Avocado Toasts on Seeded Multigrain Gluten-Free Bread

We have made dozens of variations on this very Californian (or Australian, depending on who you ask) recipe. This one highlights perfectly ripe avocado with a vegan salsa seca (dry salsa) and dukkah (from Egypt) mash-up made of toasted nuts, seeds, and spices with some nutritional yeast, fresh bean sprouts, and cilantro to bring the California vibes home.

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Step 1

Two to three days before you want to prepare the dish, sprout the mung beans and buckwheat groats, if using. Rinse the mung beans well, then place them in a 1-qt canning jar and add cold water to cover by several inches. Let soak for 12 hours.

Step 2

After 12 hours, drain the mung beans and rinse well again, rinsing until the water runs clear. Return the beans to the canning jar and cover the mouth of the jar with cheesecloth and secure with a rubber band. Place the jar upside down on a cooling rack set over a sheet pan so the mung beans continue to drain and have good air circulation as they sprout.

Step 3

Rinse the buckwheat groats well, until the water runs clear, then place in a 1-qt canning jar and add cold water to cover by several inches. Let soak for 30 minutes. Buckwheat groats are unique in that they require only 30 minutes of soaking. They also release a lot of vegetable gums and enzymes, which can inhibit sprouting, so be extra careful to rinse them well.

Step 4

After 30 minutes, drain the groats and rinse well again until the water runs clear. Return them to the canning jar, cover the mouth of the jar with cheesecloth, and secure with a rubber band. Place the jar upside down on the cooling rack set over the sheet pan so the groats continue to drain and have good air circulation as they sprout.

Step 5

Let the mung beans and groats sprout at room temperature for 12 hours. After 12 hours, the sprouts can be used immediately, or they can be stored in the jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Step 6

To make the salsa: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the cashews and pumpkin, sunflower, flax, sesame, and nigella seeds on a sheet pan and toast for 7 to 10 minutes, until golden and fragrant. In a medium skillet over medium-low heat, warm the oil. Add the pepper flakes and cook about 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the nuts and seeds to the pan and stir to combine well. Stir in the cumin and paprika and cook for 2 minutes, again until fragrant. Remove the pan from the heat and add the nutritional yeast, salt, and citric acid. Set aside to cool completely.

Step 7

Set a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over high heat. When the skillet is hot, add 1 Tbsp of the oil. After the oil melts, place two slices of bread in the hot pan and toast until browned on the underside, about 3 minutes. Flip the slices and toast until browned on the second side, about 3 minutes. Transfer the toasts to a platter or individual plates and cut in half. Repeat with the remaining oil and bread.

Step 8

Cut the avocados in half and remove the pits. Cupping an avocado half in your nondominant hand, use a butter knife to cut the flesh lengthwise into slices without cutting through the skin. Using a spoon, scoop the slices out of the skin and onto one toast, mashing the slices with the back of the spoon. Repeat with the remaining avocado halves and toasts. Top each toast with about 2 Tbsp each of the mung bean and buckwheat groat sprouts. Spoon about 2 Tbsp of the salsa over the sprouts and garnish with the cilantro leaves and chive blossoms. Serve immediately.