Give Your Eggs Benedict a Healthy Twist with Avocado

Eggs Benedict with Avocado “Butter” Sauce

Americans love avocados. The world loves them, too. Consumption is “off the charts” according to the World Avocado Association (1,2). U.S. avocado consumption has tripled since the early 2000s to 7.8 avocados per capita. We gobble up 75% of Mexico’s avocado production, the world’s top producer (3).

The silky taste of avocado fits into most eating occasions, from breakfast smoothies on through the day and evening (Have you tried avocado ice cream?). Their exceptional nutritional profile keeps us loading them into our shopping carts, smashing them onto toast, and fanning them onto bowls of greens, grains and noodles.

One-third of an avocado (50 grams/ 1 ¾ oz) gives you 3 g or 11% of the Daily Value (DV) for dietary fiber, 10% of the DV for folate and vitamin K along with potassium, vitamin E, vitamin C, magnesium, B vitamins and other nutrients, and carotenoid phytonutrients lutein and zeaxanthin, both touted for eye health (4,5). 

The avocado’s good-for-you fat gives it the silky texture and satiating qualities we love. Some 90% of the calories in a serving of avocado comes from fats, mostly monounsaturated (5 g), putting them in a league with oleic acid rich olive oil, which helps reduce inflammation in the body (5).   

Deemed “heart healthy” by the American Heart Association, research, much funded by the Hass Avocado Board, has explored how avocados can support cardiovascular health, help with weight and Type II diabetes management, and be a nutrient-rich food for people across the age span (6).

Try this recipe for avocado “butter” sauce instead of traditional hollandaise on your Eggs Benedict for your Easter brunch.  Swap smoked salmon for Canadian bacon, or not.

About Those Poached Eggs

A favorite egg poaching strategy is from a Cook’s Illustrated article, “Perfect Poached Eggs,” (7). Drain the eggs in a colander for 20 to 30 seconds before slipping them into simmering water spiked with a little salt and vinegar. Turn off the heat and let them cook for 3 to 4 minutes.

The Avocado Story – Both Colorful and Dark

How avocados were popularized, the story of the Hass avocado and how it came to dominate the market, and the dark side of the booming “green gold” business in Mexico, particularly Michoacán, including cartel crime and environmental destruction, are discussed in references 8-14. 

Eggs Benedict with Avocado “Butter” Sauce

Serves 4

Avocado “Butter” Sauce:

2 large (9 ½- to10-ounce) ripe avocados, pitted and peeled

1/3 cup avocado or olive oil

¼ cup water

3-4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt, more to taste

Pinch or two of cayenne pepper

4 English muffins, whole grain preferred, toasted

4 slices smoked salmon

4 large eggs, poached

2 tablespoons thinly sliced chives or scallion

1. Make Avocado “Butter” Sauce: chop two avocados and place in blender container. Add oil, water, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, mustard, salt, and cayenne pepper. Whirl until very smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings (It should have a bright flavor.) Cover and chill while poaching eggs and toasting muffins.  
2. To serve, spoon some Avocado Butter Sauce on warm, toasted muffins. Top with smoked salmon, a freshly poached egg, more sauce and chives. Serve warm.

REFERENCES

1. ONE   Avocado consumption “off the charts” – WAO. FreshFruitPortal.com. December 09 , 2020

2. TWO   International avocado market expected to recover in Covid-19 aftermath

3. THREE U.S. fresh avocados consumption per capita, 2019 | Statista

4. FOUR Avocado Nutrition. Avocadosfrommexico.com

5. FIVE  Everything you need to know about avocado. By Adda Bjarnadottir, MS, RDN and reviewed by Atli Amarson.  Medicalnewstoday.com. Updated on April 27, 2020.

6. SIX Avocado Research. Fresh Avocados. Love One Today.

7. SEVEN  Perfect Poached Eggs. By Andrew Janigian. Cook’s Illustrated March & April 2017.p. 10-11.

8. EIGHT Holy Guacamole: How the Hass Avocado Conquered the World. Why one California postman’s delicious mistake now graces toast and tacos from California to New Zealand.  By Brian Handwerk. Smithsonianmag.com. July 28, 2017.

9. NINE The Avocado Market in the United States. G. Cavaletto. Marketing and Commercial Stream. Avocadosource.com

10. TEN Why Avocados Attract Interest of Mexican Drug Cartels. By Peter O’Dowd and Allison Hagan. February 07, 2020.

11. ELEVEN Avocado crime soars as Mexican gangs turn focus from opium to ‘green gold.’The rise in avocado-related crime has turned some regions into no-go areas even for the police.  WND News Services. February 8, 2020.  

12. TWELVE Avocado crime soars as Mexican gangs turn focus from opium to ‘green gold’The rise in avocado-related crime has turned some regions into no-go areas even for the police BY Jude Webber in Mexico City and Emiko Terazono in London. Financial Times. Jan 31, 2020  &  February 3, 2020.

13. THIRTEEN Will Mexico’s Growing Avocado Industry Harm Its Forests? by Mauricio Mondragón Mauricio Mondragón and Valeria López-Portillo. World Research Institute. February 04, 2020

 14. FOURTEEN Avocado: the ‘green gold’ causing environment havoc. World Economic Forum.  Manual Ochoa Ayala. Feb 24, 2020.

© Lorelle Del Matto 2021