Avocados

At the age of fourteen doing work experience at the Darwin Travelodge to see if cheffing would be my chosen career, I came across avocado for the first time. Avocados had newly arrived in Darwin and I had heard of them as my best friend's mum loved them on toast but had never actually seen or tasted one. One of the chefs supervising me cut an avo in half proclaiming how delicious they were. He waited for my response and I said that I wasn't sure why people raved about them. He assured me that avocados were an acquired taste and I would one day 'get' avocados. He was right well and truly 'got' avocados and living in a region of Australia where they grow exceptionally well is a food dream come true.

I don't think I really need to do a blog on avocados as I don't know anyone in my life who doesn't like them. They also don't really need any advertising nor any recipe ideas as they are just perfectly perfect cut up in a salad or spread on toast or of course made into their native home's famous dip - guacamole.

However these two recipes I choose to share with you below are wonderful ways of using avocado that you may not have thought of. As most people know avocados are a fruit and actually classified as a berry, they are related to the cinnamon, camphor and bay laurel family. They contain good oils, have no cholesterol are packed with vitamin C, contain a small amount of iron and have a good quantity of calcium. In addition they contain a good amount of folate which supposedly prevents heart disease. Avocado does have a small amount of protein. Approximately 2 g protein per 100 g of avocado. In Paul Pitchford's Healing with Whole Foods he suggests that avocado is rich in copper which is good for red blood cells and that it can be used in a remedy for healing ulcers and as I am sure many of you know is wonderful for the skin. So maybe we could say an avocado a day could keep the doctor away, two avocados a day is pure luxury indeed and 3 avocados a day is just plain greedy!!!!

I suggest only eating avocado in season and obtain organic avocados from local growers where possible- I know people in the southern states of Australia will have a shorter season of avocados but it really is worth getting them fresh.

Hope you enjoy the following recipes and please feel free to share your favourite avocado recipe in the comments below.

Mashed Sweet Potato with Avocado

For a vegan option add a splash of olive or avocado oil to your sweet potato and mash in 1/2 to 1 avocado as you mash the sweet potato - this gives it a nice smooth flavour and texture.

Marinated Kale Salad and Avocado

1 bunch kale (cavolo nero- don't use the curly variety for this recipe as it is not so easily digested raw)

Juice 1 large lime or half a lemon

1/2 to 1 tsp salt

1 tomato finely diced

2 tbsp hemp seeds

Wash and finely chop the kale- removing the hard stem. Pour on the lime or lemon juice and mix in the salt, Mash the avocado and mix with the kale. Let sit for an hour then mix in the tomato just before serving and garnish with hemp seeds.

Categories:Salads Kids Meals

Tags:avocado hemp seeds kale sweet potato