, place a 12” square of lightly-oiled cling film over a teacup or ramekin, crack a large egg in the centre of the cling film. Bring the cling film up into a bundle, then tie it in a knot and try to squeeze out all the air so it creates a perfect pouch and seals in.
Place in a pot with boiling water then turn to a simmer for around 5-6 minutes for a soft runny texture. Cut off the cling film knots with scissors, peel away cling film and serve egg on top of avocado and season with a little sea salt and twist of black pepper.
