Snack time is my favorite time of the day 🙂 My savory snacking usually involves vegetables, greens and toast in some creative way but this time I was craving a classic – bruschetta and spinach toast with avocado. What I love about these simple healthy snacks besides the amazing taste is the fact that it takes me only about 15 minutes to make. And perhaps next summer (fingers crossed!) I can pick up the ingredients from our garden.
I am fully aware it’s not quite tomato season (here) yet, so this toast combo would taste even more mouthwatering in a few months with fresh juicy tomatoes. The ones I prefer come straight from the garden, they are grown with love and care in an all organic way.
The best mini tomatoes I’ve ever tasted I picked up from my sister’s beautiful garden in Munich last summer. The tomatoes were growing in abundance so wildly and happily that I decided to try growing my own tomatoes when the season arrives. I have no green thumb whatsoever but I’m willing to work hard and LEARN, just like I learned to take photos and learned to cook vegan food. So wish me luck – gardening season is here soon!
So while these toast toppings might not be the most creative ones, I believe trying classic combinations is very refreshing every now and then. If you haven’t snacked on bruschetta and spinach toast, perhaps I could persuade you to take a healthy snack break soon 🙂 ?
- [b]Bruschetta[/b]
- 1 cup cherry (or other mini) tomatoes
- 1/4 small red onion (~2 tbsp chopped onion)
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp garlic flakes (the equivalent of 1 garlic clove)
- Pinch of salt (to taste)
- [br]
- [b]Sauteed spinach[/b]
- 2 cups tightly packed baby spinach
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp garlic flakes (the equivalent of 1 garlic clove)
- Pinch of salt (to taste)
- [br]
- [b]For the toasts[/b]
- 4 gluten free toasts
- 1/2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 avocado
- [b]Bruschetta:[/b] Chop tomatoes and red onion.
- Put chopped tomatoes and onion into a bowl and mix together with other ingredients. Taste and add more salt, maple syrup or lemon juice to balance the flavors (if required).
- Cover bowl and keep in the fridge while preparing spinach and toasts.
- [b]Sauteed spinach: [/b]Wash baby spinach well and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Heat olive oil in a frying pan, add spinach and garlic flakes. Sautee for a few minutes in medium-high heat until the leaves have wilted a bit. Add salt.
- [b]Toasts: [/b]grill toast in the oven for a few minutes or put toasts in the toaster. Cut avocado into slices or hearts. Brush a little EVOO on top of toasts and add toppings.
- Enjoy this healthy snack!
ps. My kids LOVE sauteed spinach but this bruschetta was a bit too zingy for their taste. For a kid-friendly version I would use less vinegar and lemon in the recipe.
pps. What an honor to be featured among stunning Instagram accounts as “The 20 Best Vegan Instagram Accounts to Follow” on Metro Magazine. You can find the article here to see some amazing vegan inspiration! Thank you Mandy Mazliah 🙂
Natalie | Feasting on Fruit says
I am find myself craving the occasional savory snack lately too (which is strange for me) and tomato is almost always involved. Perhaps that’s because they are actually a fruit so you know I’d drawn to them 😀 Your bruschetta sounds delicious! But I’ve never thought to actually cook the spinach before making it into a toast topper. That is so smart, you can get in so many more greens that way since it shrinks down so much, plus a little extra flavor. As for tiny tomato growing, I think you will be very successful! They are a lot like berries right, and we know you are good with those 🙂 I once got this rainbow carton of tiny tomatoes from the farmers market and still to this day probably the best I’ve ever had <3 Keep us updated on the garden!
Tiinatuuli says
Thanks Natalie <3 I truly hope I will succeed in growing tomatoes, because I just really love this beautiful FRUIT. I actually hadn't thought of that before you mentioned it, but it really is a fruit. So no wonder I'm very drawn to it too 🙂 And bruschetta is so simple yet so tasty, it's kind of a fruity toast with all the tomatoes 😉 Hope you've had a wonderful weekend so far!
Saara / Kekäläisten grilli says
Moi, istuimme vierekkäin What’s cooking Helsingissä, ja oli pakko tulla kurkkaamaan blogiasi. Tosi kivan näköisiä juttuja sulla! Rupean seuraamaan sinua heti.
Tiinatuuli says
Moi! Mahtavaa, että löysit tänne, kiitos! Täytyykin heti kurkata blogiinne. Kiitos Sannalle inspiroivasta esityksestä, koko viikonlopun ajan mielessäni on pyörinyt mättövege – pakko kehitellä joku hyvä resepti!