Breakfast

I love to cook! On the days when I have extra time and I'm not running out the door I love to cook breakfast! This morning was one of those days, no where to be till 1:30. I decided it was time to whip up one of my favourite breakfast items, Tomato and Pancetta Egg Cups. I found this recipe from Canadian Living. I am still trying to perfect it for one. What I really need to do is have a bunch of friends over for brunch and make a large batch of this things.

Its actually really simple to make. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Take a tomato and clean it out like you would a pumpkin before carving, salt it and set it upside down on a piece of paper towel. Leave it for 30mins. This takes out the extra moisture and sets the tomato up to be filled with awesomeness. I even blotted mine with a paper towel to get all of the moisture out.

Next place it in a muffin tin or like I did in an egg poacher, this will keep the tomato up right while baking.

Spread a little pesto in the inside of the tomato, you don't need a lot as the pesto will over power the other flavours if you load it in there.

Line the pesto tomato with a single slice of pancetta, making a little nest for the egg. 

Next up crack an egg into your little tomato nest and then top with salt and pepper and a tiny bit of butter. The butter keeps the egg from cracking and drying out while baking. Make sure that you put some water in the empty muffin spots so that they don't smoke and burn. Put in the oven and back for 18-20 mins, to where the white is set and the yolk is still runny.

Personally no breakfast is complete without coffee and I love my french press. So while the tomato awesomeness was cooking I made some coffee.

I also toasted up a piece of gluten free bread from Panne Rizo which is a wonderful gluten free bakery in Kitsilano, on Cornwall Ave. Tomato and toast, how could you go wrong?

Here is what the final product looks like up close. Now what are you waiting for? Go make one!!

Zesty Lime, Shrimp and Avocado Salad

I made this salad today and let me tell you, it is good!

I made a few modifications when I was making mine and didn't use any of the measurements as I am one person and the recipe is for four people.

Click here for the original recipe.

Zesty Lime Shrimp and Avocado Salad
Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 7/8 cup
Calories: 210.4 • Fat: 9.2 g • Protein: 25.1 g • Carb: 7.8 g • Fiber: 3.6 g • Sugar: 0.6

• 1 lb jumbo cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined, chopped*
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 jalapeno, seeds removed, diced fine (I didn't use the Jalapeno as I am not a fan of heat, and a wuss when it comes to handling hot peppers)
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1 mango, chopped (I added this for more summer flavour)

• Romaine lettuce (I plated mine on top of the lettuce to make it more salad like, less ceviche like)
• 2 limes, juice of
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
• salt and fresh pepper to taste

In a small bowl combine red onion, lime juice, olive oil, pinch of salt and pepper. Let them marinate at least 5 minutes to mellow the flavor of the onion.


In a large bowl combine chopped shrimp, avocado, tomato, jalapeño. Combine all the ingredients together, add cilantro and gently toss. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Plate on ripped romaine lettuce.

It makes a great summer salad and it didn't take a lot of time to make, another bonus when you would rather be outside in the sun!

Let me know what you think!