The Awesome & Amazing Avocado
August 20, 2013
Until recently I was not a big time fan of the avocado. Sure, I liked to load up some tortilla chips with guacamole but that was about it. Then something shifted. Suddenly I could not get enough avocados. Considered a healthy mono-saturated fat that can even reduce the risk of heart disease, avocados are great for skin, and add a little something extra to a lot of dishes. Here are some recipes and ways to incorporate avocados into your diet:
Use Daily
Once an avocado comes into my house it is eaten at every meal or snack until it is gone. Obsess much? Why yes, I do. For a quick scramble I’ll mix avocado, diced peppers, onion, tomato, cooked turkey bacon, red pepper flakes and cheese into scrambled eggs. Or I’ll just add a slice of avocado to a forkful of eggs. It’s a bit sinful and totally delicious.
For lunch and dinner you can slice avocado on top of your tortilla or chicken soup. Toss it into your salad too. The healthy fat factor make them perfect for absorbing the other vitamins and minerals in the salad.
Smear some onto a sandwich with red onion, cream cheese, tomato and turkey. The texture blends perfectly with the crunch from the bread and softness from the cream cheese and balances out the salt from the turkey.
Or snack it up by serving some avocado chunks atop a wasabi rice cracker (don’t forget the dollop of cream cheese first) for an afternoon pick me up with heat.
Life’s a Party. Eat Avocado
Guacamole – the party guac that rocks and eases inflammation? Yes, please! Here’s my favorite recipe:
Ingredients:
- 3 ripe avocados
- 1 tomato
- ½ medium-size red onion (chopped)
- 4 tbsp cilantro
- Juice from two limes
- 8 tsp of olive oil
- Salt to taste
Directions:
- Mix all the ingredients together
- Serve with tortilla chips or get a little more adventurous and add a side of chilled steamed shrimp.
- Serves 4 generously.
Looking for a party dessert? This Chocolate Mousse “enhanced” with avocado is one of my favorite treats. It’s simple to make and tastes as totally decadent. Dark chocolate fans will love this sweet surprise.
Ingredients:
- 2 ripe avocados
- 6 tbsp (more to taste) agave nectar or honey
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tbsp milk (almond or soy can be substituted)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Dash of salt to taste
Directions:
- Mash the peeled avocado and combine with the remaining ingredients in a blender or food processor.
- Test the sweetness and add more milk if needed. Texture should be creamy and smooth with a glossy sheen to it.
- Chill until ready to serve.
- Eat alone or with orange zest sprinkled on top or a side of mixed berries. A deliciously healthy dessert!
