One of the best things about a challenge is that it often takes you in a direction that youâve never quite considered before. And sometimes it takes you somewhere so simple you canât quite believe that youâve not tried it before.
This monthâs Random Recipes did just that. It has been teamed up with Alpha Bakes, and itâs going right back to the beginning, with the recipes - randomly selected, of course - going with ‘Aâ as the theme. So for todayâs recipe we have to thank the three people involved in the challenge organisation - Dom, Ros and Caroline.
So itâs quite simple to get the recipe this month, randomly pick the book (number 12 for me - the ever wonderful The Kitchen Diaries by Nigel Slater) and point randomly - eyes shut, naturally - at something in the index beginning with A. All well and good, but it appears Iâm an idiot and managed to initially point at something beginning with B. Fail. Attempt two was more successful, with the A in question this time round actually beginning with an A - it was ‘Avocadoâ.
This couldnât have turned out better, since Iâm currently going through a bit of an avocado phase (I didnât like them until about four months ago, now Iâm eating them whenever I can). In this case the recipe paired it up with bacon, which obviously makes it even better. And whatâs not to love about that?
In actual fact, itâs not really a recipe, but it was in the index so Iâm going to run with it. It was something thrown together at the last minute based on what was in the house (so Mr Slater tells us) when people came over unexpectedly. Since this slight mad dash to feed based on whatâs at hand is something I do on a regular basis I fully approve of this recipe and made it for a lazy weekend lunch. My only slight query comes from the fact that he calls it a salad. Avocado with bacon on bread doesnât exactly sound like a salad to me; but then again, who am I to question such things? And weâre meant to eat salads because theyâre healthy and such like, right? So a salad it shall be.
As you might expect from the combination of avocado and bacon itâs mouth-wateringly delicious. Itâs perfect for when you need a foodie fix but the idea of properly cooking is just not something you want to consider. I think Iâve found my new go-to snack.
Avocado & Bacon ‘Saladâ
This recipe comes from a comment made in Nigel Slaterâs The Kitchen Diaries, itâs not a full recipe in the book, so Iâve expanded it a little here. I also added in some cracked black pepper and the balsamic vinegar, whilst substituting the rye bread for a fresh farmhouse loaf. It feeds one, and if youâre hungry and double the recipe it will probably still feed one.
Ingredients
2 slices of bacon
half a ripe avocado
1 thick slice of fresh crusty bread
black pepper
balsamic vinegar
Directions
Cut the fat off your bacon and put it under the grill on a reasonably high heat. Whilst the bacon is cooking, cut a thick slice from your bread (mine was a good 4cm) and lay it on a plate.
Peel your avocado (youâre probably just going to eat the second half anyway) and cut a wedge out. Using the gap left by the wedge, take a sharp knife and cut fairly thin (a few millimetres thick) slices, layering them along the bread as they come off the fruit. Itâll use about half the avocado. Take a fork and mush the avocado into the bread a little, then top with a little bit of crushed black pepper (donât add salt - your bacon will take care of that).
When youâre baconâs cooked remove it from the grill and cut into thin slices, layering them along the avocado first one way, then the other. Take your balsamic vinegar and drizzle it over the top, letting it drip off the bacon, through the avocado and into the bread.
Sit back, open wide and take a bite - then just munch and enjoy. Bliss.
April 27, 2014
Itâs got green in it. Itâs salad. End of. Itâs also gorgeous. Avocado and bacon is a classic combo. I could eat this right now. Glad you enjoyed the challenge and hope the direction it took you wasnât to obscure! Thanks for the entry x
April 27, 2014
Yup, thatâs it settled. Iâm having a big avocado thing at the moment (and always have a bacon thing) - it was absolutely perfect!
April 27, 2014
This is a breakfast of champions - looks really tasty.
I love the idea of random recipes, might see if we can get involved, itâll be a good way to pull the recipe books out of retirement.
April 27, 2014
Breakfast, lunch, dinner, a snack - Iâll eat this any time! Itâs a great little challenge - good to get you out of your comfort zone.
April 30, 2014
This looks yummy!
April 30, 2014
This looks perfect for packing for lunch as a nice change. Looks lovely
April 30, 2014
Yeah - itâd be perfect for that, no reason why the bacon needs to be hot. Hope you get a chance to try it out.
May 2, 2014
It must be healthy if itâs a salad, right?! Thanks for entering Alphabakes!
May 2, 2014
Well, thatâs the rationale I live by! Totally my pleasure, looking forward to this monthâs challenge!
May 6, 2014
love the combination of bacon and avocado
May 6, 2014
Me too - definitely a convert. Thanks for visiting TUS.