This dish is one that I’ve been wanting to share with you for a while now. But as things turned out other recipes bumped this one back, planned days of cooking and shooting were foiled, and then we had an extreme lack of sunshine (one of the very small annoyance of living on the coast side.) And just when I finally get this dish cooked and photographed an absolutely crazy week unfolds and you end up with no recipe at all last week.

But here we are. Finally talking about polenta and spicy salsa. Did you know it is an amazing combination? I had no idea. This another one of those recipes that came together after rummaging through the fridge. Leftover polenta from beef stew the night before, salsa for chips, eggs well, they are always on hand, and avocados that keep making their way home with me from the market. No polenta on hand? Make up a batch like I did to photograph this dish for you or buy it pre-made in the grocery store.

The key to this dish being awesome? Spicy salsa. I know, know. I am all for you deciding how spicy you want the dish. So you can use a mild salsa. But I’ve tried it both ways, with a hot (for me) habanero salsa and a very mild salsa. The mild salsa simply didn’t bring the right flavor to the table. No flavorless dishes here.

Putting the dish together is all about layering. Bring a pot of water up to a boil while you layer the polenta, salsa, and avocado. Sprinkle a little kosher salt atop the avocado. Poach your egg. Season again with kosher salt and viola! Chives are always optional but I love the flavor they bring.

It’s creamy, it’s spicy, and it has an oozy yolk. Try it.

Spicy Polenta and Egg

Recipe by: Elisabeth Norris

• 3/4 cup cooked polenta, warmed
• 2 Tablespoons spicy salsa
• 1/4 of an avocado, diced
• 1 egg, poached
• Kosher salt
• Chives, optional

Fill a medium sized pot with water and set on high heat.

While your water comes to a boil, warm the polenta in the microwave for 1 minute or so on high.

Place warmed polenta in the bottom of a bowl. Top with salsa. Then put the avocado on top of the salsa. Sprinkle avocado with a pinch of kosher salt.

When the water comes to a boil, poach the egg. Drain poached egg and place egg on top of the avocado. Season poached egg with a pinch of kosher salt.

Garnish with snipped chives over top.

Serves 1