Friday Feast | The Pleasure of the Avocado

Welcome to Friday Feast in the Tavern! While watching my healthy food intake many decades ago, I recall eliminating avocados from my salads and sandwiches. They were high in fat and not good for those on a diet. Hmm...have I mentioned I don't like the word diet? I ditched the word a long time ago and rediscovered my love for avocados.

Here's the Oxford Dictionary's description for an avocado: a pear-shaped fruit with a rough leathery skin, smooth oily edible flesh, and a large stone.

Simply delicious! Imagine my surprise when I learned they are now considered a 'good fat', though in moderation. They're good for the heart (yay!) and deemed a healthy fat. Regardless, I do enjoy them immensely.

Here are a few ways I enjoy an avocado...

Breakfast: Chop half an avocado. Mix with 1/2 cup ricotta (or low-fat cottage cheese), sprinkle with smoked paprika and a teaspoon of sunflower seeds into the mix.

Lunch: Mash half an avocado with a teaspoon of Greek yogurt, salt and pepper to taste. Spread inside a whole wheat pita pocket with slices of turkey, chicken, and/or vegetables of your choice.

Dinner: Spring mix salad with chopped avocados, grape tomatoes, chopped cucumbers, and Kalamata olives. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Appetizer: Guacamole. There are so many variations to this classic appetizer. I like to mash 3-4 avocados with crushed garlic, chopped tomatoes and red onions. Salt to taste. Often times, I'll add a chopped Jalapeno pepper into the mix.

One of my fondest memories of avocados is from my dad. He would take the pit, insert two toothpicks on either side of the pit and place the pointed end in a glass of water. The toothpicks were an anchor to keep part of the pit dry when placed on top of the glass of water. This way, the root would start to grow and then could be planted.

Are you a fan of the avocado? Do share!

Sláinte mhath!