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Dinner
Black Bean and Roasted Poblano Skillet with Baked Eggs and Avocado
A smoky Mexican-style skillet: black beans and charred poblanos with eggs baked right in, crowned with avocado and toasted pumpkin seeds.
◈ Cognitive◐ Satiation
Total40 min
Serves2
Prep15 min
Cook25 min
Why it works
Whole eggs are one of the richest dietary sources of choline there is, the precursor your body turns into acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter memory and attention run on. Roasted poblanos and tomatoes bring vitamin C and carotenoids. Avocado adds monounsaturated fat and lutein. Pumpkin seeds hand over magnesium and zinc, both minerals your synapses depend on for signaling.
Evidence
Builds on the choline evidence for memory, plus the MIND diet's whole approach: beans, vegetables, and healthy fats, over anything refined or fried.
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 1 can (15 oz / 425 g) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 poblano peppers, roasted, peeled, and sliced
- 1/2 cup (120 g) fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1/2 white onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 ripe avocado, sliced
- 2 tbsp raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro and lime wedges to serve
Method
- Heat olive oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium heat and saute the onion 4 minutes until soft, then add garlic, cumin, and smoked paprika and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- Stir in the black beans, roasted poblano strips, and diced tomatoes, and simmer 6 to 8 minutes until thickened, seasoning with salt to taste.
- Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry pan 2 to 3 minutes until they pop, then set aside.
- Make four wells in the bean mixture and crack an egg into each; transfer the skillet to a 375 F (190 C) oven.
- Bake 9 to 11 minutes until the whites are set but the yolks are still soft.
- Top with sliced avocado, toasted pumpkin seeds, and cilantro, and serve with lime wedges.