12 Yummy New Avocado Recipes
Avocados are loaded with nutrients such as healthy monounsaturated fats, fiber, potassium, folate, and vitamins B6, C and E.
Overview
Avocados are loaded with nutrients such as healthy monounsaturated fats, fiber, potassium, folate, and vitamins B6, C and E. When we think of eating avocados, we typically think of guacamole or maybe even adding a few slices to a salad, but avocados are increasingly becoming a healthy and versatile ingredient for a variety of recipes. Avocados have a distinctive taste that is easily identifiable, yet mild enough to meld well with a wide range of ingredients. They're particularly useful in a recipe in which added creaminess is desired. Read on to see 12 yummy ways to enjoy avocados – including some that are vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free.
1. Avocado Spread on Toast
The texture of a very ripe avocado is often described as buttery, and this quality makes it an excellent replacement for actual butter in many recipes. Like its dairy counterpart, avocado is full of fat, giving it a creamy texture, and it also has the ability to amplify the flavor of accompanying foods. The good news is that avocados contain healthy fats and are also dairy-free and vegan, which gives them an advantage over butter. So next time you reach for the butter to spread on toast, choose an avocado instead. To spread it on your toast, quickly mash an avocado and season it with freshly ground salt and pepper. You can also add vegetables, herbs or other spices of your choice. Make sure to opt for whole-grain bread and you'll have a satisfying breakfast or snack that will give you sustained energy throughout the day.
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2. Eggs Benedict on Avocado “English Muffins”
Just as easy as it is to replace any spread that you would usually use on bread with some creamy avocado, a firm avocado slice can be used to replace bread in many homemade meals. In this recipe, instead of the traditional English muffins used to make eggs Benedict, a piece of ripe but firm avocado is substituted as the base for this famous brunch dish. Using avocado is a simple and tasty way to make it gluten-free. If you're on a Paleo or grain-free diet, or if you have gluten sensitivity or celiac disease, this is an easy way to keep enjoying the foods you love in a fun, healthy and creative way.
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3. Avocado Stuffed With Shrimp Ceviche
In many Latin American countries (where avocados grow naturally and in abundance) chefs experiment with countless ways of making the most of this delicious fruit. Stuffed avocados are one of the most popular methods because they allow versatility and are relatively easy. You can get creative with leftovers -- salads or rice dishes are a good place to start. In Peru, avocados are traditionally served as an appetizer filled with a fresh shrimp salad (or a potato-and-beet salad for a vegetarian version).
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4. Avocado Chocolate Mousse
Despite its bad rap, if you choose wisely and use ingredients that are good for you, desserts can actually be healthy and delicious. This avocado chocolate mousse combines the rich texture of avocado and the decadent chocolaty taste of cacao. Avocado gives any dessert a rich, creamy texture without the need for butter, cream or milk, and adding it to your sweet recipes can help you turn many of them vegan and raw. Add coconut oil and raw honey to this already-powerful combo for a healthy yet satisfying food in the shape of a dessert.
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5. Avocado Kebabs With Chimichurri Sauce
Entertaining is fun, but it can also be extremely tedious and stressful, thanks to the seemingly endless food prep and cooking for a large number of people. Kebabs are an easy solution for hassle-free entertainment. There are many recipes for kebabs that include grilled vegetables or meats (very practical when you're having a barbecue), but if simplicity and ease in the kitchen is what you're after, cold kebabs are a simple alternative. These cheese, tomato and avocado kebabs are inspired by the Caprese salad, but your options are unlimited. In this case, the sauce is perhaps the most important part. A flavorful chimichurri or pesto sauce are two great options.
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6. Pasta With Creamy Avocado Sauce
Even though avocado is used to make a large variety of dishes and sauces, it's surprising that not many people think of it when preparing pasta dishes. The softness of ripe avocados is a wonderful alternative to more traditional sauces made with cream. The characteristic flavor of avocados goes well with a wide range of ingredients, giving it versatility in a variety of different sauces and pasta dishes. One delicious and easy dish combines pine nuts, raisins and dried chili flakes with a creamy avocado sauce. It can also be made vegan by skipping the shaved Parmesan (used as a garnish) or gluten-free if you use brown rice or quinoa pasta.
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7. Spinach Salad Topped With Avocado and Grapefruit Dressing
Avocados can be used to make unique pasta sauces, dips and spreads, and they can be used to create salad dressings as well. Dressings are typically oily or creamy, but you can bump up the nutrition profile of your dressings by mashing an avocado with finely chopped vegetables and herbs, making it more like a salsa than a smooth liquid sauce. This type of dressing will add taste and texture to any simple salad. Another option is to create more of a traditional dressing by adding in veggies and herbs, but process them in a blender until smooth. For this salad, avocado is combined with grapefruit juice, honey, onion and parsley for a tangy yet sweet dressing to top a plate of simple spinach greens.
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8. Avocado Omelet With Herbs
Protein-rich and energizing breakfast omelets are a white canvas to which almost anything can be added. Avocados, of course, are no exception. Adding chopped vegetables, lean proteins and herbs to an omelet topped with sliced avocado and paired with whole-grain bread or baked sweet potato wedges makes a complete meal -- combining protein, fat and carbohydrates -- so you'll feel satisfied and energized for many hours.
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9. Frozen Lime and Avocado Tartlets
Even though avocado is mostly used in savory dishes, this mild, buttery ingredient is perfectly suitable to use in many kinds of desserts. In fact, avocados are even used in some countries to make ice cream. Frozen lime-and-avocado tartlets are a simple way in which this ingredient can be incorporated into a dessert, giving its incomparable creaminess, subtle flavor and attractive bright-green color to the filling, which many assume to be the result of the limes. If you want a nonfrozen alternative to these miniature pies, skip the freezer and add a quarter of a cup chia seeds to the mixture instead. They will thicken the dessert and give it a pudding-like texture.
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10. Tropical Avocado Smoothie
Most smoothies get their creamy texture from fruits, nuts butters or yogurt. But another less-common option is adding avocado, which blends well with fruit-based smoothies that incorporate berries or tropical fruits like pineapple and mango as well as with more veggie-based smoothies that include greens like kale and spinach. Half an avocado adds about 150 calories, so you'll want to keep that in mind if counting calories.
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11. Avocado and Cucumber Gazpacho
It's a hot summer night, you want to make a light and refreshing dinner and you have a ripe avocado on the kitchen counter. What do you do? A fresh seasonal salad would be the obvious answer for most home cooks. This is a good alternative, of course, but by no means the only one. If you have spent any time in Spain or are a foodie who likes trying international food and new dishes, you are probably acquainted with gazpacho, a cold vegetable soup. This "soup" (which is really more like a savory vegetable juice served in a bowl or a glass) is made with onion, garlic, cucumber, bell pepper and large quantities of tomato, but as is the case with most foods, there are now countless versions of it both in Spain and abroad. This green version, for example, has a subtle avocado taste, and it's just one way in which avocado can be used to make a soup.
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12. Avocado and Potato Terrine
This cold potato terrine is usually filled with tuna or chicken and garnished with an avocado, hard-boiled egg, black olives or fresh cheese. To make, mash the potatoes and mix with chili peppers and lime juice. You can also blend some mashed avocado into the potato mixture, turning it a light-green color and giving it a new and interesting flavor. Layer the potato mix with whichever filling you choose and continue to place one on top of the other. This is a perfect dish to eat during warm summer days and can be prepared in many different ways. Another delicious option is to create a filling of avocado and smoked salmon and garnish with a lime salsa, black olives, capers and cherry tomatoes.
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What Do YOU Think?
Do you enjoy avocados? If yes, what's your favorite way to eat them? Do you have any healthy recipes you'd like to share? Leave a comment below. We love hearing from you!
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