Avocado toast has become a popular breakfast/snack item. It can be prepared simply with just toast and avocado, but why not spice it up a little?
This version was inspired by a traditional Cretan dish called dakos, or ntakos, which is a piece of rusk (dried whole grain barley bread) topped with chopped tomatoes, goat cheese, and a drizzle of olive oil. Olives and capers are occasionally added as well.
If dakos and avocado toast procreated, this recipe would be their offspring. It’s easy, healthy, super yummy, and has become a favorite breakfast option in our home. Serve it with a side of seasonal fruit (grapefruit/orange in the winter; berries/grapes in the summer) and a cup of tea or coffee.
Nutrition Highlights:
- Olives and avocados are both a great source of heart-healthy, plant-based fats.
- Capers are actually edible flower buds. They contain one of the highest concentrations of quercetin, a polyphenol (beneficial nutrients found in berries, tea, and dark chocolate), that has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
- Tomatoes are a great source of lycopene, a carotenoid that may lower prostate cancer risk.
- Lemon juice is rich in vitamin C, an antioxidant that also boosts our absorption of plant-based iron.
- Parsley is a green, leafy, herb—and we should all eat more of these, as they are chock-full of beneficial nutrients.
Mediterranean Avocado Toast
Serves: 2
Ingredients
- 4 slices of 100% whole grain bread.
- Half of a medium-large avocado, sliced into ~12 thin slices
- Kalamata olive spread, or 6-7 rinsed and chopped Kalamata olives
- Hummus (optional)
- 1 medium tomato, chopped. Or, 5-6 chopped cherry tomatoes.
- 1.5 tbsp capers
- Fresh lemon juice (I use the juice from ¼ of a lemon)
- Za'atar spice/herb blend (optional, but recommended)
- 1 tbsp of fresh minced parsley, or 1 tsp of dried parsley
Instructions
- Toast bread to desired darkness
- Spread on a thin layer of Kalamata olive spread and (optional) hummus. If you're using chopped olives, add them after the avocado.
- Lay down the avocado slices (typically three slices per piece of toast)
- Top each slice of toast with an equal amount of tomato
- Sprinkle on an equal amount of capers
- Spritz with fresh lemon juice
- Sprinkle with za'atar seasoning
- Sprinkle on the fresh or dried parsley
Notes
This recipe is best enjoyed while soaking up the warm, morning sun (and pretending to overlook the Mediterranean Sea). Throw on some traditional Greek music to really get in the spirit!
For those unfamiliar with avocados, what is the best way to peel or cut open an avocado to get slices without making a squishy sloppy mess of it? And where in the store do you find Za’atar? Is it a dry spice by the other spices and seasonings? Thanks.
Great questions! As for the avocado, I cut off the top (where the stem was attached), cut it into quarters, then remove the peel and pit. Then, use a sharp knife to cut it into lengthwise slices. You could be using an avocado that’s too ripe. Look for ones that are firm but give a little when you press on them. Za’atar can be found as a prepared spice/herb blend in the spice/herb section of most grocery stores (although you may need to go to a natural or Middle Eastern grocery store). You could also make your own. I looked at some recipes online and made my own blend. It was really easy. Thanks for the questions. Best of luck!