avocado toast, two ways

 

this is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Loblaws Canada Inc. all opinions are 100% mine.

today i am sharing what is one of my go to lunches on weekdays in partnership with Loblaws! while it probably seems like i whip up a fancy pants meal every day of the week, my work keeps me just as busy as the rest of us. i am always looking for fun, healthy & creative ways to mix up a boring old sandwich on sliced bread or even worse fast food when i am short for time. cue: avocado toast! this is a quick recipe idea that you can make in twenty minutes or less. 

i feel like avocado toast has become quite a trend these days. all you have to do is smash some ripe avocado on bread & boom you've got yourself a meal. it is also a great way to use up any avocados you have that may be on the brink of going bad. i buy them in bulk & it seems like they all ripen at the same time! it's quick, plus avocados are healthy (lots of fiber), full of essential nutrients & taste so good with just a touch of salt! select Loblaws stores have Loblaws Dieticians on hand who can help answer any dietary questions you might have when looking for healthy food alternatives, teach you about the nutrition of different fruits/vegetables & give you some additional quick meal ideas! 

well, here are two of my versions of avocado toast because as i just mentioned, i always have these bad boys on hand. having plenty of fruits + vegetables in your fridge at all times makes it much easier to create a quick & healthy recipe like this avocado toast. you can follow the recipes loosely & substitute in whatever ingredients you find in your fridge or pantry. the possibilities are seriously endless! i have seen so many versions of this. you can even add a touch of lean turkey, chicken, or a poached egg (vegetarian) to the mix if you want to get in some additional protein. what are your 20 minute recipe ideas?! 

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ingredients

walnut & blue cheese toast

  • 1 slice of crusty bread
  • 1/2 avocado, smashed
  • 1/4 lime, freshly squeezed
  • salt & pepper, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon blue cheese, crumbled
  • 1 tablespoon walnuts, roughly chopped
  • 1 teaspoon, raw honey

strawberry & feta toast

  • 1 slice of crusty bread
  • 1/2 avocado, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 lime, freshly squeezed
  • salt & pepper, to taste
  • 2 strawberries, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon feta, crumbled
  • cilantro, to garnish

directions

walnut & blue cheese toast​

  • toast bread while you prepare the avocado.

  • in a small mixing bowl, mash avocado with lime juice, salt & pepper.

  • spread evenly over toasted bread & top with crumbled blue cheese + walnuts.

  • drizzle with honey & enjoy!

strawberry & feta toast

  • toast bread while you slice avocado & strawberry.

  • top bread with sliced avocado, drizzle with lime juice & sprinkle with salt + pepper.

  • finish with sliced strawberries & crumbled feta.

  • enjoy! 

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dessert chocolate + cheese board

 

growing up my parents took us to quite a few fancy restaurants in niagara-on-the-lake & fine dining restaurants on cruise ships. they wanted us to be part of every celebration & every milestone they reached. whenever we went to these types of restaurants & it was time for the dessert menu to be served, it always had a local cheese board dish on it. i never understood how cheese was considered a dessert?! it was probably because my knowledge of cheese didn't stretch past the basic marble cheddar & kraft singles i was used to eating... two cheeses i wouldn't dare to eat now. as i got older, it all began to make sense. pairing creamy style cheeses with fruits, nuts, jam & of course chocolate was the best way to end a perfect meal.

today i am teaming up with my friends at ghirardelli to present to you the ultimate dessert cheese board to serve at any party! be it awards, game day, or a casual gathering with friends, everyone is sure to find something they love on this board! now the star of this platter doesn't necessarily have to be the cheese, it can be all the fun chocolate you pair with it too! because you can't have dessert without a little chocolate i paired the cheese board with ghirardelli's snack line of chocolate covered treats! they make for the best finger foods as you saw in my previous salted cashew trail mix recipe (which you can find here). this board contains chocolate covered sea salt cashews, sea salt almonds, blueberries, and toasted coconut.. it has every flavour you can dream of.

ingredients

  • 1 4.8 oz package of ghirardelli milk chocolate sea salt cashew
  • 1 4.8 oz package of ghirardelli milk chocolate sea salt almond
  • 1 4.8 oz package of ghirardelli dark chocolate blueberry
  • 1 4.8 oz package of ghirardelli milk chocolate toasted coconut
  • 1 wheel extra creamy brie
  • 1/4 wheel extra creamy danish blue cheese
  • 1 orange, thinly sliced
  • 1 pomegranate, seeded
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries
  • 1 pear, thinly sliced
  • 1 baguette, thinly sliced & toasted

directions

  • on a large wood serving board place the brie & blue cheese.
  • arrange all other ingredients around it starting with the fruit, chocolate & baguette slices.

bold & blue cheeseboard ft. castello giveaway

 

happy december!!! i cannot believe how fast this year has flown by, but 2016 has turned out to be quite the year. christmas will be here in the blink of an eye & i still haven't finished my decorating or christmas shopping. almost done though, almost. we put a freshly cut tree up this weekend & decorated it with all these woodsy creatures. i think christmas shopping has been the most time consuming part this year. i seem to find nothing i want when i shop for myself & everything i want when i should be shopping for others. anyone else have that problem?! the one of a kind show i went to in toronto had the most beautiful things though a little over budget;)

as christmas rapidly approaches us, i promised you one more cheeseboard with the help of my friends at Castello®. a bold & blue cheeseboard with italian meats. now this is the cheeseboard my family puts together at every single gathering. since both my mom & dad are italian, we can't go anywhere without including prosciutto, capicola & salami. oh & those olives, i can't forget about the olives. these meats pair perfectly with strong cheeses, roasted or pickled veggies & some crackers or fresh italian bread. it is pretty much a deconstructed italian sandwich on a big beautiful platter. the three Castello® cheeses i used are the traditional danish blue (i always include a type of blue cheese on my cheeseboards, be it sweet or savoury), aged havarti (currently available at sobeys) & tickler extra mature cheddar. the cheddar and aged havarti can be found in the deli section of your grocery store & you can ask for a piece to be the exact size you want. tickler extra mature cheddar has a sweet + tangy flavour & has been aged for up to18 months. this wonderful variety of cheeses and meats is a savoury centrepiece for any holiday gathering.

p.s. in case you missed last months cheeseboard feature, i made a sweet & simple board that featured creamy Castello® cheeses, candied nuts & fresh + dried fruits. you can check it out here!

p.p.s i am giving away $25 of CASTELLO® CHEESE & this gorgeous raw edge wooden cheeseboard (!!!!) so you can make your own this holiday season. to enter just leave a comment below of what your favourite holiday cheese is. winner will be picked next week!

ingredients

directions

  • place the blue cheese, aged havarti & tickler extra mature cheddar on desired serving board.
  • line with prosciutto, spicy capicola & salami. decorate with olives, red peppers, grapes & herbs.
  • serve with crackers & sliced bread.

note: i usually put the different olives & red peppers in little pinch bowls & refill if necessary.

this post was created in partnership with Castello cheese! thank you for supporting the brands that keep me doing what i love. don't forget to enter the giveaway below for a chance to win $25 of Castello cheese & the featured raw edge wood board to create your own cheeseboard:) xo