Beet Greens and Avocado Toast

Apparently I’ve been blogging now for two years.  Two whole years!  Also, apparently I missed the anniversary.  Oh well.  The point is, it’s been a really great two years.  Thank you so so much to everyone who has ever read my blog, it still amazes me that not only do people I don’t know read it, but people from around the world have stumbled onto my site.  It also amazes me how supportive everyone ever is about my writing this blog.  Considering I started out so hesitantly two years ago, I’m so glad I stuck with it.  Here’s to another two (and more!) years!

Last year, I decided to celebrate with something decadent.  This year, I’m going back to something more simple; avocado toast. (if you've never heard of avocado toast, it's pretty much exactly what it sounds like).  Now, I love a good avocado toast.  I mean, how can you go wrong with avocado and toasty bread, with just a squeeze of citrus and a pinch of salt?  You can’t.  But you sure can spruce it up!

I came about this combination mostly accidentally.  One day, a few months ago, I had some lovely beet greens and I sautéed them with a little garlic (because why would I ever do anything else with beet greens when they taste so amazing this way?).  I put the leftovers in a bowl in the fridge, and forgot about them until the next day when I was reaching in for a lime to squeeze over my avocado toast.  So I figured, why not toss the beet greens on top?  I’m so glad I did because now this is my favorite way to make avocado toast.

I like this recipe because it's filling, yet light, and it can be eaten at just about any time of the day.  The beet greens come out tangy with just a hint of spice, while the avocado helps mellow everything out in a way that only avocados can.  Plus, this dish is full of good-for-you fats, tons of iron and potassium, and a serving of whole grains (though this obviously depends on what kind of bread you use).  I used a hearty pumpernickel bread, which I highly recommend.  If you want to, you can prepare the beet greens ahead of time and refrigerate them for up to 3 days.

Did you know that beet greens naturally have some sodium in them?  That means that chances are, you don’t have to salt them, though different people clearly have different preferences when it comes to salt.  Like other leafy greens, they also have a nice dose of iron and vitamins A, C, and K.  But did you know that beet greens are one of the best sources of potassium?  That’s right, one cup of beet greens has nearly three times as much potassium as a medium banana.  Crazy, right?

Beet Greens and Avocado Toast Serves 3

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil

Beet greens and stems from 2 bunches of beets

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

1 lime, halved

3 slices of bread of choice (I highly recommend a hearty pumpernickel like this one)

1 avocado

Directions:

1.  Separate the stems from the leaves of the beet greens.  Cut the stems into 1-inch pieces, and give the leaves a nice, rough chop.

2.  Heat a pan over medium to low heat.  When the pan is hot, add the olive oil, and a few seconds later, add the stems only.  Sauté for 2-3 minutes, until the stems have softened.

3.  Add the minced garlic to the pan and sauté for 30 seconds to a minute.  Then add in the leaves.  Allow to cook for 3-5 minutes, until the greens are wilted, stirring frequently.  Once wilted, squeeze the juice out of one half of the lime into the pan, add the red pepper flakes, and give the greens one last quick toss before turning off the heat.

4.  While the greens are cooking, toast your bread.  Once toasted, divide the flesh of the avocado evenly between the slices, and smash it into the bread with a fork.

5.  Divide the beet greens among the three toasts, piling them on top of the avocado.  Finish by squeezing just a little more lime juice out of the remaining half a lime over each toast.  Serve immediately.

Enjoy!