Poached Eggs with Salmon and Avocado

This recipe makes a great, protein-rich breakfast... if you can afford the time first thing in the morning! (That's not to say it takes a long time, just more than pouring a bowl of cereal!) My taste-tester had her doubts when I told her, but was quickly convinced that this recipe deserves to be made again (and again).

Ingredients

• 1 small red onion
• 1 avocado
• 1 large piece of smoked salmon tip
• 4 eggs
• 4 slices of bread
• Fresh chopped green onions

Sauce

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• Juice from half a lemon
• 1 tbsp chives
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Pepper, to taste

Equipment

• Egg poachers
• Knife
• Pot or frying pan to boil water for poaching eggs.

Steps

1. First, set a pan or pot with water to boil at a nice rolling boil speed (so you don't have to wait later for it!)
2. Next, make the sauce. Add the components of the sauce together in a small mixing bowl, and mix until it is thoroughly blended. Set aside for later.
3. When the water is ready at a slow boil, break the eggs into lightly oiled egg poachers, and set them in the water. Cover, and cook for approximately 4 minutes. This should cook the whites of the eggs, while leaving the yolk mostly runny. Cook longer if you prefer it more hard-boiled. Remove the poachers from the water when the time is up. In the meantime...
   
4. Toast 4 pieces of bread.
5. Cut the avocado into 4 pieces, and remove the rind and seed. Cut each quarter into several slices, and lay the slices from each quarter on to each of the 4 pieces of toast.
6. Chop the red onion into small, thin slices, and lay as many slices are you wish on the top of the avocado layer.
7. Next to add is the salmon. I prefer to buy a single large piece from the supermarket, and I break it into 4 quarters and crumble the quarters over the avocado and onions. (See my note below for a variation.)
8. Spoon a tablespoon or two of the sauce over the salmon. Again, add as much as your taste desires.
9. Remove the poached eggs from the poachers by using a knife to loosen the edges and then flipping the whole thing upside down over the salmon. The eggs should fall out easily.
10. Finally top the whole thing with a sprinkle of fresh green onions, and salt and pepper to taste.

For a more complex and fancy variation, try purchasing larger filets of smoked salmon. Instead of crumbling it over the avocado, use a medium-sized piece to wrap the poached egg, and place the whole thing over the rest.

Also, if you don't have egg poachers, you can poach the eggs directly in the boiling water. The trick is to not have it rapidly boiling, and to add a splash of white vinegar to the water. The vinegar ensures that the egg whites don't just spread out everywhere in the water, but rather that they coagulate as a whole piece. For the same reason, a minimum amount of boiling helps as well... you need it hot enough to cook, but not so rapidly boiling that the bubbles destroy the eggs to bits! (Unfortunately, I know this from experience!)

Guacamole

Ingredients

• 2 ripe avocados
• 1/2 cup chopped onion (I used red, but others should work)
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  
• 1 medium vine tomato
• 2 tsp freshly ground coriander
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp juice from a lime (~1 slice of lime, squeezed)
• 1/2 tbsp dried cilantro

Equipment

• Medium bowl
• Fork, knife, spoon
• Small serving bowl
  

Steps

1. Cut the 2 avocados in half, remove the seeds, and scoop out the flesh. Dice the avocado into small cubes and add them to the bowl. Mash them up really well using a fork until you have a creamy green paste with few lumps. (Tip: Bigger bowls are better for this, since a small bowl will mean you end up with the ingredients all over the counter!)
2. Chop up the onion into fine pieces, and add it to the avocado. Mix.
   
3. Chop up the garlic and add to the bowl and mix. (Tip: Crushing the clove with the flat side of a large knife or a meat tenderizer works really well, and then cut it a few times with a sharp knife.)
4. Dice the tomato into small cubes, and mix that in.
5. Add the lime juice, salt, coriander, cumin, and cilantro, and mix well.
6. Transfer to the smaller serving bowl, and dig in!
   

This recipe will make about 1/2 to 2 cups of guacamole, depending on the size of the tomato and avocados. For a variation, you can try adding a scoop or two of sour cream to the mix, but I've been told it's great without it.

If you're adventurous and like things spicy, chop up a few chiles and add that to the mix. Add as much heat as you can handle!