5 Unique Avocado Recipes
San Diegans are lucky to have access to fresh avocado all year long, a fruit that’s not only delicious, but also very nutritious! While it is high in fat, the majority of that is considered “a good fat”, meaning it comes from monounsaturated oleic acid, believed to be associated with reduced inflammation. This kind of fat may also help you absorb nutrients and antioxidants from other veggies, making it excellent to pair with salads.
Besides healthy fat, avocados also contain vitamins C, K, B5, B6, E, folate, fiber, antioxidants that protect eyes, and more potassium than a banana. It’s also a low carb food without any cholesterol or sodium. So now that you know adding more of the green fruit to your diet is a good idea, here are 5 unique avocado recipes:
Chocolate Mousse
Sounds crazy? Just wait until you try this — the avocado gives the mousse a very creamy base, and you won’t even taste it once the chocolate and sweetener are added. Scoop the flesh of two avocados into a blender, and add ¼ cup of cocoa powder, ¼ cup melted chocolate chips, 3 tbsp of your preferred milk, ½ tsp of vanilla extract, and ¼ cup of maple syrup. Blend until smooth and enjoy! Click here to view the full recipe on chocolatecoveredkatie.com.
Avocado Bowls
Cut an avocado in half, take out the pit, scoop out some of the flesh to make more room, then fill with meat or veggies. This works with a variety of fillings, including:
- Seafood such as tuna or crab
- A taco-inspired mix of ground beef, cheese, and diced tomato
- Eggs — crack an egg in the avocado and bake until the egg white is firm
- Diced veggies
- Chicken salad
Serves these as an appetizer at a dinner party, and your guests will be delighted by your creativity!
Butter Substitute
If you want to eat less saturated fat or are cutting dairy from your diet but love baked goods, try substituting avocado for the butter in the recipe. Substitute it at a 1:1 ratio (meaning, if the recipe calls for a cup of butter, you’d use a cup of mashed avocado). You may need to increase the liquids in your mixture to make sure all the dry ingredients get properly coated, and decrease your oven temperature by 25 degrees. Your baked goods will still have a spongy texture while reducing fat, calories, and dairy!
Grill It
Did you know that you could grill avocados? Simply cut them in half, drizzle with a little olive oil, and place face down on a hot grill until warm. Grill meat, fish, or vegetables that pair well with avocado at the same time for a quick and easy meal.
Mask It
Turn an avocado into an excellent homemade face mask! The healthy fats, antioxidants, and vitamins E and C that make avocado healthy to eat also make it good for the skin — avocado hydrates, softens skin, and may reduce the appearance of inflammation. A quick internet search will show many ideas for avocado face mask recipes where avocado is mixed with any number of healthy ingredients like yogurt, honey, or rolled oats. You can also keep it simple by mashing a small avocado and smoothing over your face, then rinsing after letting it sit for a few minutes.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with keeping your avo intake traditional and spreading some avocado on toast, or making an incredible bowl of guacamole. However you do it, you can’t go wrong by adding more avocado to your diet!
Check out our articles for more tips on healthy living!
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