Comece bem o dia com um ovo, Start the day well with an egg

Lets start the at the very beginning, a very good place to start.( where have I heard that line before? ) One has to ask the question - How d´ya like your eggs in the morning? Eggs are a breakfast staple of the Mediterranean diet. If you're following the Mediterranean diet, you may want to try eating avocados and eggs for breakfast. When you're adhered to an eating plan, it can be easy to get into a breakfast rut. Fortunately, the Mediterranean diet emphasizes eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and foods like nuts, seeds, and fish — and these ingredients can create a variety of tasty filling and enjoyable breakfasts. But for me there is nothing like an egg. "Go to work on an egg" they used to say, and I did. Incorporate protein-heavy eggs into your Mediterranean breakfast by topping smoked-salmon toast with a poached egg or by scrambling them with feta cheese and tomatoes.

Another tip from the Mediterranean diet: Eat the yolks.Not so good for cholesterol but egg yolks contain fat which helps you stay satisfied longer. Avocados too have healthy fats that can help keep you feeling satisfied. Avocados are a good source of fibre at [approximately] three grams per serving (one-third of a medium avocado), Fibre also helps you stay full and helps keep your blood sugar levels more stable, which is crucial to stabilizing weight, mood, and energy levels. Enter the avocado, no longer just a component of guacamole for parties, its use has broadened to salads, burritos and, of course, the hipster cliche of avocado toast.Here are two of my favourite Mediterranean breakfasts featuring avocado.

Avocado Eggs Benedict with avocado Hollandaise

For the Milho Frito base
Serves 6
450g (1lb) fine ground cornmeal (polenta)
50g (2oz) butter
2 teaspoons Flor de sal
about 450g dark green cabbage,finely shredded
0live oil for frying

For the Filling
6 slices of smoked salmon
1 bunch of rocket
6 poached eggs

For the "Avocado hollandaise"
1 very ripe avocado, peeled and chopped
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Flor de sal
Freshly ground pepper

Mix half the cornmeal with 300ml (1/2 pint) cold water until smooth and free of lumps.Bring 2.5 litres of water to the boil in a heavy pan with the butter and salt.Stir in the watered cornmeal and bring back to the boil.Add the cabbage.Cook for about 10 minutes until the cabbage is tender.Sprinkle in the rest of the cornmeal,bring back to the boil again and stir over the heat for another 20 -30 minutes (depending on the manufacturers instructions and how finely ground it is),until the mixture is thick and pulls away from the base and sides of the pan.If you need extra water,make sure it´s boiling.
Tip out onto a lightly oiled shallow baking tray.Smooth the polenta out in an even layer using a metal spatula dipped in hot water. Cover with a tea towel and leave to set and cool for at least one hour or up to 24 hours overnight in the refrigerator.When ready to make your benedicts press out 12 circles using a 10cm cutter. Fry the circles in two batches on both sides in shallow oil until crisp and golden.
Keep your first batch warm in the oven while you fry the second batch.
Place a slice of polenta on each serving plate  and cover generously with rocket leaves.Arrange slices of smoked salmon on top and then nestle the poached eggs into the salmon.Pour the "hollandaise over the top.Position the second slices of polenta at an angle against the stack.
In a blender, combine the avocado and lemon juice with 1/3 cup of hot water. Puree until smooth and light in texture, about 2 minutes, scraping down the side of the bowl occasionally. With the machine on, drizzle in the olive oil and puree until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the hollandaise over poached eggs.

Egg and avocado on toast with capers and rocket
Poaching the egg can help you avoid unnecessary calories that other cooking methods might add.
1 egg per serving plus one extra
1 ripe avocado
Lemon juice
Sea salt
Small wild rocket leaves and capers
 

Soft boil the eggs - 5 minutes. Remove from pan, run under cold water and leave to cool completely.
Mash the avocado with a fork in a bowl. Shell the eggs. Chop the extra boiled egg and mix it into the avocado. Stir in lemon juice to your liking and sea salt to taste. I like this concoction on the salty side, it gives it a kick, and if you are looking for that kick start in the morning here it is.  Make some traditional slices of Bruschetta, rubbing the edges with raw garlic before toasting and drizzling all over with extra virgin olive oil.Pile the rocket leaves on top of the bruschetta and weigh it down with spoonfuls of the avocado and egg mix.Top with the soft boiled egg cut in half and scatter capers over the top. Serve immediately.

TIP: Use the freshest, free range eggs you can lay your hands on. I buy our eggs from a lady who has a stall in the local market and keeps her eggs in a tin bucket under the counter. Sometimes the eggs are still warm from the chickens when I buy them. Her hens roam freely, eating corn meal and the windfall apples from the trees above.

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