Did you know that avocados were once a luxury food reserved for the tables of royalty?

Or how about that the Aztecs believed the avocado to be an aphrodisiac.

And I know you know that avocados are a fruit, not a vegetable, belonging to the genus Persea in the Lauraceae family.

In the US it is common to serve guacamole with tortilla chips, in Mexico, the proper way to serve guacamole is inside a fresh, warm, corn tortilla.

A one acre avocado orchard removes up to 2.6 tons of carbon dioxide each year.

One avocado tree produces nearly 260 pounds of oxygen each year. Two mature avocado trees can provide enough oxygen for a family of four.

Thank you Squidoo for my LOTD honor!

What a pleasant surprise, and loved being famous, even if only for a day! LOL

Receiving such an acknowledgement really inspires me to create even better lenses!

* woot woot * this lens was also featured on the Giant Squid Community Showcase Blog on June 20, 2008, thanks everybuddy!

Update: March 14, 2008 I was honored to receive a second Lens of the Day for my Lensography of A Well Dressed Bullet Lens.

The Hass avocado is the darling of the bunch and the preferred product for making guacamole. Depending on where you are in the U.S. you may need to substitute another variety. Here is a list of the most commonly grown and distributed varieties.

Hass avocado - The best avocado for making guacamole. It is available all year round. The skin turns from green to purplish-black when it becomes ripe. 80% of all avocados grown in California are Hass.




Gwen avocado - Is similar in appearance, texture and flavor to the Hass. Gwen tends to be a larger fruit and the skin stays green when ripe. A fine substitute for your guacamole recipe if Hass is not available.




Pinkerton avocado - These large avocados tend to lack flavor. They are a winter variety with a small seed a lot of flesh. You see this variety grown in Florida as well as California. This would be our last choice for use in guacamole.




Bacon avocado - Available from fall to spring, Bacon has medium sized fruit and green skin. Although not as flavorful as the Hass it is 'adequate' for guacamole but not preferred.





Fuerte avocado - is harvested starting in the fall through spring. The Fuerte has smooth green skin and is quite tasty and a good guacamole choice or good for eating in any recipe that uses avocado.




Zutano avocado - can be recognized by its shiny yellow-green skin. The Zutano is one of the earliest varieties to be harvested in avocado season which begins each September.

Ripening an Avocado

To ripen an avocado, place the fruit in a plain brown paper bag and store at room temperature 65-75° until ready to eat (usually two to five days).

Including an apple or banana in the bag accelerates the process because these fruits give off ethylene gas, a ripening reagent.

Soft ripe fruit can be refrigerated until it is eaten, but not for more than two or three days.

Peeling a Hass Avocado

Use this simple three-step process:

1. Start with a ripe avocado and cut it lengthwise around the seed. Rotate the halves to separate
2. Remove the seed by sliding the tip of a spoon gently underneath and lifting out. The other common seed-extraction method - striking the seed with a knife and twisting - requires some skill and is not recommended.
3. Peel the fruit by placing the cut side down and removing the skin with a knife or your fingers, starting at the small end. Or simply scoop out the avocado meat with a spoon. Be sure to sprinkle all cut surfaces with lemon or lime juice or white vinegar to prevent discoloration.

Storing or Freezing Hass Avocados

Ripe fruit can be stored in the refrigerator uncut for two to three days. To store cut fruit, sprinkle it with lemon or lime juice or white vinegar and place in an air-tight container in your refrigerator. If refrigerated guacamole turns brown during storage, discard the top layer.

When you have an abundance of fresh avocados, consider freezing them. Pureed avocados freeze very well and can be used in salads, sandwiches and dips.

• Wash, seed and peel the fruit as described above.
• Puree the flesh, adding one tablespoon of lemon juice for each two pureed avocados. Pack the puree into an air-tight container, leaving 1 inch of headspace.
• Seal and label the containers.
• Freeze and use within four to five months.

Source: California Avocado Commission

1. I rough chop:

- avocado (keep a couple of slices aside)
- romaine hearts
- Campari tomatoes
- thinly sliced English Cucumber

2. Add Kraft Creamy Caesar with Bacon dressing to taste

3. Mix together

4. You can add whatever amount of each ingredient to taste, I prefer mostly avocado and very little dressing.

5. Nuke your tortilla wraps - that means warm them in the microwave folks LOL (on high 10 seconds, turn over wrap, another ten seconds)

6. Add mixture to wrap and then I add a couple of slices of avocado too!

..... and in the words of Rachel Ray - Yum-o!

Pizza - Fresh sliced avocado on a freshly baked pizza (preferably a quality New York style cheese pizza) is delicious and easy.

 

Salads - Fresh avocado cut into cubes is great in most (if not all) salads.

 

Soup - Avocado is perfect when added to hot served soup as a moderately heavy garnish, as one might do with freshly baked croutons or graded cheese.

Pasta - add fresh avocado cubes on a freshly served pasta primavera, just after the freshly graded parmesan has melted a bit.

 

 

Ala carte - prepare avocado slices drenched in lime juice and garlic salt as an appetizer or light snack.

In any event, you should be able to use avocado on just about any standard recipe to taste. Good eating!

The molcajete is the traditional Mexican mortar and pestle used for making guacamole and salsa. Still hand made in Mexico today from lava (basalt) stone.

A mixture of chiles, onion and salt is placed in the molcajete and ground to a paste then avocados are blending in (but not made smooth). Guacamole should be served right in the molcajete.

Be sure to check back for new recipes below.

I try to add one each month, browsing through various recipes and picking just one to share with my squidbuds (psst, that's you).

With a fabulous blend of juicy crab, creamy avocado and salty bacon, this easy salad recipe is a guaranteed winner.

Ingredients

135g bag watercress, rocket and spinach salad
1 ripe avocado, stoned, peeled and sliced
30g pine nuts, toasted
40g cooked crispy bacon, broken up
100g fresh white crab meat (or 170g can white crab meat in brine, drained)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice

Directions

1. Divide the salad between 2 large serving plates. Dot over the avocado, pine nuts and bacon, then top with the crab meat.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil and lemon juice. Season to taste and drizzle over the salad to serve.

Serves 2
Ready in 10 minutes

I've never quite understood the appeal of the traditional shrimp cocktail. I mean, what could be less interesting than cold boiled shrimp dipped in a lackluster mixture of ketchup and prepared horseradish? Here's a shrimp cocktail with gumption, featuring chile-rubbed, grill-seared shrimp served over a colorful, chunky salsa of avocado and sweet corn. You can chill the grilled shrimp before you serve them, but I like the contrast of hot shrimp and cool salsa.

Ingredients

16 jumbo shrimp (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Servings: Makes 4 servings

Avocado Corn Cocktail recipe below.

Preparation

1. Rinse the shrimp under cold running water, then blot them dry with paper towels.

2. Place the chile powder, garlic salt, coriander, oregano, cumin, and pepper in a mixing bowl and whisk to mix. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Stir in the olive oil. Let the shrimp marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

3. Cook the shrimp, following the instructions below for any of the grills, until just cooked through. When done the shrimp will turn pinkish white and will feel firm to the touch.

4. Spoon the Avocado and Corn Salsa into 4 large martini glasses or serving bowls. Drape 4 of the hot shrimp over the edge of each glass or bowl and serve at once. Or for a cold shrimp cocktail, let the cooked shrimp cool to room temperature. Refrigerate the shrimp, covered, until they are chilled before serving them with the salsa. The cooked shrimp can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.

If You Have a...

CONTACT GRILL: Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Place the marinated shrimp on the hot grill, then close the lid. The shrimp will be done after cooking 1 to 3 minutes.

GRILL PAN: Place the grill pan on the stove and preheat it to high over medium heat. When the grill pan is hot a drop of water will skitter in the pan. When ready to cook, lightly oil the ridges of the grill pan. Place the marinated shrimp in the hot grill pan. They will be done after cooking 1 to 3 minutes per side.

BUILT-IN GRILL: Preheat the grill to high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the marinated shrimp on the hot grate. They will be done after cooking 1 to 3 minutes per side.

FREESTANDING GRILL: Preheat the grill to high; there's no need to oil the grate. Place the marinated shrimp on the hot grill. They will be done after cooking 2 to 4 minutes per side.

FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a hot, 2 to 3 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the marinated shrimp on the hot grate. They will be done after cooking 1 to 3 minutes per side.

TIPS

• The traditional way to devein shrimp is to make a V-shaped cut that runs the length of the back. The advantage of this method is that the shrimp opens up like a butterfly as it grills. A quicker way to devein is to insert the tine of a fork in the back of a shrimp about 1/4 inch deep to snag the vein, then slowly and gently pull it out.
• For a striking presentation, spoon the salsa into oversize martini glasses and drape the shrimp over the side of the glass.

A salsa this simple lives or dies by the quality of the ingredients - ripe avocado, luscious tomato, and a sweet, crunchy ear of corn. Most of my corn salsa recipes call for grilled corn. This one features the succulent crunch of raw corn to reinforce the sweetness of the fresh avocado.

Ingredients

1 ripe avocado, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 ripe red tomato, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 ear sweet corn, shucked
1 scallion, both white and green parts, trimmed and finely chopped, or 3 tablespoons diced sweet onion
1 to 2 jalapeño peppers or serrano peppers, seeded and minced (for a hotter salsa, leave the seeds in)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Place the avocado in the bottom of a nonreactive mixing bowl and gently toss it with 2 tablespoons of the lime juice. Spoon the tomato on top of the avocado.

2. Cut the kernels off the corn. The easiest way to do this is to lay the cob flat on a cutting board and remove the kernels using lengthwise strokes of a chef's knife. Add the corn kernels to the mixing bowl. The salsa can be prepared to this stage up to 2 hours ahead. Refrigerate it, covered.

3. Just before serving, add the jalapeño(s) and cilantro to the mixing bowl and gently toss to mix. Taste for seasoning, adding more lime juice as necessary and season with salt and pepper to taste; the salsa should be highly seasoned.

NOTE: To determine the ripeness of an avocado, give it the "Charmin test"; the flesh should be gently yielding when the sides are squeezed.

Servings: Makes 2 to 3 cups

Ingredients

1 package active dry yeast
11/16 Cup very warm water
1/2 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil or avocado oil
1 1/3 Cups unbleached white flour

Toppings

1/2 Cup diced tomato
1 1/4 Cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1 Cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
2 fresh California Avocados, seeded, peeled and sliced

Instructions

1. Dissolve yeast in very warm water with sugar. Let stand to soften, 5 minutes.
2. Stir salt and oil. Add flour as needed, beating until smooth and elastic.
3. Knead until springy 8-10 minutes.
4. Placed in a greased bowl and turn dough to grease top.
5. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled (40-45 minutes).
6. Line a 12" pizza pan with dough. Top dough with tomato, cheese, basil and sun-dried tomatoes.
7. Bake in a pizza oven 8-10 minutes.
8. Place avocado slices in a pinwheel fashion. Serve.

Serves: 4

Just in time for summer!

Ingredients

3 large, ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup minced scallions
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro, plus 6 sprigs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup corn kernels
1/2 teaspoon cumin

Directions

1. In batches in a food processor, puree the avocados, chicken stock, scallions, lemon juice, cilantro, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and the cayenne.


2. Pour into a soup tureen or large pitcher and stir in the heavy cream just before serving.


3. In a small skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.


4. Add the corn kernels, cumin, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cook until fragrant and golden brown, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.


5. Remove from the heat and garnish each serving of soup with 2 tablespoons of the toasted corn and 1 sprig of cilantro.

Prep Time: 10 mins | Cook Time: 5 mins | Difficulty: N/A

I have personally never tried this, but have heard Avocado ice cream is delicious.

Ingredients:

12 ounces avocado meat (approx 3 small to medium)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream

Directions

1. Peel and pit the avocados.

2. Add the avocados, lemon juice, milk, and sugar to a blender and puree.

3. Transfer the mixture to a medium mixing bowl, add the heavy cream and whisk to combine.

4. Place the mixture into the refrigerator and chill until it reaches 40 degrees F or below, approximately 4 to 6 hours.

5. Process the mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions. However, this mixture sets up very fast, so count on it taking only 5 to 10 minutes to process. For soft ice cream, serve immediately.

If desired, place in freezer for 3 to 4 hours for firmer texture.

Yield: 1 quart ice cream

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Inactive Prep Time: 8 hours | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

4 tbsp orange juice
1 tbsp olive oil, salt
Freshly-ground black pepper
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 large Summer Avocado, peeled, halved, stoned and sliced
1 large orange, peeled and sliced
1 kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced
Half a medium melon cut into thin slices
75g/3oz lean ham or cold, cooked chicken, cut into small cubes, or 25g flaked almonds

Method

1. Mix the orange juice, olive oil, and chopped mint.

2. Arrange the Summer Avocado on 4 small plates with the orange segments, kiwi fruit and melon slices.

3. Sprinkle cubes of meat or flaked almonds on top, and spoon over the dressing. (Lovely mopped up with 1 slice of bread!)

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 cup ranch salad dressing
8 oz cream cheese -- softened
4 large flour tortillas -- 10" warmed
10 oz turkey breast slices
10 oz Monterey jack cheese -- and/or Cheddar
cheese slices
2 large Fresh California avocados -- peeled, thinly sliced
2 medium tomatoes -- thinly sliced
alfalfa sprouts- optional

Instructions

1. Blend together dressing and cream cheese. Spread evenly on tortillas.

2. Evenly layer turkey, cheese, avocados, tomatoes and sprouts on tortillas, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges.

3. Fold the bottom edge toward the center and firmly roll away from you until completely wrapped.

4. Place seam side down on a platter and slice.

5. Serve.

Serves 4

Not your ordinary stuffed jalapenos. Smoky fish and spiciness combine for a party favorite.

INGREDIENTS

12 - 15 Large Jalapenos
1 Fillet Smoked Trout
1 Large Avocado, pit removed and fruit scooped out
8 Ounces Sliced Bacon, cooked crisp, crumbled
1 Bottle Beer, preferably a pale ale
2 1/2 Cups Flour
1/4 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Cup Corn Meal
2 Egg Yolks
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Vegetable Oil, for frying

PREPARATION

Cut a slit lengthwise on one side of each jalapeno. Leave the stem intact and remove the seeds.

If necessary, remove the skin and bones from the smoke trout. Tear the fish into flakes with a fork.

In a bowl, mash together the smoked trout, avocado, and bacon.

Season with salt and pepper.

Place a tablespoon of the trout and avocado mix inside each of the jalapenos.

Mix together the flour, corn meal, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

Combine the egg yolks with 1 cup of beer.

Whisk in the dry ingredients.

It should have the consistency of pancake batter. Add more beer if it needs thinning.

Heat a large skillet or deep fryer with 2 inches of vegetable oil.

Heat to medium-high, about 370 degrees.

Dip each jalapeno in the beer batter and carefully lay in the hot oil.

Fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Drain on a paper towel and serve hot.

Delicious, low-fat and really quick to make appetizers - they can be ready in less than 20 minutes. Or they can be fully prepared ahead, and assembled when you are ready to serve them.

And it's a recipe that can easily be doubled.

INGREDIENTS

24 slices white bread, crusts removed
1/4 cup light olive oil
150 g soft fresh goat cheese
3 slices smoked salmon, diced
1 firm avocado, cubed
lime juice or lemon juice (1 squeeze)
fresh ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375°F, and grease 2 x 12-hole mini muffin pans.

Roll out the bread slices to flatten them slightly and, using a biscuit cutter, cut 1 x 7 cm circles from each slice.

Brush the bread rounds with olive oil and gently press them into the lightly greased muffin pans

Bake them for 6-8 minutes, until they are crisp and golden; then cool them on wire racks.

Lightly mash the goat's cheese in a bowl and fold through the salmon, avocado, juice and pepper to taste; and spoon into the bread cups just before serving.

Courtesy: Bobby Flay
Show: Boy Meets Grill
Episode: Southwest Rotisserie

INGREDIENTS

2 ears corn
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and diced
1 serrano chile, finely chopped
1 red onion finely diced
1 lime, juiced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Blue, yellow and white corn chips, as accompaniment

DIRECTIONS

Remove the outer husk from the corn and loosen the silks without removing. Dunk into water and place directly onto a hot grill for 15 minutes. Remove from grill. Remove remaining husks and silks and cut the kernels off of the cob.
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Serve with fried blue, yellow and white corn chips.