Hello Everyone! Finally I am back on track with my posts and the theme for the month of April is Avocado! All you need is about half a medium-sized avocado everyday as it provides 1% of the calcium, 5% of the magnesium, and 10% of the potassium that you need daily. Avocados are a good source of potassium, which can help lower blood pressure, and in addition, the dark green flesh just under an avocado’s brittle skin contains large amounts of disease-fighting compounds. Though avocados are proven to help lower blood pressure and an abundance of health benefits, we have to be weary of how much we intake daily as they are also high in calories.

Tonight, I will be sharing 9 different ways you can start your mornings with a smile on your face with 9 different smashed avocado toasts! Of course, don’t limit yourselves to just these 9 recipes; I encourage you to get creative with your smashed avo toasts and share your creations with me on Instagram using the hashtag #amcarmenskitchen

1. Five Pepper Smoked Salmon with Red Onions, Capers & Chilli Flakes

PREP TIME <5 MINS | COOKING TIME — | SERVES 2

INGREDIENTS

• 2 slices multigrain brown bread
• 1/2 avocado, smashed
• 1 small red onion, cut into rings
• 2 tsp capers
• Smoked salmon slices with five peppers

METHOD

1. Lightly toast bread in a toaster for about 1-2 minutes.
2. Spread a generous amount of the smashed avocado onto the toast and top with smoked salmon, red onion rings, and capers. Sprinkle with a touch of chilli flakes for an added kick (optional).
3. Enjoy!

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2. Medley of Grape Tomato Caprese Salad with Balsamic Reduction

PREP TIME <5 MINS | COOKING TIME 5 MINS | SERVES 2

INGREDIENTS

• 2 slices multigrain brown bread
• 1/2 avocado, smashed
• 1 punnet (250g) grape tomato medley, halved
• 4 cherry bocconcini cheese, sliced
• 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• Ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste
• Olive Oil
• Sweet basil leaves

METHOD

1. Combine the grape tomatoes, bocconcini slices, and sweet basil leaves in a small bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and season with a touch of ground sea salt and black pepper to taste. Set aside and leave to macerate.
2. Meanwhile, heat the balsamic vinegar in a small non-stick saucepan over medium-high heat. Simmer, continuously stirring to check on the consistency of the glaze, until the vinegar reduces to a thick sauce, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool down for a bit.
3. Lightly toast bread in a toaster for about 1-2 minutes.
4. Spread a generous amount of the smashed avocado onto the toast, top with the tomato cappers salad, and drizzle the balsamic reduction over the salad.
5. Enjoy!

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3. Sliced Banana & Pumpkin Seeds drizzled with Honey

PREP TIME <5 MINS | COOKING TIME — | SERVES 2

INGREDIENTS

• 2 slices multigrain brown bread
• 1/2 avocado, smashed
• 1 large banana, sliced
• Honey
• Pumpkin seeds

METHOD

1. Lightly toast bread in a toaster for about 1-2 minutes.
2. Spread a generous amount of the smashed avocado onto the toast, top with banana slices and pumpkin seeds, and drizzle with honey.
3. Enjoy!

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4. Soft-boiled Egg with Chilli Flakes & Parsley

PREP TIME <5 MINS | COOKING TIME 6 MINS | SERVES 2

INGREDIENTS

• 2 slices multigrain brown bread
• 1/2 avocado, smashed
• 2 large free range eggs
• Chilli Flakes
• Parsley, roughly chopped

METHOD

1. Bring a small pot of water to a rolling boil. Once boiling, reduce the water to a rapid simmer before gently lowering the eggs one by one into the pot. Cook for 5 minutes for a runny yolk, or 7 minutes for a barely set yolk. Once done, remove from the heat and place in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Once cool, peel the shell off and slice.
2. Lightly toast bread in a toaster for about 1-2 minutes.
3. Spread a generous amount of the smashed avocado onto the toast, top with the sliced eggs, and sprinkle with a touch of chilli flakes, and parsley.
4. Enjoy!

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5. Sliced Strawberries & Crumbled Goat’s Cheese with Balsamic Reduction and Peppermint Leaves

PREP TIME <5 MINS | COOKING TIME 5 MINS | SERVES 2

INGREDIENTS

• 2 slices multigrain brown bread
• 1/2 avocado, smashed
• 4 large strawberries, sliced
• 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• Goat’s cheese, crumbled

METHOD

1. Heat the balsamic vinegar in a small non-stick saucepan over medium-high heat. Simmer, continuously stirring to check on the consistency of the glaze, until the vinegar reduces to a thick sauce, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool down for a bit.
2. Lightly toast bread in a toaster for about 1-2 minutes.
3. Spread a generous amount of the smashed avocado onto the toast, top with the sliced strawberries, crumbled goat’s cheese, and drizzle the balsamic reduction over the strawberries.
4. Enjoy!

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6. Sautéd Brown & Shimeji Mushrooms topped with Fried Enoki & Parsley

PREP TIME <5 MINS | COOKING TIME 8 MINS | SERVES 2

INGREDIENTS

• 2 slices multigrain brown bread
• 1/2 avocado, smashed
• 4 large brown mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 bunch (100g) shimeji mushrooms
• 1/2 bunch (50g) enoki mushrooms
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• Ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste
• Knob of unsalted butter
• Olive oil
• Parsley, roughly chopped

METHOD

1. Melt the unsalted butter in a small frying pan over medium-high heat and add about a teaspoon of olive oil.
2. Sauté the minced garlic until golden brown and fragrant, about 30 to 45 seconds. Add in the sliced brown mushrooms and shimeji mushrooms and cook until tender, about 3-4 minutes.  Season with pinch of ground sea salt and black pepper. Once tender, remove from the pan and set aside.
3. In the same pan, heat about 3 tbsp of olive oil over high heat until slightly smoking. Add the enoki mushrooms in and fry until golden brown in colour, about 2-3 minutes. Once done, transfer to a small plate lined with a paper towel. Set aside.
4. Lightly toast bread in a toaster for about 1-2 minutes.
5. Spread a generous amount of the smashed avocado onto the toast and top with the sautéd garlic mushrooms and the fried enoki mushrooms. Garnish with a touch of ground black pepper and parsley.
6. Enjoy!

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7. Diced Mango with Chilli Powder & Peppermint

PREP TIME <5 MINS | COOKING TIME — | SERVES 2

INGREDIENTS

• 2 slices multigrain brown bread
• 1/2 avocado, smashed
• 1 small mango, diced
• Chilli powder
• Peppermint leaves

METHOD

1. Lightly toast bread in a toaster for about 1-2 minutes.
2. Spread a generous amount of the smashed avocado onto the toast and top with the diced mangoes, chilli powder, and peppermint leaves.
3. Enjoy!

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8. Roasted Chickpeas & Parsley

PREP TIME <5 MINS | COOKING TIME 10 MINS | SERVES 2

INGREDIENTS

• 2 slices multigrain brown bread
• 1/2 avocado, smashed
• 1 can (200g) chickpeas, drained
• 2 tsp ground smoked paprika
• Ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste
• Olive oil
• Parsley, roughly chopped

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 200C (400F or gas mark 6). Line a baking tray with aluminium foil. Set aside.
2. Add the drained chickpeas in a small bowl together with the ground smoked paprika, sea salt, black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil. Toss to coat.
3. Spread the chickpeas onto the prepared baking tray and roast in the oven for about 10 minutes. Once done, remove from the oven.
4. Lightly toast bread in a toaster for about 1-2 minutes.
5. Spread a generous amount of the smashed avocado onto the toast and top with the roasted chickpeas and parsley.
6. Enjoy!

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9. Chorizo Sausage & Sweet Corn

PREP TIME <5 MINS | COOKING TIME 4-6 MINS | SERVES 2

INGREDIENTS

• 2 slices multigrain brown bread
• 1/2 avocado, smashed
• 1 chorizo sausage, sliced
• 1 can (200g) sweet corn kernels, drained
• Olive oil

METHOD

1. Heat olive oil in a small frying pan over medium-high. Pan-fry the chorizo slices until browned, about 2-3 minutes per side. Once done, transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel. Set aside.
2. Bring a small pot of water to a rolling boil and blanch the sweet corn kernels for about a minute or two. Drain and set aside to cool down for a bit.
3. Lightly toast bread in a toaster for about 1-2 minutes.
4. Spread a generous amount of the smashed avocado onto the toast, top with the pan-fried chorizo sausages and sweet corn kernels, and drizzle with a bit of the chorizo oil (optional).
5. Enjoy!

Just a little side note before I end tonight’s post, I spent the whole day amending quite possibly the same artwork because their comments/amendments were all on an installation basis. Such completely waste of time which then prevented me from actually completing the work I had set to do today because I had to keep going back and forth to the same bloody artwork.

​BON APPÉTIT

– Ally xx