In Season March - Avocados
As any vegan person knows, avocados are a staple in our diet and I wanted to pay homeage to this delightful fruit…yes fruit!
Avocados are one of the few fruits (yes, technically they're a fruit, not a veggie) that contain healthy unsaturated fats. These fats help lower undesirable LDL cholesterol when eaten in place of saturated fat. The popular Haas avocado, which has dark-green, nubby skin, grows year-round in California.
Avocados are now in season which is a great way to enjoy our fruits and vegetables as they are so much tastier!
Avocados are also really versatile. You can eat them in a number of ways, which I will share with you below.
AVOCADO TOAST
You can enjoy them ‘smashed’ and spread on toast instead of butter and sprinkled with a few chilli flakes, a squeeze of lime juice, a sprinkle of sea salt and a drizzle of truffle oil - sooooooo good.
AVOCADO VEGGIE & NOODLE BOWL
A delicious bowl full of goodness filled with rice noodles, avocados, roasted peanuts, cucumbers, coriander, sesame seeds, sliced chillis, a squeeze of lemon juice and a little drizzle of olive or truffle oil with a sprinkling of sea salt and black pepper.
This is a great dish eaten any time of day (I’ve even had it for brunch) and especially if you need to enjoy something nutritious at work and need to take it with you on the go. You can replace the rice noodles for brown rice which is a great nutritious substitute.
AVOCADO & BLACK BEAN SALAD
This is a great nutritious dish full of protein as you have soya chunks, black beans and avocado as well as tomatoes & brown rice. There is no dressing however I always love to add juice from a lemon or lime for that zing!
This is great for those who work out and want to enjoy something truly filling yet healthy post workout and works well to include in your meal plans during the week.
AVOCADO, CHICKPEA & PESTO CLUB SANDWICH
Another favourite of mine is this truly rich and nutritious sandwich made with lots of plant-based protein (avocado and chickpea) as well as the walnuts I use to make my pesto, a good wholemeal or brown sourdough bread filled with slices of vine tomatoes & fresh spinach. Oh and not forgetting, juice from a lime for this one!
You have to try this to truly understand how GOOD it is.
AVOCADO CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
For those who love something sweet and truly delicious and satisfying, this dessert is for you.
“RECIPE ALERT “
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 large ripe avocados
4 tbsp cocoa powder
100g dark vegan chocolate
2 tsp vanilla extract/essence
1 ripe banana
5 tbsp plant based milk (I use Soya but all types will work)
Optional if you like things sweeter: add 4 tbsp maple syrup to the mix
Method
Scoop the avocado flesh out and put in a bowl
In a blender, add ALL ingredients except the dark chocolate pieces and blend until well combined
Grate 1/4 of the dark chocolate and melt the rest
In glasses or serving dishes, scoop half the mousse into them, add a drizzle of melted chocolate, top with more mousse and sprinkle some grated chocolate on top.
Wonderfully satisfying, vegan & gluten free. Enjoy!
AVOCADO SUSHI ROLL
Another favourite of mine is avocado sushi which is not only tasty, it is healthy, nutritious and great to enjoy anytime of day, as a main meal or as a snack.
AVOCADO & BANANA SMOOTHIE
Sometimes you may not fancy (because of lack of time or energy) making a meal therefore enjoying a smoothie is a great way to get the right nutritious into your body as well as enjoying a complete meal in a glass.
So, I hope I have given you some ideas and ways in which you can use this wonderful and nutritious green ‘fruit’ and now will let you loose on getting cooking, making and/or baking!
Below are some benefits of the superfood ‘avocado’.
