AVOCADOS

The other day I posted two fantastic recipes for heartwarming soups.   Today I want to talk about shopping for vegetables that are in season; one in particular which I try to incorporate into many of my dishes is avocado.  Not only are avocados in season this time of the year but they are generally a good bargain.

Avocados are filled with healthful monounsaturated fat which has been linked to healthier hearts and trimmer waistlines.  When Irwin’s cardiologist told me I should get him to start eating avocados, I started to put them into everything I made. They became our number one snack for a Sunday afternoon football game.

Everyone snacks while watching their favorite sporting event, so why not make it a snack that is good for you and also tastes fantastic?   I use to make two different dips using avocados (which I am going to share with you), so while we watched football snacking was not a problem.  Throw in some baked chips, any kind that you like, and it’s a win-win situation. 

If you want to use an avocado immediately, buy one that is already ripe; it should give when very gently pressed.  If you are not going to use it for a few days, pick one that is firm, and don’t worry as it will continue to soften and ripen on your counter top.  I would not refrigerate the avocados before you use them; they just do better in a milder temperature, but once it ripens you should put it in the refrigerator where it will keep for two or three days.

Now that you have bought the avocado and it has ripened, let’s talk about cutting it and pitting it.  It's not a hard process, but there are a few tips that will make it a lot easier.  First you are going to need a very sharp knife; if your knife is dull don’t even bother.  Slice the avocado in half lengthwise and twist apart.  With the blade of your sharp knife, carefully but firmly hit the pit to the wedge of the blade in the center, and then gently wiggle to release the pit from the flesh.  Attaching your knife to the pit should be done in one motion.  Give it a good whack.  To remove the pit from the knife I generally hold the pit with a kitchen towel because it can be slippery, and remember you are working with a very sharp knife.

If I want to make perfect slices I lay the avocado on the cutting board and slice right through the skin and flesh all at once creating a perfect slice. I then remove the skin and I have a perfect slice of avocado.  Make sure to keep the slices in a bowl of iced cold water with a little lemon juice to prevent them from browning.  If I want to use the avocado in a dip or spread, I take the tip of a knife and I score the avocado, making a checked pattern, creating a large dice.  I then take a tablespoon and run it around the flesh of the avocado and the skin removing as much of the flesh as possible.  I generally sprinkle lemon juice on the flesh once I remove it from the skin; it keeps the avocado from turning brown.

In the winter time I always make sure I have a couple of avocados on hand; they are great to put into salad, slice into sandwiches, and when thrown together with a banana and some yogurt it makes a really good breakfast smoothie. I always make sure to have a few on hand, they are my go-to staple in my kitchen this time of the year.   Here are a few different ways that you can use an avocado

AVOCADO-BANANA SMOOTHIE

INGREDIENTS

1 ripe avocado

1 ripe banana

½ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt

1 ½ cup fresh orange juice (or to taste)

¼ cup honey

3 cups ice

DIRECTIONS

Mix all ingredients together in a blender and mix together until smooth.  Make sure to serve this immediately, because it does not keep for a long period of time.  

GUACAMOLE

INGREDIENTS 

4 TO 5 SMALL HASS AVOCADOS

JUICE ½ LIMES

1 CUP CHOPPED CILANTRO

1 PLUM TOMATO, CORED SEEDED AND CHOPPED

1 SMALL SPANISH ONION CHOPPED

1 JALAPEÑO CORED, SEEDED AND CHOPPED

2 CLOVES GARLIC FINELY CHOPPED

FINE SEA SALT OR KOSHER SALT TO TASTE

FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER TO TASTE

DIRECTIONS

PIT AND PEEL THE AVOCADOES

CUT THE AVOCADOS INTO ROUGH CHUNKS AND TOSS THEM IN A BOWL WITH THE LIME JUICE. 

ADD THE CILANTRO, TOMATO, ONION, JALAPENO, AND GARLIC, AND MASH WITH A FORK UNTIL EVERYTHING IS EVENLY DISTRIBUTED AND THE GUACAMOLE HAS A NICE, CHUNKY TEXTURE.

SEASON WITH SALT AND PEPPER.

 SERVE IMMEDIATELY, PREFERABLY, BUT IF YOU ARE GOING TO REFRIGERATE, UP TO 4 HOURS, COVER THE GUACAMOLE WITH A PIECE OF PLASTIC WRAP DIRECTLY ON TOP OF THE DIP BEFORE PUTTING IT IN THE REFEGERATOR.

AVOCADO AND WHITE BEAN DIP

INGREDIENTS

2 cans (15.5 ounces each) cannellini beans (make sure to rinse and drain them)

4 avocados, peeled and cut up

4 crushed garlic cloves

1 cup packed fresh parsley leaves

¼ cup white wine vinegar

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)

2 teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice

6 tablespoons water

salt & pepper to taste

fresh chopped cilantro 

DIRECTIONS

I use a food processor when I make this because it gives it a nice smooth consistency.  Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processer and pulse until smooth and all the ingredients are combined well.

I sprinkle fresh chopped cilantro on the top, to give it some extra flavor.