Californian Avo-eggo

"I hoped that she had chosen California because she thought that was her true home, the place where she really belonged, where it was always warm and you could dance in the rain, pick grapes right off the vines, and sleep outside at night under the stars." - Jeanette Walls "The Glass Castle" 

Avocados are one of the most popular fruits in California. Yep, they're a fruit. Crazy, huh? And they are everywhere here, which is great for me, because I'm completely in love with avocados!

I love their health benefits (high in potassium, high in protein, and full of amino acids!), and I love how their rich and earthy taste.

I've been finding every excuse to make recipes with avocados, and with only three ingredients (if you don't count pepper!), this is definitely one of the easiest avocado recipes I've made. This is quickly become a breakfast staple for me. Hope you enjoy it, too!



Ingredients:
1 ripe avocado
one ounce of shredded cheese*
2 eggs

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350F. Cut your avocado in half, lengthwise. Twist the avocado to avoid breaking the avocado apart while separating the two halves. Remove the seed.

Step 2: Cut the hole left by the pit a little wider. Its up to you how wide and how much egg you want to bake. In my picture, I was able to fit about half the egg white and the yolk. Don't waste the delicious avocado meat that you've removed. Set it aside and make yourself some yummy guac! Or cook it alongside your avocado to eat.

Step 3: Place your avocado halves in an oven safe dish. Crack your egg into a small bowl. Using a spoon, fill the avocado with the yolk first, and then any additional egg white.

Step 4: Bake the avocado for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven, and sprinkle with cheese (and pepper, if desired). Bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, the egg is cooked to your desired taste. serve while hot.

Serves 2.

*I used Trader Joe's "Surprise Cheddar Cheese" which has sharp, parmeseany goodness flavor. I think most cheeses would taste great though, so feel free to experiment!

Easy Ham and Cheese Omelettes

"Omelettes are not made without breaking eggs." - Maximilien Francois Robespierre

The great thing about omelettes is that you can put just about anything in them that is going bad in your fridge and it will taste great. Chopped tomatoes, stuffing, bacon, sausage, onions, peppers, whatever sounds good to you! My fiance and I have been literally eating ham all week (the one I posted earlier!) so our omelettes tonight are ham and cheese, but feel free to add your own ingredients!

Ingredients:
6 eggs
1/3 cup skim milk
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/3 cup cubed or shredded cooked ham
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoon chopped chives
2 tablespoons margarine

Directions:

Step 1: In a large bowl add eggs, milk, and garlic salt. Whisk for at least 2 minutes.

Step 2: Using a nonstick pan (6-8 inches), heat 1T of the butter on medium heat. When the butter is completely melted, add half the egg mixture to the pan. Let it cook for about 2-3 minutes, then tilt the pan and redistribute any liquid egg mixture that is left for even cooking.

Step 3: Add half the ham, cheddar cheese, and chives to one side of the pan. Carefully fold the omelette in half. Cook for an additional minute, then flip and cook for 30-60 seconds, or until completely cooked. Salt and pepper to taste.

Step 4: Repeat all steps for 2nd omelette.

Serves 2 large omelettes. 

Chocolate Covered Cherry Oatmeal Bake

"All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt." - Charles M. Schulz

This is the perfect dish to make if you have guests over for breakfast this holiday season. Its fast, easy, tasty, and filling. I brought it to a work meeting last week and didn't end up with any leftovers!

Ingredients:
1 package of dried cherries (about 1 cup)
1 cup milk chocolate chips 
2 1/2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup diced walnuts
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
5 tablespoons melted butter
Zero calorie butter spray

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400F degrees. Coat the bottom of a 8x11 pan (or comparable) with zero calorie butter spray.

Step 2: In a large bowl mix oats, chocolate, cherries, walnuts, salt, brown sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon. Pour the dry mixture into the 8x11 pan.

Step 3: In your now empty bowl mix eggs, milk, vanilla, and melted butter. Pour the mixture over the dry oat mixture and make sure that all pieces are covered. 

Step 4: Bake oatmeal for 40-45 minutes. If you want the oatmeal solid, let cool for 1 hour after baking, then reheat in the microwave for 20 seconds. Otherwise serve fresh out of the oven!

Serves 8-10.