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.
Avo mayo, feta and fresh veg toast
Makes 6, prep time: 20 minutes
Ingredients for the avo mayo:
1 avocado, chopped; 15ml (1 Tbsp) white wine vinegar; pinch garlic powder; 30ml (2 Tbsp) avocado or olive oil + an extra splash; salt and pepper
Ingredients for the toast:
6 slices seed bread, toasted; handful mint, chopped; 500ml (2 cups) fresh veggies, trimmed; 1 to 2 avocados, cut to your liking; 60ml (¼ cup) feta, crumbled; handful baby leaves or extra mint
Method:
For the avo mayo, blitz together all the ingredients until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
For the toast, spread a layer of avo mayo on the toast. Mix the mint and a splash of extra oil through the veggies. Season with salt and pepper.
Arrange the veggies on the toast with the avocado, seasoned with salt and pepper. Sprinkle over feta and leaves.
Tip: Use any of your favourite fresh veggies such as sugar snap peas, cucumber, radishes, cooked corn kernels, chillies and red onion.
Avo bulgur wheat breakfast salad
Serves 4, prep time: 20 minutes, cooking time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
250ml (1 cup) plain yoghurt; 15ml (1 Tbsp) coriander, chopped + extra for garnish; 1 garlic clove, crushed; salt and pepper; avocado or olive oil, for cooking; 200g streaky bacon; 15ml (1 Tbsp) sesame seeds; 5ml (1 tsp) paprika; 60ml (¼ cup) butter; 4 eggs
1 avocado, sliced; 2 handfuls baby spinach; 500ml (2 cups) cooked bulgur wheat; 60ml (¼ cup) feta, crumbled
Method:
Mix together the yoghurt, coriander and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Divide between 4 bowls.
Heat the oil in a medium frying pan on medium high and fry the bacon for about 8 minutes or until crisp. Remove and keep warm.
Toast the sesame seeds in the same pan until toasted. Add the paprika and butter and cook for about 1 minute or until frothy and starts to brown. Remove and keep warm.
Add a splash of oil to the same pan and fry the eggs for about 5 minutes or until cooked to your liking. Season with salt and pepper.
Place the eggs on the yoghurt and drizzle with the warm sesame butter.
Add the avocado, spinach, bulgur wheat, bacon, feta and extra coriander to the bowls.
For further information and avo recipes, visit www.avocado.co.za, like @iloveavocadoSA on Facebook and follow @iloveavosSA on Instagram.
