A Bodacious Breakfast Crostini

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Bodacious Breakfast Crostini: Avocado mash, Canadian bacon, onion jam and eggs

*scroll down for recipes
*wanna go vegetarian, skip the Canadian bacon
*wanna go vegan, clearly skip the eggs and Canadian bacon - replace the butter in the onion jam with Earth Balance or additional olive oil and stack these crostini's high with avocado and onion jam, you won't be missing out

The recommendation from my friend Susana was to go out for breakfast this morning, and I was totally into it. A morning off from family cooking sounded glorious until I thought about all of the avocados sitting on the counter, the giant onions staring back at me and the dozen and a half eggs sitting in the refrigerator.  I couldn’t justify spending money on breakfast when we had such an abundance of food at home, besides a part of me feels incomplete if I’m not cooking or exercising that muscle in me that likes to create and give to others. Cooking at home is nice and all, but when it’s just me it’s honestly not as fun - food tastes better when I’m sharing it with others.

I toasted up fresh bread and drizzled it with olive oil, made an onion jam, mashed an avocado, warmed some Canadian bacon, poached eggs and put together berry filled fruit cups for our side. When I cook and eat with my family, it seems I’m more at peace with myself and my food. We do things alone and with food, when we’re by ourselves, that we wouldn’t do in front of others. When I'm alone I tend to have on the TV, type and eat, and sometimes I think I'm hungry when I'm really just bored or lonely. My mom, with her back pain and all, made a fruit salad. Tommy set the table, I cooked and Dad was on dish duty. 

Food is about connection and this breakfast connected us - in our home. On a sunny Sunday in the south. 

I made a beautiful and bodacious crostini mess in the kitchen, and I sopped up every bit of gooey yolk and onion jam on my plate. I thought about what I’d cook tonight, pouring my heart onto another plate with abandon. Cook because you want to try something new. Not every plate is going to be amazing, learning is a process.

Here, you’ll begin by making your onion jam since it takes the longest amount of time to cook. Once you’ve started the onion jam, toast your bread and put it aside, mash your avocado and do the same - put it aside.  Once the onion jam is almost done, you’ll want to begin frying or poaching your eggs. I didn’t do a classic poach here, I’m no chef and I had 4 mouths to feed which mean making 8 eggs. My mother has an old school poacher so I used that to get me through this home cooked breakfast. If poaching or frying is too daunting, scramble in a big pan and call it a day! Heat up that Canadian bacon while the eggs are coming together and you’re done, boo!

XO

ONION JAM

  • 1 x 2 lb. bag of onions thinly sliced or diced, may also use pre-diced onions to save time

  • 2 T. extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 T. butter

  • Water as needed

  • 2-3 T. good balsamic vinegar *I recommend, based on flavor and cost, Trader Joes: Trader Giotto's Gold Aceto Balsamico di Modena 8.5oz for $5.99

  • Salt to taste

  • Optional: freshly ground black pepper

  • Heat olive oil and butter in a large, deep skillet over a medium flame - you want room for your onions to breathe and you may choose to separate your onions in to two skillets

  • Add onions to skillet(s) and allow to sweat for 15 minutes or so, keeping a watchful eye that the onions are not burning or sticking - moving occasionally - turning flame to medium low or low

  • Continue to cook for an additional 45 minutes and if onions are sticking (they likely will), add water 1 T. at a time to deglaze the pan and continue to cook - adding a few sprinkles of salt at the half-way point and, remember, you're going to be cooking the onions for about an hour to an hour and 10 minutes to get them jammin'

  • At the hour mark, onions should be browned, super soft, caramelized and ready for their balsamic bath

  • Add balsamic vinegar to completely deglaze pan and continue cooking until absorbed into onions, about another 10-15 minutes on low flame

  • Remove from heat and allow to reach room temperature, test for salt and store in a glass jar for up to one week

CROSTINI

  • 8 slices of small multigrain bread or a baguette sliced

  • 1 T. extra virgin olive oil

  • Sea salt

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees or if you have a toaster oven large enough to fit all of these toasts, go for it

  • Place bread on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt

  • Toast in the oven for 8-10 minutes, checking to make sure your bread doesn’t burn - all ovens work differently and this timing may vary based on the bread you use

AVOCADO MASH

  • 1 whole avocado, pit removed and flesh placed in a bowl

  • ½ tsp. of salt

  • Mash avocado in a bowl with salt and put aside

EGGS

CANADIAN BACON

  • 8 slices Canadian bacon

  • eat a non-stick skillet and cook Canadian bacon until brown, about 2 minutes

tina corradobreakfast, eggs, crostini, carbohydrates, bread, onions, vegetables, avocado, healthychoices, healthyhabits, healthylife, health, healthy, healthyfood, cooking, homemade, homecooking