ErbologyVeganA classic brunch dish made special with a few key additions, our avocado toast recipe is sure to go down a storm this weekend.
Avocado overload? Surely not
It sometimes seems like avocado toast is now on the menu in every coffee shop. That’s no reason though to chuck it out of the kitchen window and sacrifice its lusciousness; just think of it as a prompt to introduce new variations. What's more, there's an added benefit to making avocado toast at home. Firstly, the smugness of thinking about the money you saved by creating a dish which celebrates simple ingredients yourself (and really, anybody can do it). Secondly, it's fun! Avocado toast is an incredibly tactile dish to make, and an easy one at that. Mashing the avocado and feeling it collapse into creaminess; licking your fingers as the inevitable overload of avocado on toast ends up on your hands; these are sensations best savoured on a Saturday morning, while still in your pyjamas. However, you can go rogue and enjoy our avocado toast as a quick lunch or lazy midweek dinner, too.
The starring roles
For us, the star of this particular recipe is the gently home-pickled radishes, which lend a sharpness to the mild and luscious flavour of the avocado. But we also love the addition of cooked mushrooms, which brings together two beloved toast toppings, doubling the pleasure! Mushrooms on toast are, if anything, even more versatile than avocado on toast, and a lovely way to start playing with this recipe would be to vary the herbs you use on the mushrooms. Thyme is a classic, and not to be dismissed; however we like rosemary, sage, and parsley with mushrooms as well. Pickled lemons are another favourite accompaniment to cooked mushrooms of late, and would rhyme very nicely with the radishes. If you eat dairy, blending the smashed avocado with butter, or a sprinkling of feta cheese, makes it even more decadent.
Joie de vivre and health
As you know, we eat for health; but also for joie de vivre, always. Thankfully, this dish contains plenty of both. Avocados are incredibly rich in ‘good' monounsaturated fat, As well as keeping you warm, good fats enable you to take in more nutrients from the food you ingest.(1)(2) They are also a source of both soluble and insoluble fibres, which are important for optimal health, and provide potassium, vitamin C, and vitamin B-6. This natural mood booster works with the serotonin levels in your body to regulate anxiety – no small recommendation in our day and age.(3) We top off our avocado toast with Erbology Organic Hemp Seed Oil. One little tablespoon of this cold-pressed oil satisfies 40% of your recommended daily allowance of vitamin D. Although Vitamin D is best obtained through sunshine, we who live in grey, rainy climes must sometimes seek out other channels for it. Avocado toast as a substitute for the brilliance of sun isn’t such a bad deal to us.(4) Hemp seed oil also contains the ideal balance of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. Optimising this ratio is quite important for health, and numerous researchers have cited an imbalance in fatty acids as a key defect in many Western diets.(5) It's all about making each ingredient work as hard as possible - and when it comes to plants, that's quite a lot!
½ cup chestnut mushrooms 4 small fresh radishes 1 ripe avocado Fresh juice of 1 lemon 1 clove garlic, finely cut 1-2 tsp Erbology Organic Hemp Seed Oil 1 tsp rapeseed oil Pinch of sea salt Pinch of freshly ground black pepper Fresh thyme to taste 2 sourdough slices (for a gluten-free option, substitute with our Gluten-free Nut Bread )
