Bacon, Egg, Avocado and Tomato Salad

You’ve probably heard of BLTs and BLTAs, but have you heard of BEATs? Bacon, Egg, Avocado and Tomato salad is a favorite around here for breakfast, lunch or dinner. When Vanessa Query sent us her quick and easy recipe for the Primal Blueprint Reader-Created Cookbook Challenge it was actually an EATs (Egg, Avocado and Tomato salad). However, it should come as a surprise to no one that we couldn’t resist crumbling crispy, fatty bacon on top.

The bacon adds even more protein and flavor to the salad and seasons it with a salty, smoky flavor. The egg and avocado add plenty of healthy fats, so no drizzle of oil is needed for this salad, although you can add a spoonful of mayo if you like. Vanessa makes her version with a generous squirt of lemon that heightens the flavor and also cuts through the richness, lightening and brightening the salad.

In the past we’ve talked plenty about the health benefits of eggs and how to figure out which types of eggs to purchase, but what about cooking the perfect hard boiled egg? The ability to boil an egg is often seen as a culinary skill that even the least talented cook should be able to master. But the truth is, a perfect hard boiled egg is an elusive thing and also somewhat subjective. There are those who like their yolks hard and firm and those who prefer yolks just barely past runny. Either way, there are two main schools of thought on how to cook hard boiled eggs. The first is that the water should be brought to a gentle boil, then the eggs should be added. Using this method, the temperature is then turned down so the water is at a low simmer and the eggs are cooked about ten minutes. The second method adds the eggs to water and then brings the water to a gentle boil. When the water has reached a gentle boil, turn off the heat, cover the pot, and again let the eggs sit for about ten minutes. Just under ten minutes will yield a soft yolk and just over will cook the yolk completely. In all cases, use enough water to fully cover the eggs and immediately soak the eggs in ice water after cooking (or put in the refrigerator).

The fresher your eggs, the more likely it is that the shell will be difficult to peel off. When eggs are fresh, the albumen (egg white) has a low pH level, which causes it to stick to the shell. If your idea of a perfect hard boiled egg involves a smooth egg white then this is one time when you don’t want the egg to be right out of the chicken. However, older yolks are also more prone to taking on a grayish-green color when boiled, although cooking eggs for too long in water that is too hot (avoid a rapid boil) can also speed up the graying.

Personally, our approach is to use fresh eggs, gently cook them for no more than ten minutes and then cool them quickly. We don’t worry about peeling the eggs perfectly because when you mash them into a BEAT salad it doesn’t matter anyway. The cooked eggs have a soft, pillowy texture and rich buttery flavor that blends easily with the other ingredients, creating a salad that will satisfy hunger any time of day or night. Thanks, Vanessa!

Ingredients:





1 ripe avocado, chopped into chunks

2 boiled eggs, chopped into chunks

1 medium-sized tomato, chopped into chunks

Juice from one lemon wedge

2-4 cooked pieces of bacon, crumbled (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together, stirring not too much, but just enough to make some of the avocado and egg into mush.

Visit Vanessa’s blog at UnchainedSunday.com.



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