Thursday, April 25, 2013

Baked Stuffed Breakfast Avocados



The beauteous and delectable avocado sometimes gets a bad rap for being high in fat, but it's important to realize it's the good kind; the sort that lowers cholesterol. They are also loaded with potassium, folic acid, and vitamins B6, C, E, and K, and are a good source of fiber - so the fact that they are nonsensically delicious is just the icing on the proverbial cupcake!

I got this idea - as I have so many others - from a recipe I saw on some random blog. The mad person in charge of this particular asylum had taken it in their head to stuff a lovely avocado with eggs and bacon and bake it in the oven, presumably in the interest of creating an edible metaphor for the battle between good and bad cholesterol e'en then being pitched in their arteries. I've had baked avocado in warm salad applications (served with wilted spinach, roasted tomato, and a drizzle of balsamic: swoon), but I'd never considered having it for breakfast. When I realized what a fool I'd been, I headed straight for the kitchen, and about a half hour later we were digging into what my partner dubbed the "best breakfast food ever." Definitely one to make again! (Be forewarned that these things are both filling and rich - I could only manage one half - so all you need alongside is some decent toast for any excess gooey avocado, and maybe a fruit salad if you want to feel full and extra virtuous.)

Baked Stuffed Breakfast Avocados
Ingredients
~ 2 perfect, ripe-yet-firm avocados
~ 1 large potato
~ 4 slices tempeh bacon, cooked according to package directions
~ 1/2 tsp. each: salt, smoked paprika
~ 1-2 tsp. hot sauce (I used Frank's original)
~ 1-2 tbsp. nutritional yeast
~ A few grinds of black pepper

Directions
~ Preheat the oven to 425 degrees fahrenheit and coat a small baking sheet with cooking spray.
~ Pierce the potato with a fork and microwave until soft (microwaves vary; this took about 7 minutes in mine). When it's cool enough to handle, remove the peel, and mash the cooked potato in a bowl.
~ Slice the avocados in half, remove the pits, and scoop out just enough of the flesh to make a well for the filling. Add the scooped out avocado to the mashed potato along with the salt, smoked paprika, hot sauce,  black pepper, and nooch; mash until smooth.
~ Add the crumbled, cooked bacon and combine thoroughly. Fill the avocado cavities with the potato mixture and bake, uncovered, at 425 for about 15 minutes, until the filling is browned and the exposed avocado around the edges is bright green and a bit oozy. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

2 comments:

  1. Because Desdemona could only eat one half, I got three. WIN!

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  2. That sounds amazing! I don't think I've ever cooked avocados. They've been warmed up when added on top of something hot as a garnish. I have avocados ripening on the counter and some fakin' that needs eating so this will happen this week!

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