Avocados - you put it in whaaaat?
You are probably familiar with avocado toast - smashed avocado, a little lemon and salt, plus a little crushed red pepper if you like spicy food. And of course there is guacamole - which I personally was not a fan of for a long time. Then one night years ago, my husband and I were at a Mexican restaurant and they made the guac at the table. My husband convinced me it would be good to try and at the very least, fun to see them make it right in front of us. Well, he was right! After having that fresh, delicious guacamole, I was hooked.
Since becoming (mostly) plant-based, I have discovered that avocados go waaaaay beyond guacamole and toast. It can be used as a base in dressings, as a fat in baking, as a creamy alternative in puddings and mousse. The list goes on and on!
Here are a few recipes to try - I do not taste the avocado at all, it really is just an alternative to butter and olive oil (or whatever oil you may use in dressings). You will be amazed at how it whips up in a blender or mixer - so light and fluffy!
I love almost everything from Cookie and Kate she offers vegan and vegetarian recipes - here are her suggestions for avocado toast.
When my son was young, he called guacamole, “rock-n-rollie” which, of course, stuck. This recipe is pretty close to the guacamole we make - make sure you use a white onion.
This recipe for Cowboy Cookies is from the NYTimes and calls for 3 (!!) sticks of butter! Yikes! So I decided to replace one of the sticks (1/2 cup) for 1/2 cup avocado - it worked beautifully! Now my kids insist that I make them with avocado because they like to ask their friends what the secret ingredient is - no one has correctly guessed so far.
Here is a creamy chocolate mousse that is delicious thanks to full-fat coconut milk PLUS avocado. Yum!
Finally - an easy avocado dressing that can be used on salads, burritos, tacos, veggies, etc. I often substitute water for the oil (1:1) because the avocado provides the fat and creaminess, the oil is not necessary.
Happy exploring!