Avocado Egg Cups

Avocado egg cups = win! I saw this idea on Pinterest, but couldn’t find a bake time, so I took it upon myself to experiment and see what worked. It’s pretty darn easy, delicious, and pretty to look at. Dribble on a little hot sauce and voila, total yum! I’m not a fan of spicy but the richness of the egg and avocado cut through the heat to allow me the zing I love without the burn.  I used basic seasoning this time, but up next I'll through in some cumin, paprika, and chili powder for some southwestern flare.


Super Easy Avocado Egg Cups

1 Avocado
2 Eggs
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Hot Sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Split open the avocado and remove the giant seed. Season the inside of the avocado with a little pepper, garlic and salt (very minimal). Crack open eggs and drop into holes where the seed use to be in the avocado. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic to your desired taste. Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes or until eggs reach your level of desired doneness. I prefer a little bit runny yolk, while my husband wants his eggs cooked without a bit of dribble. Top with hot sauce or whatever you prefer and ENJOY!

This was super easy and the avocado melted in my mouth. I served it with a side of sausage and this is an excellent breakfast or dinner meal!

"Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires...courage."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Herb Crab Salad Stuffed Avocado Goodness

We love avocados and we love crab meat.  When we saw this tasty combo in the August 2010 issue of Everday with Rachel Ray, it was a no brainer that we had to try it.  It's a great light and healthy summer meal.  Healthy is such a relative term - according to our lifestyle it's healthy.  Good fats and nice lean meat, plus low carbs.  Well, to my dear husband low carb is sinful, but I like to eat lower processed carb meals. 

This is something that can be mixed up with various herbs.  We grow fresh sage and basil, so that is what we used. 

Herb Crab Salad Stuffed Avocados
Adapted from August 2010 Everyday with Rachel Ray

2 T chopped fresh herbs (I used basil and sage)
1/3 C Mayonnaise
1 t Red Wine Vinegar
Pinch Pepper
2 Cloves Garlic
Salt
1/3 C chopped celery
8 oz. Lump Crabmeat
4 Pitted Avocados, Halved

Chop garlic cloves and sprinkle a little bit of salt on them.  Work chopped cloves with the side of the knife blade smashing the garlic against the cutting board until the garlic is pastelike. 

In a small bowl combine the fresh herbs, mayonnaise, red wine vinegar, smashed garlic, pepper, and celery; mix well.  Add in the lump crabmeat and spoon into the avocado halves.  Enjoy because these are delicious!

Taco Night Amped Up and Healthy (yes it still tastes good)

We had the most amazing taco night ever!!!  Matt made me homemade guacamole and some bean and corn concotion that was out of this world.  We made homemade taco meat seasoning and used grass fed ground beef.  MMmm, I could eat this every night.  I did not get a good picture of the guacamole, but you can see it's very fresh - plastic wrap lines and all.  It is such a gorgeous color and whispers come hither to me from the fridge.

Matt and I love being in the kitchen together and this dinner was no different.  I think a lot of our meals taste so delicious because we create them together and share the love of cooking and eating.  I was super excited for Matt to try grass fed ground beef and the taste difference in flavor.  I'm really big into organic and whole foods, but he loves preservatives, haha. 

Coming soon....chicken spanikopita meatballs and fresh authentic tzatziki!

Taco Seasoning

2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1.5 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon sea salt
dash of cayenne pepper or more to suit your taste
freshly ground pepper to taste

In a large skillet I browned the beef with a chopped onion and then drained the very little fat that was in the beef.  Place the beef and onion back in the skillet and add the taco seasoning and a 1/4 c water. 

Guacamole from Tyler Florence
4 ripe avocados
3 limes, juiced
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 serrano chiles (Matt left these out)
1 big handful fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 to 1 Tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Halve and pit the avocados.  Scoop out the flesh with a tablespoon into a mixing bowl.  Mash the avocados with a fork, leaving them somewhat chunky.  Add the remaining ingredients, and fold everything together to gently mix.  Lay a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the guacamole so it doesn't brown and refrigerate overnight before serving.

BEST GUACAMOLE I've EVER eaten!!!  I could eat this until my belly hurt it was so good.  He only used 2 limes because one of them provided LOTS of juice.

Matt's Bean and Corn Concotion
1 can black beans
1 can mexi-corn
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 lime, juiced
Olive Oil

In a skillet, heat olive oil and saute the chopped onion and garlic until the onion is translucent.  Add beans, corn, and lime juice; heat through and serve. 

This was very good and we ate it in our tacos.  It would also be good as a dip for tortilla chips!

Mmmm, the finished product getting ready to go into my belly!!!!