Recipe: Avocado Toast

Avocado Toast by Xhico

I've been seeing Avocado Toast popping up as a trend in Los Angeles restaurants lately. I have yet to try one, so I decide to make one today for lunch. Here's how it went:

This toast is basically like a California style bruschetta, using avocado as the base.

For each piece of toast you will need:

- 1 Slice Bread
- 1/2 Avocado (Sliced)
- 2 Tbsp Heirloom Tomato (Diced)
- 1 Tbsp Red Onion (Finely Diced)
- Cilantro (Few leaves or 1/2 tsp chopped)
- Lemon or Lime Juice (Squeeze)
- Olive Oil (Use a really tasty Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
- Sea Salt (to taste)
- Fresh cracked black pepper (to taste)
- Cumin (a pinch)

First toast a thinly sliced piece of bread. I use fresh French bread. I brush it with olive oil and toast it on the skillet. Get your toasts ready and set aside.

Next prepare your other ingredients: Tomato, Onion, Cilantro. Save your avocado for last so it is fresh and doesn't discolor. Dice your tomato to about 1/4" pieces. Give your red onion and fine dice. Pick several leaves off your cilantro. Cut your lemon in half and have your olive oil and seasonings on hand.

Avocados are delicate so take care and treat them with love. First you want to slice your avocado in half. First slide your knife into the avocado running from pole to pole cutting through the stem side. Gently let your knife go into the flesh until it hits the seed. Now slide your knife completely around the avocado keeping the knife touching the seed. After the knife has cut completely around the avocado, remove the knife. Grab the each half of the avocado with your hand and slowly and gently twist in opposite directions. One half of the avocado should then remove from the seed. If you can't get the seed out of the other half, take chef's knife and whack the seed. Be very careful! The knife should stick in the seed, then gently twist. The seed should pop right out.

Now you have two clean avocado halves. To get perfect slices, leave the avocado in the skin. Slice the flesh from tip to tip creating even slices. If the avocado is perfectly ripe, you may be able to slide the skin right off. Otherwise, use a spoon to nudge between the flesh and the skin. Gently remove your slices. The slices can now be fanned out to cover your toast beautifully.

If you're not into all the work, you can scoop the avocado out with a spoon and smear it across your toast.

After putting on the avocado, give it a sprinkle of salt and black pepper. Top with tomato, onion, a few cilantro leaves, a squeeze of lemon and drizzle with good olive oil. Finish with a sprinkle of cumin and a little more salt.

Tortilla Pizza

When I'm tired and want to make a delicious snack, I usually make a tortilla pizza. It's easy to make because there really is no recipe except to start with a tortilla and put some good stuff on it. I sometimes use tomato sauce but in this case I didn't have any. So I used olive oil and balsamic.

Tortilla Pizza with Goat Cheese, Parmesan, Mushroom, Scallions, Olive oil & Balsamic.

TORTILLA PIZZA RECIPE:

1. Start with a flour tortilla. You can also use corn. There are no rules.

2. Get Saucy. Put a light coat of sauce on your tortilla.

Suggested Sauces:

• Tomato Sauce

• Pasta Sauce

• BBQ Sauce

• Sarayo

• Pesto

• Olive Oil & Balsamic (if I use this I usually drizzle over rather than use as a base).

3. Get Cheesy. Add your cheese. Use what you have.

Cheese Ideas:

• Goat Cheese

• Oaxacan (Mexican Melting Cheese)

• Fresh Mozzarella

• Shredded Cheese

• Sliced Deli Cheese

4. Top if off. Add your pizza toppings - look in your fridge and use what's there. Things you may have a little of or that may not be fresh much longer.

Topping Suggestions:

• Mushrooms

• Scallions (Green Onions)

• Canned Olives

• Pickled Artichoke Hearts

• Onion

• Tomato

• Fresh or dry herbs: Basil, Thyme, Parsly 

• Capers

• Spinach

5. Bake in pre-heated oven at 300º for 15-20 minutes until cheese melts and edges get golden brown.

Recipe by Xhico.

First Real Food I had in Colombia

Yes, the first thing I had in Colombia was a Coffee from the Juan Valdez Café at the airport in Bogota. But once we scrambled around all morning and ended up on a six hour bus ride to Barranquilla, I was definitely getting hungry. I needed a snack.

Indian and Coco Bread hang from sticks wrapped in plastic bags.

Man selling Coco Bread on the bus in Colombia

Delicious Coco Bread in Colombia, the first thing I ate.

Fortunately at all the toll booths, there are men and women selling all sorts of things. There are armfuls of fried savory snacks with cheese, plain and bacon flavors. There are sweets and breads, popsicles and soda pops. Often people board the bus selling these delicious treats when you stop in village or at one of the local toll booths where they walk up and down between the cars and hop on buses for a short ride. I was very grateful for this service.

Stuffing my face with Coco Bread

At one point a man boarded the bus with several sticks loaded with bread hanging. What he described as "Indian bread" was apparently naan. I love naan - it's one of my favorite breads. Luckily for me he also had a "coco bread" which was naan laced with coconut. I went for that and it was incredible at the first bite. The bread was moist and slightly oily from the coconut. The inside was flecked with coconut shavings. Sweet and simple - I couldn't have asked for a better snack.

Slightly oily, but full of flavor - Coco Bread

Coconut flakes inside the wonderful Coco Bread