Avocado's ARE for Breakfast!

Received a beautiful box of Avocado's from Mexico the other day, courtesy of Lewis and Neale Inc., a leading communications agency devoted exclusively to the marketing of food and beverages out of New York.   I was asked to come up with a few breakfast recipes and I said "sure" enthusiastically.   I love avocado's and adding them into a breakfast recipe was so much fun.   Hope you try at least on of these!

Avocado's ARE for Breakfast!

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Bacon and Cheese Omelet with Avocado

 Ingredients:

• 6 eggs, whisked
• 4 slices bacon, fried and crumbled
• 1 C cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 T butter
• 1 avocado, sliced
• limes
• salt and pepper
• Spicy Yogurt Sauce

Directions:   In a small bowl, whisk eggs well.   In a large pan, melt the butter over medium heat.   Ladle 1/3 of the egg into the pan and rotate the pan, making sure the egg is evenly across the bottom.   Cook until no raw egg is visible.

In the center, add the cheese and crumbled bacon then fold in tri-fold fashion, bringing in the right third then the left third of the omelet.   Plate and garnish the entire omelet with sliced avocados topped with my Spicy Yogurt Sauce (recipe below).   Add a bit of salt and plenty of pepper and serve!

Spicy Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 C Greek Yogurt
• 1 T Ancho Chile powder
• 1 T Cumin
• Juice of 1 lime
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:   Mix the above ingredients together and serve over the omelet.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Breakfast in the Clouds

Grits, Eggs, Shrimp and Avocado

Ingredients:

• 1 C grits
• 2 C chicken stock
• 1 C half and half
• 1/2 C Monterrey jack cheese, grated
• 6 eggs, whisked
• 4 slices bacon, fried and crumbled
• 16 large gulf shrimp, peeled and de-veined
• 1 avocado from Mexico, mashed
• 1 t cajun spice
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 T Worcestershire Sauce
• 4 T hot sauce
• 1/2 C amber beer
• 4 oz butter, cubed
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions: In a small saucepan, combine chicken stock and half and half and bring to a simmer, adding the grits, stirring continuously.   Cook for 12 minutes, remove from heat and add cheese.   Stir well and hold.  In a large fry pan, fry bacon until crisp then crumble, set aside.  Season shrimp with cajun spice.   In the same fry pan and using the bacon drippings, saute the shrimp until cooked through.   Hold the shrimp in a bowl.   De-glaze shrimp/bacon pan with the juice of the lemon. then add the Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and beer.   Simmer and reduce to 1/2.   Remove from heat and add butter to finish sauce, whisk together.

In a separate pan, scramble eggs to your liking!   In a small bowl, de-seed avocado and mash, seasoning with salt and pepper.

To assemble - start with a thin layer of grits, topped with the scrambled eggs, then the mashed avocado.   Add shrimp and finish with sauce spooned over.   Top with crumbled bacon then dive into the cloud!

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Avocado Protein Shake

Ingredients:

• 1 C crushed ice
• 1 C skim milk
• 3 T whey protein powder (I use Vanilla flavored)
• 1 banana
• 1 avocado
• 2 T peanut butter
• 1 T honey
• 1 t vanilla extract

Directions:   Combine all the ingredients into a blender and process until mixed and smooth.   Drink immediately!