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pomegranate

Brunch/ RECIPES

Avocado Pomegranate Egg Muffin

Avocado Pomegranate Egg Muffin

The first time I had these awesome Avocado Pomegranate Egg Muffins was a couple of weeks ago, and I’ve made them several times since!

My sweet friend Ali made them for me when I was visiting her in Houston, Texas. She is there for cancer treatment, away from her husband and littles and fighting a brave fight.

I’d so love for you all to know her, as she is the type of person the whole world should know, but for now I will just say that I flew to Houston to love and serve, but ended up being the one loved on and served!

These awesome Avocado Pomegranate Egg Muffins are the perfect example of that love.  Ali and I woke up early to drive into the city for her chemo treatment, and when I walked into the kitchen a beautiful plate of breakfast was waiting for me. I was floored.

She is the one getting cancer treatment yet gets up and makes breakfast for ME! My heart!

The amazing dish consists of a toasted english muffin, topped with avocado and a perfectly cooked egg. She somehow knew I didn’t like my egg yolk too runny or overcooked, and the cook was spot on, just right for me. The special touch was pomegranate seeds sprinkled on top.  I could not believe how beautiful it was, and was eager to see how the flavors would taste together.

Avocado Pomegranate Egg Muffin on a plate

It was amazing. The toasted , chewy english muffin is perfect topped with creamy avocado. The egg added another layer of texture, a heartiness of protein and a touch of salt. The pomegranate seeds added a sweet crunch and balanced the salty, savoriness of the egg. It was perfection.

This breakfast will keep you full and is super nutritious. It has fiber, protein, healthy fats & antioxidants. To make this gluten-free, just buy gluten free english muffin. If gluten is not an issue for you, my favorite brand of english muffins are organic and sprouted Ezekiel brand english muffins.

Avocado Pomegranate Egg Muffin breakfast

Not only did it taste like perfection, but it looks amazing, too.

How great would this be for a Christmas brunch? The color is amazing.

Make it. Make it for yourself and a loved one. They will feel special & will be floored with the beauty and deliciousness of this dish!

Avocado Pomegranate Egg Muffin breakfast or brunch

AVOCADO POMEGRANATE EGG MUFFINS

serves 2– you and a friend!

2 english muffin ( I use Ezekiel brand), toasted

1 avocado, sliced

2 eggs, cooked to your liking, with s & p

a pomegranate, seeded

Free your pomegranate seeds (how-to video here), cook your egg, and have sliced avocado ready to go. Toast the english muffin, top with avocado sliced, top with seasoned egg that is sliced in half, and sprinkle pomegranate seeds over all. Enjoy!

avocado-pomegranate-egg-muffin-pin{PIN FOR LATER}

Healthy Eating/ RECIPES/ Sides

Balsamic Vinegar + Pomegranate Mist For Salads! Yum!

I have been eating soup and salad almost daily since my diagnosis.  It is a great way to get most of my vegetable servings in.  I have loved experimenting with my salads, the goal always to have lots of different colors going on for maximum health benefits.

I have been on the lookout for the perfect salad dressing, and have not been too happy.  There are so many in the grocery store that have high fructose corn syrup in them, or bad oils that I do not want cloggin’ up my body.  The non-fat versions crank up the sugar, in an effort to add the taste back in that is missing, once fat is removed.  The few that I did find that were healthy enough, lacked in the taste department.

Because of all this…I AM SUPER EXCITED ABOUT MY NEW FIND!!

Hello

I was at my local health food store and a cool- looking mist bottle among their salad dressings caught me eye.  It said “Balsamic Vinegar + Pomegranate.  I love both flavors.  I looked at the ingredient list and guess what is in it??

~100% Barrel Aged Balsamic Vinegar from Medena, Italy
~Pomegranate Juice

Just 2 ingredients! Isn’t that a beautiful thing??  Another beautiful thing is that each bottle contains 384 servings!  They are super fun to use–pump 5 times and then spray.

The mist bottle is very cool. So very convenient.  I looked it up on Amazon.com to see if I could get it any cheaper, and if it comes in any other flavors.  It does.  They have just plain Balsamic, Balsamic and Raspberry, Olive Oil Mists, ect.  I noticed they also come in a half size, which would be perfect to throw in your purse to use on the go.

I cut some pepper strips and broccoli florets for a snack, and had a whole bunch of fun spraying them.  It is really, really tasty– so much flavor!  I plan on drizzling my salads with some olive oil, then giving them a mist.  Simple and healthy.

It is a bit pricey- I paid 7.99 for it- but the amount of servings in a bottle helps justify that, plus I plan on re-using the bottle by filling it up with olive oil or my own balsamic vinegar.  I’ll make up for the pomegranate part by sprinkling my salads with pomegranate seeds.

If you wanted to save money, you could skip the Gourme’ Mist all together and just purchase  a spray mist bottle like this one, then fill it with your own Balsamic Vinegar.

How-Tos/ RECIPES

How To Eat A Pomegranate

I am still receiving meals from my church due to my diagnosis and fight with breast cancer.  The meals come at least 5 days a week, there are a total of 22 people signed up to bring at least 90 meals!  Isn’t that such a beautiful thing?  I can’t tell you how wonderful it has been.  Yes, there are days I could cook for my family, but there are many days that circumstances would make it hard.  Doctors appointments, chemo treatments that take most of my day, weakness from chemo, weakness from low blood counts, a cold that I just got done fighting, etc.  It has also saved us a ton of grocery money, which has freed money up so that I could to buy healthy groceries for my breakfasts, lunches and snacks.

A couple days ago, my pastor’s wife, Tanya, brought an amazing meal, along with a pomegranate.  I have always wanted to try one, and I knew they were super healthy, so I was excited!  She explained how to get the seeds out in order to eat them, as I was pretty much clueless!  The technique she told me to use is on the video below.

Nutritional Benefits
Pomegranates have very high content of punicalagins, a potent anti-oxidant component found to be responsible for its superior health benefits.
Amazingly, researches indicate that the capacity of anti-oxidant in this fruit is two or three times higher than that of red wine and green tea.
The level of anti-oxidant is even higher than those of other fruits known to have high-levels of anti-oxidant, including blueberries, cranberries and oranges.  This was attributed to the very high polyphenol content in the fruit.
They are also a good source of vitamin B (riboflavin, thiamin and niacin), vitamin C, calcium and phosphorus.  These combination and other minerals in pomegranates cause a powerful synergy that prevents and reverses many diseases.
Pomegranates are very, very good for you and can be used a few different ways.

You pop the seeds in your mouth, which is a super fun, crunchy snack. If the crunch is not your thing, many people just pop them in their mouths, suck the juice out, then spit out the seed.

 Here are a few other ideas from Everyday Cooking with Organic Produce:

Hummus Crown
Sprinkle a generous amount of pomegranate seeds on homemade or store-bought hummus.  Serve with crackers, thinly sliced French bread, or toasted pita bread.
PBP Sandwich
Omit the jelly on a peanut butter sandwich.  Instead, top peanut butter with a layer of pomegranate seeds.
Pomegranate Vinaigrette with Mint
Make a mixed green salad topped with this easy dressing.  In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, combine 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon cider vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Stir to combine.  Add 13 cup pomegranate seeds and 1 Tablespoon minced fresh mint or 1 teaspoon dried mint; stir to combine.  Use just enough dressing to lightly coat leaves.
Chocolate Ruby Slippers
Chocolate and pomegranate seeds make great partners; the chocolate is smooth and the seeds are both crunchy and juicy.  To make this simple “candy”, melt 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips over simmering water in a double boiler.  Stir frequently/ the idea is to melt the chocolate without getting it hot (it will melt when it is just warm).  Remove top part of double boiler and set on counter top.  Stir in 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds.  Using two teaspoons (one to scoop and the other to push mixture off), place 14 small mounds on baking sheet lined with wax paper.  Chill. Serve with in 24 hours for best flavor and texture.

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