I love adding vegetables to foods that don’t typically incorporate veggies. It adds more flavor and makes the food look more exciting and colorful. Plus, it gives us a wider variety of foods with items that are already familiar. This recipe is a fun way to start a meal while also getting in some whole grains, vegetables, and dairy! It gives the vibe of avocado toast without having avocado in it (although you can always add it if you want!). This is a versatile recipe because you can really add any vegetables you want to it, or even an egg!

Recipe

Yields 4 servings.

· 4 slices of bread of your choice: sourdough, whole grain, white, bagel, English muffin

· ½ container Boursin cheese

· 2-3 tbsp milk (any unsweetened kind in fine)

· Veggies

o 1 cucumber

o 1 small container of cherry tomatoes

o 1 carrot (I used a red carrot for some more color!)

o 2 radishes

o 1 c Arugula lightly chopped

o 1 tbsp chives

· 1 tsp Olive oil

· 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

· 4 tbsp pumpkin seeds- toasted

· Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions:

Prepare the cheese by adding the milk slowly (you might not need all of the milk) and mixing to make it spreadable. You can add as little or as much of the milk as you need to make the cheese less crumbly, smoother, and easier to spread.
Veggie Prep

Peel the cucumber and carrot to make thin strips. Slowly turn it to help avoid the seeds or core while making the thin strips.
Thinly slice the radishes.
Lightly chop the arugula into about ½ inch pieces.
Halve or quarter cherry tomatoes to make bite sized.
Chop chives into small slices
3. Mix the olive oil and vinegar to make a light dressing.

Assemble:

1. Toast the bread until it’s golden brown.

2. Spread the Boursin cheese on the bread, all the way to the edge.

3. Dress the cucumbers, carrots, and tomatoes in the vinaigrette.

Dress the arugula separately.

4. Add the dressed vegetables to the toast then top with the arugula.

5. Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds and chives on top.

6. Cut in half – optional.

7. EAT!!

Kaylee Christ is a Dietetic Intern and master’s student at UT Southwestern. She graduated from Texas Woman’s University in 2023 with her bachelor’s in nutrition with an emphasis in Dietetics. She originally went to culinary school and worked as a sous chef for many years before changing careers to become a dietitian. Kaylee is passionate about getting food to those who need it as well as breaking down the complicated puzzle that is cooking and nutrition into easy-to-understand pieces. In her free time, she plays frisbee with her Australian Shephard, Oliver. She also enjoys hiking, biking, and white water kayaking with her husband.