The kids are out of school, the weather is warming up, what’s easy and fun to make if you want to just a nibble between meals?
Avocado Toast
Great for a light breakfast, or a between meal snack, Avocado Toast is one of the new “healthy” snacks people are taste testing. There are many ways to customize avocado toast to suit individual palates, too.
Basic Avocado Toast
The key to tasty avocado toast is the bread. Choose a good quality bread. I prefer either French bread or a hearty multigrain bread.
For every two slices of toasted bread mash up one avocado and add 1 tbsp. olive oil and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. A few bits of diced red onion sprinkled on top, along with a few capers, as well as another drizzle of olive oil and you have a quick and easy snack.
Fancy Avocado Toast
There are as many ways to personalize your avocado toast as there are kitchens in the Santa Clarita Valley. Here are just a few ideas to add to your Basic Avocado Toast recipe:
1. Smoky Almond Avocado Toast. Top your avocado toast with chopped smoked almonds and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
2. Bacon Goat Cheese Avocado Toast
Crumble up some crisp bacon with a few slices or crumbles of goat cheese.
3. Chips & Salsa Avocado Toast
Drizzle salsa over your avocado toast, then top with crushed tortilla chips.
4. Eggy Avocado Toast. Put a soft-boiled or poached egg atop your avocado toast and enjoy the ooey, gooey yolk as it runs over the top.
5. Caprese Avocado Toast
Chopped cherry tomatoes and shreds of fresh basil. Dust with salt and black pepper.
Ridiculous No Bake Granola Bars
2 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup agave
2 tbsp. coconut oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
Dark chocolate chips
Nutella
Spray an 8×8″ dish with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 325F.
Spread oats, coconut and walnuts on a baking sheet. Place in the oven and toast for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Watch carefully so they don’t burn.
Combine the brown sugar, agave, coconut oil, vanilla and salt in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until the brown sugar dissolves.
Pour toasted oat mixture into saucepan with brown sugar mixture and stir together until coated and combined.
Pour into baking dish and press down so it’s even on top and compact. Let cool completely.
Melt dark chocolate chips in a small bowl. Stir and then add in a couple tablespoons of Nutella. Drizzle on top. Cut into bars.
Strawberry/Peach Fruit Bruschetta
1 loaf French bread cut into thin slices
10 strawberries small diced
3 peaches small diced
2 tbsp. raspberry white balsamic vinegar or regular balsamic vinegar
1 cup fresh chiffonade (ribbons) of mint leaves
Goat cheese crumbles
Preheat oven to 350F. Place French bread on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes until fully toasted.
Combine strawberries, peaches, mint and balsamic. Using a slotted spoon, put fruit mixture on each piece of French bread. Crumble goat cheese on top of each bruschetta.
Variation Substitute basil for mint and Feta cheese for goat cheese.
Frozen Fruit Bark
1 large 32oz. container of vanilla yogurt
2 cups chopped fruit
Mix together any combination of strawberries, kiwi, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, cherries, pineapple and peaches.
Optional Semi-sweet chocolate chips, pretzel pieces, nuts and/or coconut.
Other flavors of yogurt can be used as well, lemon, strawberry or chocolate.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Pour the yogurt onto the baking sheet and spread until even.
Sprinkle on the chopped fruit (and other tasty bits) and freeze for 3-4 hours until frozen solid. Cut or break into pieces. Store uneaten pieces in the freezer.
