Summer Brunch: Avocado and Tomato Toast

These delicious avocado and tomato toasts are the perfect summer breakfast, brunch, or snack!

Avocado and Tomato Toast 

Summer is the perfect time to eat in-season produce and keep things light. Avocado toast has been around for a while and don't we all just love it? This is a variation and features slices of avocado and juicy ripe grape tomatoes.. Top them off with off with salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil and you'll have the perfect snack, breakfast, brunch item.  

4 basic ingredients and you have an outstanding standing dish!  So simple to make.  Your whole family will love it and you'll want to eat this all summer long!

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

• Your favorite bread.  I chose a nice sourdough.
• ripe avocados
• grape tomatoes 
• olive oil 
• salt & pepper 

Substitutions and Variations

• Use slices of heirloom tomatoes for a decadent treat
• Add some feta cheese or ricotta salata
• Drizzle with some balsamic glaze
• Add some cut basil

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Toast your bread in a toaster or in a skillet for nice golden toasted bread
• Keep your avocados and slices for nice chunky bites
• Once you slice your avocado in 1/2, take one half and peel the skin leaving the flesh together in one piece. Cut in to slices.
• Eat right away so your avocado doesn't turn brown.

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Avocado and Tomato Toast 

serves 1 - 2

1 slice of a large piece of bread
1/2 avocado, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half
olive oil for drizzling
salt & pepper

Cut your bread in half and toast it in the toaster.  Otherwise you can butter the slice of bread and toast it in a skillet over medium heat, turning once.

Place slices of avocado on each slice of toasted bread.  Top with grap tomato halves.  Drizzle each slice with a little olive oil, and sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste.  Serve immediately.

Summer Entertaining: Grilled Flank Steak with Pepper Tomato Relish

Melt in you mouth steak that is grilled to perfection and then topped with a pepper and tomato relish that is the bomb!  That's summer entertaining!

Grilled Flank Steak with Pepper Tomato Relish

Let's fire up the grill and start our summer entertaining season!  Today we are grilling up a wonderful steak topped with a pepper and tomato relish that creates such a flavor bomb, it's heaven!  Our steak is a large cut of flank steak that is easy to cook, feeds a crowd, and comes out succulent and tender.  It's always been a favoroite cut of mine that we cook all summer long.  

However, the true star of the dish is the relish.  Made from different colors of bell peppers and grape tomatoes, some garlic, and a dash of balsamic vinegar, this takes the steak to the next level.  In fact this relish would be good on pork, chicken, or fish, or just over rice as a vegetarian dish.  It's that good!  So start the summer of with a bang and make this dish now.  You love it at first bite.

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

• flank steak 
• mini bell peppers (the ones packed in a bag)
• grape tomatoes
• garlic
• red pepper flakes
• balsamic vinegar
• fresh basil
• sugar
• steak seasoning (I use "Back of the Yards Garlic Pepper Butcher's Rub"

Substitutions and Variations

• Use any color bell peppers you like, or all of one color.
• Use sun-dried tomatoes instead of fresh tomatoes.
• Change the cut of beef to top sirloin, flat iron, or london broil.
• The relish will go great over pork, chicken, and fish as well.
• Use salt & pepper to season your meat.

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• You can grill you steak outdoors on a gas or charcoal grill, or you can grill indoors with a grill pan.
• Make the relish first then grill your steak as a time saver.
• Serve with rice, grilled vegetables, mashed potatoes, or corn on the cob.

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Grilled Flank Steak with Pepper Tomato Relish

serves 4

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
12 mini bell peppers (red, orange, and yellow, from a bag), seeded, and diced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
pinch of crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 pint of grape tomates, halved 

2 Tablespoons sliced fresh basil
1 1/2 - 2 pounds beef flank steak
steak seasoning of your choice (I used "Back of the Yards Garlic Pepper Butcher's Rub")

For relish, in an extra-large, deep skillet, heat olive oil over medium. Add peppers and season with salt.  Cook until peppers are softened, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and crushed red pepper. Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar and sugar.  Immediately reduce your heat to low so the vinegar doesn't burn.  Stir peppers in vinegar,  Add tomatoes and continue to cook about 5 minutes until tomatoes start to give off their juices and shrivel in texture.  Remove from heat and add basil. Set aside.

Pat steak dry and season both sides generously with steak seasoning.  Grill steak over medium heat 10 to 12 minutes total, turning over half way through for medium (155 degrees).   Remove from grill and tent with foil and let the steak rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Slice thinly against the grain. Serve relish warm or at room temperature over sliced flank steak.

Tropical Smoothie

Filled with pineapples and strawberries this smoothie will have you starting your day with visions of the tropics!

Tropical Smoothie

I made this smoothie back around Easter time and totally forgot to post about it.  It is a delightful smoothie that you will sure to love.  Dreams of tradewinds and palm trees come to mind when tasting this tropical flavored smoothie.  The flavors of coconut milk, banana, strawberries and pineapple mixed together make the most luscious smoothie.

Perfect for breakfast or as a midday snack, this smoothie hits the spot and has you dreaming you were somewhere else.

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

• banana
• strawberries
• fresh pineapple
• coconut milk
• greek yogurt
• ice

Substitutions and Variations

• Use coconut flavored greek yogurt for a stronger coconut flavor

• Use any non dairy milk - or use regular milk in place of the coconut milk

• Add a dash of vanilla for a boost of flavor

• Use mango instead of pineapple

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• freeze your ripe bananas for making smoothies

• place the liquid in the bottom of the blender to assist in the mixing

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Tropical Smoothie

serves 2

6 oz or 3/4 cup greek yogurt
1/2 banana
5-6 strawberries, hulled
5-6 cubes of pineapple
1 cup ice
1/4 - 1/3 cup coconut milk

In a blender add 1/4 cup coconut milk, yogurt, and the fruit.  Top with ice and blend on high until blended.  If the mixture is too thick add an additional splash of coconut milk and blend again.  Serve immediately.