Avocados, the epitome of luxury in the world of fruit! Creamy, rich, and subtly flavoured, these green gems are the perfect addition to any meal, any time of day.
These versatile fruits can be mashed, diced, sliced, or puréed to create or complement a variety of dishes. They’re the ultimate companion for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert, and also perfect for on-the-go snacks. And the best part? No prep time required! Avocados are quick, easy, and convenient to incorporate into any dish.
Whether you prefer green-skinned or dark-skinned avocados, rest assured they are equally delicious and nutritious. Just remember, green-skinned avos stay green when ripe, while dark-skinned avos turn purple-black when ripe.
Avocados can form part of a successful energy-controlled diet for weight management. The healthy monounsaturated fats found in avocados give a feeling of fullness, which reduces the temptation to overeat or binge on less healthy foods.
If you are looking for additional reasons to add an avo to your diet, consider these facts because they are all:
- High in energy
- High in heart-healthy fats
- High in vitamin K
- High in biotin
- Cholesterol free
- Sodium free
- A source of fibre
Spicy tomato steak and avo hummus toasts
Serves 4 to 6; preparation time: 15 minutes; cooking time: 20 minutes
Ingredients for the avo hummus:
1 avocado; 400g tin chickpeas, drained; 15ml (1 Tbsp) tahini (optional); 1 garlic clove, crushed; 30ml (2 Tbsp) avocado or olive oil + extra; juice of 1 lemon, to taste; salt and pepper
Ingredients for the spicy tomato steak:
300g beef sirloin steak; 250g packet cherry tomatoes; 30ml (2 Tbsp) red wine vinegar; 15ml (1 Tbsp) chilli flakes
Ingredients to serve:
4 to 6 slices sourdough, toasted; 1 avocado, sliced; handful basil
Method:
For the avo hummus, blitz together all the ingredients until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
For the spicy tomato steak, heat a large frying pan over high heat until smoking hot. Add a splash of extra oil and fry the steak for about 3 minutes on each side for medium rare, or until cooked to your liking. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside for 5 minutes before thinly slicing.
Meanwhile, add the tomatoes to the hot pan with a splash of extra oil, vinegar and chilli flakes. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the tomatoes start to burst. Season with salt and pepper. Take off the heat and mix through the steak strips (don’t leave in the pan for too long, you don’t want to cook the steak further).
To serve, spread the toasts with avo hummus, top with the tomato steak mixture, avo slices and basil.
For further information and avo recipes, visit www.avocado.co.za, like @iloveavocadoSA on Facebook and follow @iloveavosSA on Instagram.
