Avocado toast with cream cheese + honey

Why this combination works

It is the salt, fat, sweet and heat all landing at once. The cream cheese gives you a tangy, salty base, the honey cuts through it, and the chilli flakes stop the whole thing being one-note. Take any one of the four away and it becomes an ordinary avocado toast.

Bread matters more than usual

With this few ingredients there is nowhere to hide. Sourdough is worth it here because the sourness does the same job as a squeeze of lemon. Toast it properly - well coloured, not pale - so it stays crisp under the cream cheese rather than going soft in a minute.

Picking the avocado

You want one that gives slightly under your thumb at the stem end but is not soft all over. Too firm and it will not slice cleanly; too ripe and it turns to paste under the knife. Slicing rather than mashing is the right call for this one, because you want distinct layers rather than everything blurring together.

Swaps

Any vegan cream cheese makes this fully plant based. Agave or maple work in place of the honey, and maple in particular is lovely with the chilli. Ricotta is a good swap if you want something lighter and milder.

Making it more filling

On its own this is a light breakfast. An egg on top, a spoon of hemp hearts, or some roasted tofu turn it into something that will actually see you through to lunch. Toasted seeds also add the crunch that this otherwise lacks.