Today's recipe is extra special because it ties into my new book, Shifted. As a vegan, I wanted to share a recipe that could be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of their dietary restrictions. I also wanted it to be easy to make. I also wanted something that connected to the characters in the book, and after much deliberation, I settled on my favorite version of avocado toast!
Avocado toast might seem like a basic recipe, but trust me, this version is anything but. In fact, my main character, Jacey, and her best friend Leon regularly make breakfast for each other as a way to care for each other and talk things through. There's one scene in particular where Leon makes Jacey avocado toast, and it's a moment that highlights their friendship.
Here's what you'll need:
1 ripe avocado
2 slices of your favorite bread (feel free to use a gluten-free or grain-free version as needed)
4 tablespoons of vegan cream cheese (can be substituted for the dairy version if you prefer)
1 tablespoon of capers
1 cucumber sliced thinly - lengthwise
Pickled Red Onions (instructions below)
Fresh Dill
Directions:
1. Toast your bread until it's nice and crispy.
2. While the bread is toasting, cut your avocado in half and remove the pit. Scoop the flesh into a small bowl and mash it with a fork until it's mostly smooth.
3. Take your cucumber and cut it very thinly, length-wise, and set aside. This can be done with a knife or a vegetable peeler.
4. When the bread is finished, spread your vegan cream cheese on each slice.
5. Then spread the avocado mixture on top of each slice.
6. Add capers, sprigs of dill, and pickled onion to the top.
7. Cover with your cucumber slices.
8. If you're feeling fancy, sprinkle a pinch of red pepper flakes on top for a little extra kick.
9. Enjoy!
Pickled Onion Recipe:
Ingredients:
1 medium red onion, very thinly sliced
½ cup water
¼ cup distilled white vinegar
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup (or honey if you’re not vegan)
1 ½ teaspoons salt
Directions:
1. Thinly slice your red onion and place it in a mason jar.
2. In a saucepan, heat all other ingredients until they come to a boil
3. Carefully pour the ingredients over your onions.
4. Use a butter knife to press the onions down so they are completely submerged.
5. Let onions sit for a minimum of 20-30 minutes before serving.
6. Can be stored for up to 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator.
This recipe is perfect for breakfast or as a quick snack, and it's incredibly satisfying. Plus, it's packed with healthy fats and nutrients, making it a great choice for vegans and non-vegans alike. I hope you enjoy it as much as Jacey and Leon do!
And if you're interested in reading Shifted, it's available now on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Happy cooking and happy reading!
The Shifted Series
Book One
Roxanna Mason
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Date of Publication: 12/18/2022
ISBN: 979-8-218-12243-0
ASIN: B0BNCBQT61
Number of pages: 516
Word Count: 109,379
Cover Artist: Benjamin Richard
Book Description:
Jacey Lange has everything she has ever wanted. She is newly engaged, and her menswear line is one of the fastest-growing in the country. Beautiful, successful, and deeply in love, Jacey feels like she's on top of the world.
That is, until she catches her fiance in bed with her assistant.
Everything around her comes crashing down.
Thankfully, her best friend, Leon, welcomes her back to her old apartment with open arms. The people in Jacey’s life watch for months as she wallows in her misery, until Leon hatches a plan: if Jacey agrees to get herself back out there and promises to go out with the next five guys that ask her, no matter who they are, then not only will he give her the master bedroom in the apartment, but both Leon and Jacey’s sister, Elise, will agree to stop meddling in her love life.
In rapid succession, Jacey finds herself falling for five completely different men. Yet despite all their differences, there is something oddly familiar about each one. When she finds out why, it won't just change the way she feels about love, it will make her question everything she once thought was real.
Excerpt:
I didn't know
what Owen had in mind, but it was already obvious to me that I would go
anywhere this man was leading. He kept his hand in mine as he guided me through
the crowded bar and toward the pool tables. Thankfully, because the band was
still playing, the back of the bar was far less populated.
"Is playing
pool normally part of a first date with you, or are you just trying to get me
alone?" I teased.
Owen took a step
towards me, pinning me between him and the pool table.
"Both,"
he said with a smile on his face that I could only describe as wicked.
I tilted my head
to the side as I looked up at him. "Let's make it interesting, then."
"Interesting?"
I took a step to
the side, sliding out from between him and the ancient wooden table. I grabbed
a pool cue off of the rack and tossed it to him before grabbing a decidedly
smaller one for myself. "We're going to need more shots," I said to
him.
A smile crept
over his dark features. "My kind of girl..." he murmured as he lowered
his head towards mine.
"Nope, if
you want to kiss me, you better plan on winning."
Owen shook his
head and left me at the table while I started to rack the balls. A few minutes
later, he returned with four shots; two of whiskey, two of tequila. I took one
of the shot glasses filled with dark brown liquor straight out of his hand and
threw it back. I winced as the alcohol made my throat close in on itself. The
truth was, I might have been putting on a show. I enjoyed the way I felt around
Owen, but I didn't know if I was as wild as I wanted him to believe.
"So what
are the stakes here?" he asked me as he set the remaining shots on a
nearby hightop.
"If you
win, you get to take me home..." I said in a voice I barely recognized as
my own. It was breathy and seductive. Those two shots apparently went to my
head faster than I thought.
"And if you
win?" Owen asked with a raised brow.
"If I win,
I get a second date."
"Who said
we can't do both?" he said with a chuckle.
I rolled my
eyes. I didn't have this whole impulsive, whiskey-drinking, short skirt-wearing
Jacey completely figured out yet.
Owen took a step
towards me. He reached for my hips and pulled me toward him. "What do you
really want?"
I could feel my
pulse banging in my ears, and the loud, crowded bar faded into the background.
He reached around my head, threading his fingers into my hair and tugging me
towards him. I leaned forward, expecting him to kiss me, but his mouth hovered
over mine.
"What do you
want?" he asked again.
"You,"
I said, my voice caught in my throat.
"What was
that?" he asked teasingly. His deep voice, vibrating through me.
"I want
you."
Finally, he
brought his lips to mine and kissed me deeply. Kissing Owen wasn't new to me;
we couldn't stop kissing the night he drove me over the Brooklyn Bridge. But
this was something else. I wasn't sure I even knew my own name anymore.
"When I take you
home, it's going to be because you're begging me to...not because I won at
pool."
Roxanna Mason is a debut paranormal romance author and formally trained actor from Los Angeles, California. It was her deep love of storytelling that led her to study theatre and that same love of storytelling that drove her to write her first novel. When not writing, Roxanna is binge watching horror films, creating vegan recipes, and dancing around her living room to Fleetwood Mac.
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