Vegan Caprese

I was on family vacation last week, and made this easy appetizer/salad twice. The first time, I whipped it up so I would have something to eat while my family and friends were snacking on cheese and crackers. But it ended up nearly disappearing before I even got to it. Poor cheese- you've been replaced by something healthier and fresher-tasting ;-) But in all honesty, I was really pleased to share this yummy dish, and have my family love it, especially since none of them are vegan or even vegetarian. It's a dish for everyone!

Vegan Caprese
In this easy salad or appetizer, creamy avocado replaces mozzarella cheese, and you won't miss it. You can use large tomatoes and cut and prepare as a traditional caprese, with large tomato rounds and large slices of avocado, or cube everything and serve with toothpicks, as I did above. I actually really like doing the latter as an appetizer!

Ingredients:

• 1 large, ripe avocado
• 2-3 red tomatoes of choice (I used vine-ripe)
• 2-3 yellow tomatoes, or 3/4 cup yellow cherry or pear tomatoes
• 3 Tbsp fresh chopped basil
• 2 tsp EVOO
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Pretty straight-forward! Cut as you wish, for appetizer or salad. Simple and definite crowd-pleaser. If you have leftovers, this makes for a great addition to a salad on top a bed of greens the next day! To prevent avocado from browning, simple squeeze a little lemon juice on it.

Enjoy!