In our Year of Eating Healthy we’re taking a look at avocados. Technically a fruit, the avocado is also known as the alligator pear, and are so good for you.  At LFW we love avos and we’ve sourced some terrific ideas and recipes for you to try. Sliced and diced, mashed and smashed,—give them a go! But first, a bit of info on the not-so-humble avo. By Emma Dowling

The Australian avocado industry produces around 54,000 tonnes of avocado each year with the Haas being the most popular at 80 per cent. The Haas avocado is the one that has a ‘pebbly’ skin and turns dark purple when ripe, and it has a lovely creamy texture and taste. The second most popular is the Shepard which is more elongated than the Haas and has a glossy green skin, even when ripe. The Shepard has a lovely nutty flavour and is generally only available for a few months each year.

Avocados are rich in vitamin C but also contain plenty of fibre and healthy (monounsaturated) fats, and other vitamins including K and E, and folate and potassium. So put the butter away and spread a bit of avo on your bread instead! To store your cut avo, sprinkle with lemon juice (to prevent oxidation) and wrap in cling wrap or place in an airtight container in the fridge. Avocados should always be eaten within a day or two.

And now for the fun stuff! Go from this

To this—how yummy is that! Whisk together a tablespoon of extra virgin oil, juice of half a small lemon (or quarter of large lemon), and a tablespoon of either white wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar and drizzle over your salad. Delish!

 

Or simply slice our avocado and gently toss into a bowl of mixed lettuce leaves. Add the dressing and sprinkle with sesame seeds and away you go … how easy is that! You can also grill your avo on the BBQ for a couple of minutes and serve with warm prosciutto salad and crème fraiche, or low-fat mayo or aioli.

 

Turn your salad into a kick-ass salsa by chopping your avo into cubes and adding chopped spring onion (shallot), finely chopped and seeded chilli, some chopped coriander and a couple of tablespoons of lime juice. Serve with spiced chicken kebabs with a mayo or aioli dip, or yummy grilled Lebanese lamb cutlets. Grind together sesame seeds, cumin, paprika, oregano, and marjoram in large bowl and coat the cutlets; grill for 3 minutes on each side and serve with pita bread and hummus and beetroot dips. Amazing!

And here’s some great ideas to kick start your day including smashed and creamed avo. Yum!