I love avocado. Flat-out, absolutely love it. It’s one of the world’s best fruits, and I would like to be eating more of it. I suspect you would like to be doing so too? Right? Of course you would! So, here’s seven ways I LOVE to eat avocado, and I recommend that you immediately try anything you haven’t already.
Straight up
Duh. Often all you need to get avocado into you is a spoon. Unless it’s a small avocado. Then you don’t even need that. You can just PUT IT IN YOUR FACE. And who doesn’t want that?
A spoonful of avocado a day keeps the doctor away?
Sure. That’s what I’m going with. It’s working for me, even. I haven’t seen a doctor in months!
Smoothies
Ok, a lot of folks think avocado smoothies are very weird, and I was once one of these sadly misguided people. If you’re like me, and mostly only had avocados on tacos, in guacamole, and in other savory applications as you were growing up, smoothies seem like the worst food in the world to put an avocado because avocado is not sweet on its own. It SEEMS like a waste of a perfectly delightful food.
Oh. Oh, but it just is not. Avocado smoothies are the way to bliss. Whether they are homemade or purchased out in the world, the only thing wrong with an avocado smoothie is when someone makes it with avocado powder (yes, this is actually a thing) rather than actual avocados. I’ll admit, that reduces the deliciousness factor by an order of magnitude.
So, go ye forth and make and consume avocado smoothies.
This heavenly mousse
So, my mother in law (above) makes a simple and ridiculously good avocado mousse. I’ve posted about it before, but it bears repeating: it’s delightful. The texture can’t be beat and the flavor is all lime and avocado (if you’re making it for Bill). Or avocado and lime (if you’re making it for meeeeeeee).
On tacos
Also duh. Not only do I love avocado on tacos generally, I have specifically found that avocado on New-Mexican-tacos-that-should-be-burritos is fucking delicious. And that’s not actually a traditional way to serve tacos/burritos, far as I can discern. BUT IT’S DELICIOUS.
On toast
Holy shit, avocado on toast is yummy. And the best part is I’m talking about “avocado toast” as everything from as simple smearing some avocado on some toasted bread to the huge pieces of toast covered with not only avocado slices, but also ricotta and lemon zest as seen below (from Cup and Bar). It’s tasty and versitile no matter what you add. The New Mexican in me says “green chile” and the rest of me1 shouts, “YES!”
Avocado really can generate a real “call and answer” response in a person.
Sushi
Yes, even grocery-store sushi. Maybe especially there. Because it has a lot less going right for it than sushi in a delightful restaurant. Avocado is a balm to heal all sushi-induced wounds. Even when it’s slightly browning.
With chocolate
Are you sensing a theme here? I hope so. I sincerely hope you’re realizing that avocado in sweet dishes is delightful. Even though I’d been a convert to smoothies and avocado mousse/pie, when Mana food bar offered avocado chocolate sorbet, I was hesitant. Perhaps even… Suspicious.
I was wrong to doubt. Holy fuck that was good. I will eat it forever. I mean, once I figure out how to make it at home. I’m gonna start with this recipe from Jessica in the Kitchen because it’s the second hit for me on Google and it looks delightful.
Guacamole.
Preferably not made by me but also not made in the grocery store. Grocery store guacamole is usually vaguely one-texture, not terribly tasty, and cilantro-laden. I cannot eat cilantro; it tastes of nasty terrible awfulness. Also, sometimes grocery store guacamole has tomatoes in it, and I cannot abide that. It’s not ok.
But you shouldn’t trust me to make it either, because I am the person who came up with the following “recipe” back ages ago for my ex-husband and myself. I called it guacamole, but it’s not. It’s some sort of avocado dip. These days, I’d call it:
Gringa Guacamole
Ingredients
2-4 Avocados, depending on size and how many you’re feeding
1-3 lemons, same
All the cumin in the world
Half the garlic powder in the world
A tiny pinch of powdered New Mexico red chile powder
Instructions
Mash all the above together. These days I’d probably tell you to add some salt, and up the red chile, but that’s not who I was back then. If you have powdered New Mexican green chile, you can add that too. Mash it with a fork, because that’s all I had back then.
Eat with whatever you’ve got on hand for dipping. Or a fork or spoon. That’s fine too.
Final Thoughts
An avocado a day keeps the doctor away! Like I said, I have not seen a doctor in months2!
1 JUST KIDDING! I’m all New Mexican. ➥
2 Correlation does not equal causation. ➥
HAHAHAHA YES!!! I am also a devout avocado lover. Growing up in northern Mexico some avocado smeared on a freshly made corn tortilla and a sprinkle of salt was the perfect after school snack. I am now sad I do not have an avocado on hand. Gringa Guacamole was the funniest thing I read.
Now I want your after school snack! Sounds awesome.
Glad you appreciated Gringa Guacamole. 🙂
avocado lovers unite! I never try the toast because I just eat the avocado first. I really should. Saw a recipe for avocado toast with sriracha and that sounds great!!! My guac usually starts with homemade pico de gallo, so a bunch of tomato, red onions, some jalapeno (or habanero or whatever makes your skirt fly up heat wise) then cilantro (or not if people don’t like it) and then I just add avocado til I feel satisfied. Pepper and salt and sometimes garlic. Weirdly, out here, Roundy’s (Mariano’s store brand) makes a really good chunky guacamole that I eat sometimes instead of making others. I want to try Alton Brown’s avocado ice cream…and everything in this post…too.
I much prefer avocado in my sushi rather than cucumbers!