Avocado Breakfast

When we lived in Chicago, I discovered that I actually like avocados for breakfast.  We were doing a fitness challenge through he Discovery Channel and one of the breakfast ideas was an omelet with shrimp and avocado.  It was one of our favorites and I adjusted it to also use bay scallops instead of the shrimp.  I haven't thought of that recipe in a very long time, but this morning had an avocado that I needed to use before it got too ripe.  Last week, in my weekly pins from Pinterest, I got a pin that looked quite yummy.  It was a spicy tomato avocado egg bake from Kalyn's Kitchen (http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2014/07/baked-eggs-skillet-with-avocado-tomatoes.html). It was so pretty, I thought I would give it a try.  Of course, I had to add cheese to it because I need the extra protein, but it looked pretty simple and I have just recently come into a cast iron skillet, which is what she recommends to use.  Oh, and if you haven't spent any time perusing this website (www.kalynskitchen.com), you should.  She's got a lot of really yummy looking, healthy recipes on her site!

So, here is my version of the recipe:

Baked Eggs Skillet with Spicy Tomatoes and Avocado

• 1 can (10 oz.) Ro-Tel tomatoes 
• 1 ripe avocado, sliced lengthwise into 10 slices
• salt and fresh-ground black pepper, to taste
• 4 eggs*
• 1/2 cup sharp cheddar, shredded  
  

 
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400F. Break eggs into individual ramekins and let the eggs come to room temperature while you proceed with the recipe.  (This might seem a bit fussy, but if you start with cold eggs the yolks will get too done by the time the whites are cooked.)

Spray a medium-sized ovenproof frying pan with non-stick spray or brush with oil, add the tomatoes, and start to simmer over medium heat.  (I used a 10.25 inch Cast Iron Skillet, and I highly recommend using cast iron for this if you have it.)

While the tomatoes simmer, peel the avocado, cut in half, and then cut each half into 5 thin slices. When all the liquid has evaporated from the tomatoes (about 4-5 minutes), turn the heat to low and arrange the avocado slices like spokes of a wheel in the pan.  Gently put each egg between two avocado slices, spacing them evenly apart.  Season to taste with salt and fresh-ground black pepper.

Put the skillet into the pre-heated oven and bake until whites are completely set and the yolks are done to your liking, about 6-8 minutes for runny yolks.  Add the cheese and return to oven for a minute to melt the cheese.  Serving size (for me) is one egg plus 1/2 vegetables.  

*CSA ingredients