Even though I am partial to the odd BLT or BELTAC, (Bacon, Egg, Lettuce, Tomato, Avocado and Cheese) I tend to stray away from the DIY version at home…..maybe not giving credit enough to the old two slices which serve as a container for other food. 

In Australia it was unusual for me to see avocado used in such creative ways….it seemed as if its uses were limitless, it has BIG respect. Often used as a substitute for butter (not normally my thing) but it works in this fashion, as does the old egg yolk for lots of Aussies all over the world, including my very own one here with me. 

I found the recipe on ‘sprouted Kitchen’ a great blog, if you’ve not yet seen it. I’m going through a bit of a harissa phase and the ‘green harissa’ bit inspired me. I had enough left over to stir through pasta with parmesan and have frozen the rest (I intend to dollop this on a steak with some butter) as a kind of chimichurri. My extension to the recipe is good quality maple cured bacon but salami would also work well, even poached chicken if you also fancy adding some protein. Don’t worry about being too specific with the herbs you use, just don’t be too liberal with the mint as it can be overpowering.

Ingredients – Makes enough harissa for 4 sandwiches or use leftover paste for pasta/steak/salad dressing (anything you’d use a pesto for)

• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 cup of coriander
• 1/2 cup mint leaves
• 1/2 cup parsley
• 2 jalepenos (stemmed and seeded to heat preference) I used 1 whole and 1 deseeded
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin, fennel seeds and sea salt
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Sliced bread of choice
• 1 large ripe avocado
• Leaves whole from a cos lettuce
• 1 bulb of fennel, sliced thinly

Method

Place all harissa ingredients in a food processor or blend by hand, adding the oil in a steady slow stream until you have a thick, spreadable paste.

Mash avocado roughly with a fork.

Toast bread if you wish, spread harissa over one slice and avocado over the other.

Add lettuce, sliced fennel and bacon (if using). Sandwich together and enjoy.