Avocados can be enjoyed raw or combined in a variety of dishes.
Avocado is a versatile food that can be served with many different types and styles of dishes. Avocado can compliment salads, entrees, dips, sushi and cracker snacks. Avocado is a fruit with large seed on the inside. The soft, green flesh is protected by a tough, dark-green skin. Avocados are high in monounsaturated fat, according to the American Heart Association. Monounsaturated fats have been found to reduce bad cholesterol and lower your risk of heart disease when compared to saturated and trans fats, the AHA states.
Instructions
Prepping and Cutting Avocados
1. Wash the avocado with water. Scrub dirt and other foreign substances off the outside.
2. Cut the avocado lengthwise, circling around the large seed on the interior. Pull the two sides apart. The seed should be stuck to one side of the avocado. Spoon the seed out and throw it in the compost or trash bin.
3. Cut squares in each half of the avocado. Make three to four cuts along the length and four to five cuts along the width. Push against the skin on the bottom of the avocado to turn the fruit inside out. The squares of flesh will pop up. Run the knife along the inside of the skin, cutting the cubes of avocado flesh off the interior.
Make a Meal
4. Prepare appetizers and dips with avocados. Guacamole is an avocado-dip staple that consists of mashed avocados, lime juice, tomatoes, cilantro, chilies, onions, salt and pepper. Sliced avocados on crackers with tomatoes and salt is an appetizer that can be prepared quickly. Avocado can be added to a corn salsa or serve as the topping of a seven-layer dip.
5. Prepare a salad with lettuce or spinach, fresh vegetables and fresh fruit. Add avocados to top the salad. Use a dressing that complements the other flavors. Avocado goes well with spinach, mushrooms, mandarin oranges, carrots and balsamic vinaigrette. Vinaigrettes often go well with avocados, but creamier dressings might cover up their natural flavor.
6. Make fresh wraps by putting grilled chicken or tofu, lettuce, sliced avocado, tomato and basil into a whole-wheat tortilla. Melt cheese onto sourdough bread with sliced avocado, tomato, a protein and vegetables for a calorie-rich sandwich. Avocados also add flavor to a quesadilla or burrito.
7. Finish your meal with an avocado shake. Avocados are typically used in savory dishes, but you can add sweet foods for an after-dinner desert. Put soy milk or yogurt, fruit, a sweetener like cane sugar or brown sugar, and ice in a blender. Blend until creamy and enjoy.
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