Wrap up summer because school is about to start here in Broward County. It’s that time of the year again when we’ll be trapped behind school buses or travel at a snail’s pace through school zones always on the lookout for a cop sitting in an unmarked car itching to slap you with a ticket. When my son, James, was in school he never wanted breakfast so early in the morning. I found a small and tasty, handheld bite was the way to go. I prepared everything from grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches to scrambled eggs, melted cheese and salsa snuggly wrapped in a tortilla. Handheld was the operative word from the time I drove him to school on through his own solitary rides to high school. Although he was more amenable to breakfast when he was older, understanding the necessity of sound nutrition, he never enjoyed scarfing something down just having gotten out of bed at what always seemed to be the crack of dawn. Cafe con leche didn’t make it bearable, it only helped wake him up. He did, and still does, like this sandwich. Wrapped in wax paper and cut on the diagonal, Tomato Basil Avocado Toast fills the hole. Avocado toast for breakfast has long been a tradition in our family. Mama came up with some strange combinations for breakfast, or at least they were strange in days past, one of them being avocado toast. This is a super simple dish, however, both the avocado and tomato must be ripe and the bread should be a hearty whole grain. The avocado may be layered in slices or mashed and slathered on the bread. I find the sandwich tastes best on toasted bread but toasted or not, it’s delicious. The drizzle of olive oil to finish it off may also be substituted for hot, spicy chili oil. It’s really good if you like heat! The amounts in the following recipe are approximations as tomatoes and avocados vary in size and you may want to use more or less of each ingredient depending on your tastes. Welcome back to school everyone and have a great year!
Tomato Basil Avocado Toast
- 1 ripe Haas or small avocado
- 1 ripe tomato
- 1 handful fresh basil
- 4 slices whole grain bread, toasted
- olive oil or chili oil
- salt and pepper
- Cut avocado in half and slice thinly or mash.
- Divide avocado evenly and cover two slices of bread with the slices or mashed avocado.
- Thinly slice the tomato, pat dry with a paper towel and divide evenly over the avocado.
- Roughly chop the basil and scatter over the tomato.
- Drizzle oil over the basil, season with salt and pepper and cover both sandwiches with the remaining 2 slices of bread.
- Wrap well in wax paper and, with a sharp knife, cut in half.
- Wrap a paper towel around the sandwich and serve. The paper towel serves as the napkin.
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