Four quick avocado recipes

[tampabaychef]

What do I do with this avocado?
by: Chef Cristian Feher

You were walking down the produce isle and spotted a mob of people busily squeezing a case of avocados. So naturally, you got in there and started squeezing some yourself. You noticed that some were rock-hard, and you put them back. Others were way too soft and smelled a little rank. Those went back too. But this one, oh yes! This one! Glorious leathery skin, nice heavy weight, and its semi-soft flesh gave in reluctantly to your gentle squeeze. So you whisked it away and gave it a good home on your kitchen table. Now what?

I could tell you many things about the avocado. I could tell you that the ancient Aztecs called it ahuacatl (testicle). I could tell you that the Jamaicans call it the Alligator Pear due to it's tough reptilian-like skin. I could also tell you that the Berkley Campus of the University of California claims to have the oldest avocado tree dated back to 1879. But I'm sure you're hungry, and that avocado is strutting around your kitchen making you look weak in front of the other food! So let's get down to business.

I'm going to give you four quick ways to enjoy that avocado. And I will also give you a couple of tips that you may find helpful!

To ripen an avocado faster, place it in a paper bag. When an avocado is ripe, place it in the fridge to slow down the ripening process. If you have too many, you can mash them and freeze them, adding one tbsp of lemon juice per avocado so they don't turn brown. A zip lock bag works perfectly for this. Thaw it out in the fridge, or run the bag under warm water if you're in hurry.

Avocado Guacamole:
The ingredients can be minced with a knife, but you can do it faster with a food processor. Mash a couple of avocados in a bowl with a fork, and add some minced parsley, garlic (2 cloves), and half a red pepper (minced). Add salt and pepper to taste and mix a couple of swirls of extra virgin olive oil in there. A squirt of lemon juice keeps it from turning brown. Add minced hot chilies if you like it spicy!

Avocado Toast:
Toast your favourite piece of bread, spread butter on it, spread a generous amount of ripe avocado, and sprinkle some sea salt and fresh ground pepper. This brings back memories of breakfast in Tobago!

Avocado with Mary-Rose Sauce:
Slice some avocado and arrange the slices on a plate along with slices of fresh tomato. Mix one part Mayonnaise, and one part Tomato Ketchup with a squirt of hot sauce. Pour sauce over the avocado and tomato and you're done. You can also reward yourself for being such a good avocado picker by adding freshly boiled Tiger Shrimp!

Avocado Milk Shake:
Yes, that's right. Avocados are used in many countries as part of delicious sweet drinks and desserts. And this one is one of my favourite summer recipes. In a blender, pour 2 cups of milk, 2 large scoops of vanilla ice cream, and 2 large avocados. Blend and serve in tall glass. Top with whipped cream and chopped mint (optional) and enjoy! If it's not sweet enough for you, add a couple of tbsp of sugar or condensed milk to taste.

Now, go show that avocado who's the boss! And invite some friends (they might bring you more avocados).

[carlee134]

I cut in half, then fill hole with a bit of soy sauce.

Tastes like american california roll sushi!

[coll]

That is so cool, I'm buying a little bag this weekend and now I know what I'm doing with one.

[lstormont]

Bagel with cream cheese, bacon, and avocado. Best. Thing. Ever.

[coll]

BTW the soy sauce idea is a keeper, it really does taste a little like sushi.

[buttertart]

The Izakaya Cookbook has a gorgeous picture on the cover of raw tuna and avocado that makes me want to eat it whenever I see it. The flavors and textures are matches made in heaven.

[coll]

I'm thinking if you made guacamole with a little wasabi, served on seared tuna and some type of fried chips....I'm going to write that in my future recipe file.

[buttertart]

Sounds just the ticket. Like the wasabi in guacamole idea a lot.

[GRobin]

Cold Avocado Soup
2 ripe avocados
1 can low sodium chicken broth (you can use veg too if you prefer)
1 small tin mild green chilies drained
juice of a lime
plain yoghurt - about 1/2-3/4 of a cup
few dashes Tabasco or cayenne pepper
salt and pepper
Whiz in a food proc or with an immersion blender til thoroughly smooth
Refrigerate until cold but don't serve it ice cold, let it warm up a touch to get all the flavour
Serve in a big cocktail glass garnish with a cooked shrimp
Yum!

[bkhuna]

I lived near Fallbrook, CA for a few years, one of the main avocado growing areas in CA and remember when you could get Hass' 5 for a dollar.

Now I'm back in Florida and they cost an arm and a leg. It's a shame Florida avocados are inedible.

My favorite is, as others have mentioned, the half avocado with hot sauce. Tapatio works especially well.

[kchurchill5]

I had an avacado tree for years. I liked mine better than Hass. They were sweet and delicious.

For me, just the avacado. No hot sauce, maybe a little s/p, very very little. A fresh tomato, good bread, a little cream cheese and an avacado and lunch.

[bkhuna]

Well Andrew Zimmern may eat some kind of mammal rectum, but I sure don't find it appealing. Same with Florida avacados.

The only use for them was attracting the Bufo marinus toads that liked to sit on the rotting avacados on the ground. It made plinging them with a pellet gun easier.

[kattyeyes]

That's hysterical! And I'm with you on Hass avocados. ;)

[laliz]

spread a flour tortilla w/cream cheese
top w/thinly sliced turkey
top with several slices crisp bacon
top with avodado slices

roll up

eat

[kchurchill5]

One of the best appetizers I had was a toasted baguette. Topped with marinated avacado and tomato slices. Just I think ... in a simple balsamic. I am 99% sure that is all it was. Some s/p and then topped with breaded fresh mozz. Baked/broiled until the bread crumbs were toasted lightly and the cheese melted a bit. WOW! Simple, easy, and such great flavor. They topped it was a simple basil leaf and nothing more.

[lgss]

When I was on vacation several years ago I ate avocado and tomatoes for lunch on Sabalo beach in Mazatlan, Mexico!

[Peg]

Avocado, ackee, habanero and crab salad - divine.

[kattyeyes]

Here is a link back to the COOL soup thread for Bittman's Ultra-Fast Avocado Soup. I made it recently and LOVED it. So simple yet so delicious! Thanks again to normalheightsfoodie for the suggestion:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/6155...

Oh, and there are two other links to avocado soup recipes on that thread--one toward the end from MMRuth and some suggestions higher up from David A. Goldfarb.

[kchurchill5]

How about my Avacado BLT, not the normal way. 2 of the friends I was working with on the water stopped by for dinner or late lunch. Well I did have my creamy potato soup I could heat up but we all wanted BLT's. No bread and no rolls other than a bag of my fresh made croutons. But ... I had 3 avacados. So I scooped out all but all of the avacado, diced up tomatoes, lots of bacon rough chopped and sauteed ... I did have that, a little onion, some of the avacado. But I did save a bit of the avacado for another dish. Add some chopped iceberg and some of my croutons. Tossed with just a little of mayo and red wine vinegar and stuffed in the avacado. It was perfect. Not that filling, but still very very good.

[kattyeyes]

The crouton addition is fun, and what's not to love about bacon and avocado--YUM!. But you lost me on the wine vinegar. I'm addicted to sriracha, and in my circle of friends and family, the cheese (me!) stands alone on this one. ;)

[kchurchill5]

Just a little gave it a kick, but anything works. I'll try anything and not picky, so it basically all works for me. My friend I think is the one who told me to add the vinegar cause he puts it on his regular BLT, so I did. Who knows. Yes, the croutons were great. Soft but not too soft, just right.

Besides BACON, helloooo, put bacon on anything for me and I'm in love.

[Cynsa]

I've made this vegan Chocolate Velvet recipe many times - in total disbelief that it tastes so good!
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/video?id=6...

In blender:
1 ripe avocado

6 tablespoons unsweetened raw cocoa powder 

1/4 cup Trader Joe's agave syrup, maple syrup, or other liquid sweetener 

2 tablespoons evaporated cane juice, optional

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons water; plus 1/2 cup purified water - or less

[HillJ]

Cynsa,
What an usual & surprising use for avocado! Thank you for sharing the video. If I had not watched the chef making this blender dessert, I would have wondered how in the world this recipe could ever work...let alone look appetizing. My kids (the recipe guinea pigs) are in for a real treat!

[Eat_Nopal]

Very interesting... I might have to give it a try... Avocado Ice Cream is quite common in Michoacan (where the largest share of the world's avo crop is grown) but this is taking the Sweet Avo concept to another level.

I bet this would be even better with Hawaiian grown avocados (they tend to have a pale yellow flesh & very mild, very buttery flavor... not great for Guacamole... but probably perfect for this recipe).

[Jen76]

I tried this tonight. While I would tweak the recipe slightly next time (I would use 2 avocados to 6 tablespoons of cocoa powder and 1/4 cup of agave nectar - I didn't use any added sugar), it was actually pretty good! I am curious to try avocado in new ways now (it's never been my favorite food by itself).

[Foodie in Friedberg]

A friend recently introduced me to the deliciousness that is a BLT sandwich with avocado. A fat-fest to be sure, but I'd like to think the good avocado fat counteracts the bad bacon fat!

Oh, and I make my guac with juice from an orange as well as from lime; not traditional, but quite yummy.

[kchurchill5]

I actually use a whole grain seeded bread with pepper jack cheese, turkey bacon, heirloom tomatoes, bibb lettuce and avacado and a herbed mayo. A bit decadent. But the avacado makes it by far. Definitely top of the line BLT.

[julesrules]

Ooh thanks. I have both bacon and ripe avocado at home and this is one of my favourites too!
Instead of toast, I love love love avocado spread on a toasted sesame bagel. It's important that at least some of the sesames are nice and brown. If the sesame/avocado combo doesn't sound right, think California roll.

[laliz]

Bacon, lettuce, avocado, toast

BLAT

[kattyeyes]

I think I'd rather refer to it as an A-BLT. ;) BLAT sounds like the sound a bug makes when it hits the windshield.

[kchurchill5]

I worked in a marine lab, BLAT, bug splatter makes our version sound good. lol

[laliz]

BLAT ~~ that's the point

[mochi mochi]

We eat our avocados by slicing in half, pulling out the seed and filling the "ditch" with sugar and shoyu , grab a spoon and dig in. I'm not sure if that is a Japanese thing or a Hawaiian thing.... delish.

[DishDelish]

I think it is a Hawaiian thing. That is what my hubby does and he is Hawaiian. It was the first time I had ever heard of it.

[relizabeth]

I have not tried this but my parents spread avocado on toast and then add a layer of ginger marmalade. They swear by it.

[BamiaWruz]

Try adding a splash of maple syrup to the avocado smoothies, I just do avocado, a bit of cream, some milk, ice, sugar, vanilla and the maple syrup and it comes out wonderful!!

[whatsfordinner]

An alternative to your avocado toast: toast an english muffin and top it with thick slices of extra sharp cheddar cheese. Melt the cheese in the broiler and then top that with sliced avocado, salt and pico pica hot sauce.

[umbushi plum]

OMG i haev been an avid supporter of avacado on toast since early childhood (it was my mums favourite food i think) oh i just love it usually a whole half to a slice (of toast that is mmmmmm! especially on rye toast the combination is just awesome!

my name is lucia and i am a avacado on toast addict!

[kattyeyes]

And it was actually featured in last month's Food & Wine with crabmeat--see link. You're obviously onto something! ;) BTW, I totally agree--avo on toast is very tasty!

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/cr...

[umbushi plum]

ooh thankyou for the link looks great! ;-) mmm and in summer add some tomato slices on top plus cracked pepper and you have urself a perfect lunch-
plus there are so many variations on a theme with avo on toast!-

avacodo and-
(these options all include salt pepper and the option of tomato too-)
roast chicken
smoked salmon or canned salmon
cottage cheese
lemon juice
tuna in oil
ricotta and or lemon juice
poached eggs

but still IMHO nothing beats straight avacado smothered on rye toast YUM

[fmcoxe6188]

all last weekend I had pieces of wheat toast spread with a little ricotta, a slice or two of avocado, finely sliced red onion and fresh ground pepper- what a delicious lunch!

[kchurchill5]

Anyone grill avacado?. I make a grilled salad with grilled papaya or peaches, mango, and avacado. I make a mix of honey, ginger, canola or vegetable oil, lime juice and brown sugar and then let the slices (fairly thick) and make sure the avacado and mango are not too soft. Marinade for about 30 minutes and then grill. I use my inside grill pan on medium high. They only take a few minutes per side. I toss my fresh arugula with fresh sliced fennel, fresh mint, a spicy red jalapeno and topped with a simple clean lime and cumin dressing. Very simple and elegant. I like to top with some crumbled goat cheese.

[hotoynoodle]

for total indulgence, i've actually tempura fried avocado pieces. omg -- heaven.

[kchurchill5]

Haven't tried that, did have fried avacado balls with shallots, chipoltes, cheese, some flour to make a base, tomatoes and then dipped in flour and chilled and then dipped in egg panko and fried. Wow, It was served with a spicy sour cream. Some little Mexican place in Taos NM a few years ago. What a treat. They were a side dish to a spicy grilled chicken split and WOW, what a meal, refried beans but fresh, not mushy. amazing meal.

[Feed Me]

I'm sure you broke some law somewhere with that one - omg

[DishDelish]

Mmmmm, that does sound amazing. We don't have Mexican food like that here in AK.

[kattyeyes]

Similarly, there's a sushi restaurant a couple of towns away that makes avocado eggrolls. Here's the description from their menu:
"Chunks of fresh avocado, sun-dried tomato, red onion & cilantro, deep fried in a crisp Thai rice paper. Served w/ a tamarind-cashew dipping sauce." They are pretty indulgent and so delicious, no question!

[sumashi]

Your description reminded me of this recipe I tried... It turned out really good for me. Here it is:

http://www.recipezaar.com/Copycat-Che...

[kattyeyes]

Thank you--yes, the recipe seems very similar to the description except for the wrapper. Would love to try it when more people are in the house. :)

[waver]

An old boy friend made this once. I haven't thought of it for 20 years, but I can still remember trying to hide the garlic breath at my night class afterwards.
Squish a few garlic cloves and a few anchovies through a garlic press into some ketchup. Stuff avocado halves with it.
Crazy.

[MsDiPesto]

I love to halve an avocado, remove the seed, then pour a bit of EVOO and a shake of salt and grind of pepper into the cavity and eat it with a spoon.

[Stuffed Monkey]

Slice the avocado in somewhat slim slices and lay in the center of a omelet. You'll get a "cheesey" texture and it tastes wonderful.

[hotoynoodle]

even better -- add cheese! ;)

[scuzzo]

While a cheese and avocado omelet is great...I must say that just avocado and egg is VERY satisfying and less guilt-ridden. I add a little garlic powder and cayenne, both for taste and health benefits!

[hotoynoodle]

i don't have guilt issues about my food. although i don't own garlic powder, lol.

[alwayscooking]

Avocado butter (half and half) - great on everything from bread to . . .
Avocado dressing - avocado, fage or sour cream, lemon juice, olive oil, paprika (optional) - simple and perfect over roasted beets and greens.

[hotoynoodle]

if butter was a fruit, it would be an avocado. :)

[HillJ]

Great quote, I'm "borrowing" that!

[kattyeyes]

No lie--this is why I'm so drawn to it! Pun unintended, but I just got a chuckle out of it. This is another great example of PattiCakes' fabulous sniglet: LIPIDICIOUS! :)

[buttertart]

Incidentally, the Chinese name for avocado - nai you guo - means butter fruit.

[lexpatti]

my quickest fav is half the avocado - pour a little italien dressing inside the little seed bowl and scoop wiht a spoon.

I love avocado in a sandwich, thick slices.

And my crab or seafood, mango and avocado tower (love this taste combo)

[janetms383]

Lex, a 1/2 avocado with italian dressing is my FAVE way to enjoy a quick avocado snack.

[chef chicklet]

Take the avocado that is nice and ripe, not too soft, then its gaucamole material.
cut it in half, take out the seed with your knife. squeeze lime or lemon over all
Fill with a sort of pico de gallo and shrimp salad mix of tomatoes 4 med, 1 cucumber, 1/2 med red onion, and the dressing is a little water, catsup, hot sauce, white wine, lime juice (1/3 cup each), top with fresh cilantro and scallions.Fill each half with the mix,
With either flour or corn tortillas, salt and chili powder them, bake at 350 until crunchy, and golden. serve with the avocado shrimp salad and a cold Mexican beer.

oh and I'd nest the avocado on a beautiful Mexican slaw that I make with serrano chilis, cabbage, cilanto, scallion, lemon or, lime juice, salt and pepper.

[kchurchill5]

Love the Mexican slaw. I make one similar, but that sounds wonderful.

Jicama is great with avacado, crisp and soft, great textures.

Serrano chilis diced, cilantro, avacado, and cream cheese with a dash of lime all mixed together well makes a wonderful spread on a sandwich with grilled tequilla chicken and melted monterey jack cheese. I love to serve it on a good onion roll. Marinade the chicken in a premade margaritta mix works just as well too. Shrimp, pork fish. A great sandwich for a BBQ with friends.

And most imp Chef C I totally agree with the Mexican beer!

[kare_raisu]

North central Mexcan recipes sometimes call for the grated pit to thicken I imagine

[Jetgirly]

My "Mexican Mom" taught me how to make vegetarian tostadas with rehydrated TVP, tomatoes, jalapenos and red onions marinated in lime juice, then mixed with diced avocado and scooped onto a tostada. I could live off that stuff. Lots of chopping involved, but I've always got the ingredients on hand so it's fairly quick.

[Sharuf]

What's "TVP"?

[alwayscooking]

Textured vegetable protein

[HillJ]

A fav among my friends is a crabmeat filled avocado.
We drink plenty of avocado & mint smoothies in my house!
Avocado & orange slices with a poached egg was on my breakfast plate Monday.

[kchurchill5]

I second the crab meat or shrimp salad. I usually mix a little scallion, some cooked diced shrimp mayo and avacado with a splash a lime and stuff back in the avacado. I get more creative if I have more time with diced tomatoes and or celery, but that is quick easy and you can make a whole lunch out of that.

Avacado, fennel and orange sections, a little honey, oj, olive oil and mint. Usually things I have

Sliced on a croissant with a poached egg

On top of grilled chicken with some good manchego cheese

Cheese quesadillas with avacado and onion

[chef chicklet]

I hear ya kc.

[TimCarroll]

My quickest avocado recipe if you want to call it that is to half the fruit, remove the seed and score a checkerboard pattern with a paring knife on the face cut. Penetrating down just until you feel the tip of the knife hit the skin. Then fill seed cavity with your favorite hot sauce, mine would be Franks for this application. I just hold it my hand an run my spoon down the sides, small chunks fall off and mix with sauce. It’s fast, easy and portable.

P.S. – No cilantro in guacamole?

[hotoynoodle]

traditionally it certainly wouldn't be parsley. and the checkerboard cutting is the quickest way to make a neat dice, although i usually just scoop and spread.

i like avocado with very savory things like on a blt or with smoked salmon. i also love it spread on toast under scrambled eggs.

[Eat_Nopal]

Unless you are in Oaxaca where Flat Leaf Parsley is preferred over Cilantro by most people... but that Gucamole recipe is wrong on so many levels... raw garlic, red pepper, lemon instead of lime

[hotoynoodle]

oh, i didn't even see the garlic, lol.

[folprivate]

I also substitute lemon for lime in the Alton Brown recipe. It is the best recipe I have found. Spicy, tangy and, most importantly for me, not mashed.

[janetms383]

Eat_Nopal
I was thinking the very same thing! I don't know where OP learned to make guacamole - a couple swirls of olive oil! ..... maybe Soop gave him a recipe LOL

[kattyeyes]

No offense to anyone who advocates olive oil in the guac, but is that gilding the lily or what? My god! Avocado is so buttery good on its own, why bother? I'll just chalk this up to "to each his own." But please don't put any oil in mine. Enough fat finds its way into me already. ;)

[chef chicklet]

I sure agree with oil and avocado comments that they don't belong together. However I do have a recipe from a French cookbook, that does something seemingly odd to me too.

Take an avocado, split and remove the pit. For a salad or appetizer, the recommendation is to serve it on a plate with warm roasted hazelnuts on a plate with a few greens, such as watercress and fill the pit hole with a squeeze of lime and hazelnut oil. Were talkin' a major oil slick.

[jdubboston]

Wow - have to agree with you on this one. Total overkill adding more oil. Kinda like the people who bury their roasted/baked sweet potatoes in brown sugar...

[linguafood]

That's so funny, TC. I used to eat avocado very similarly, with poking holes in the halved avocado with a fork, then generously squeezing lemon juice all over it, and salt.

eat. repeat.