Guacamole & beyond: The versatile avocado

Ahhh-vocados – they’re not just for guacamole. Although the yummy dip is probably one of their most popular uses, there are other reasons to love avocados.

You can use them to make dipping sauces for chicken, pork and beef.

You can mash, season and spread them on bread for sandwiches.

You can slice them for salads and sandwiches, puree them for smoothies and use them in cooked dishes.

A personal favorite is avocado slices drizzled with a little olive oil and sprinkled with fine sea salt and chopped cilantro.

And although one medium avocado contains a lot of fat – 30 grams – it’s mostly the monounsaturated kind thought to lower bad (LDL) cholesterol and boost good (HDL) cholesterol.

Botanically avocados are a fruit, but you’ll usually find them stacked near the vegetables in stores. They’re available year-round thanks to growing regions in California, Florida, Mexico and Chile.

In stores now is the black-skinned Hass variety from Mexico. The California Hass comes in March.

Varieties from California and Mexico often are said to have the best flavor.

ALL ABOUT THE AVOCADO

Avowedly Avocado:

• It’s a fruit, not a vegetable, a native of South and Central America.

• Hass and Fuerte are the most common varieties.

• More than 90 percent of the nation’s avocados come from California.

• Florida avocados of the Fuerte variety are larger and have more water and less fat than Hasses.

• Avocados can hang on the tree for months before being picked. They ripen off the tree.

• Avocados are sodium- and cholesterol-free and have only five grams of fat per 1-ounce serving (about 3 slices). Most of the fat is monounsaturated, a good fat thought to benefit cholesterol health.

• Avocados also are a good source of lutein, an antioxidant that’s good for the eyes.

• Refrigerate only ripe avocados; unripe avocados will not ripen in the cold. Store ripe avocados for up to five days – longer and the flesh can turn to flavorless mush and darken.

• Freeze pureed avocado for about four months to use in dips, sauces and spreads. Puree ripe avocados in a blender using 1 tablespoon of lime or lemon juice for each avocado. Place in airtight container leaving 1/2 to 1-inch head space. Cover and freeze.

Source: www.avocadocentral.com

BUYING, PITTING, SLICING

To use right away, choose ripe avocados with smooth dark green skin or pebbly skin that is almost purplish-black.

Press gently on the widest part; your finger should leave a slight indentation. Don’t buy if fruit has uneven soft spots.

If not using right away, choose hard fruits with bright-green skins. Leave them on the counter to ripen in three to four days. Place them in a paper bag with an apple or banana to speed up ripening.

Ignore “ripe for tonight” stickers on avocados. Judge by touch.

To slice, place on the counter and steady with the palm of your hand. Slice around the circumference and twist to separate. One half will have the pit. Carefully stab the pit with a sharp knife so it sticks and work out the pit.

To mash, spoon out the flesh. To dice or slice, cut the flesh while still in the skin and use a spoon to release the slices or dice. For even slices, cut the flesh through the skin and then remove the skin.

Once it’s cut, sprinkle the flesh with lemon or lime juice and cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on the avocado. That helps prevent darkening.

RECIPES

Crab Cakes Stuffed with Avocado

8 teaspoons olive oil, divided

1 large shallot, finely chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped red bell pepper

2/3 cup fresh bread crumbs

1/3 cup shredded Asiago cheese

3 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 egg, beaten

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 (6-ounce) cans lump crab meat, rinsed, drained, picked through for shells and squeezed dry

1 ripe Hass avocado, seeded, peeled and finely chopped

6 cups mixed greens

Mandarin orange slices

1/3 cup balsamic dressing

In a small skillet, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium heat. Add shallot and saute 2 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine shallot, red pepper, bread crumbs, cheese, mayonnaise, lemon juice, parsley, mustard, egg, salt and crabmeat. Cover and refrigerate.

Stir in avocado. Form crab mixture into 12 cakes and chill for 30 minutes.

In large skillet, heat remaining oil over medium heat. Add crab cakes and cook for about 3 minutes or until browned; turn and brown other side. Serve on a bed of greens with mandarin orange segments drizzled with dressing.

Analysis per 2 crab cakes: 350 calories (49 percent from fat), 19 grams fat (3.5 grams sat. fat), 29 grams carbohydrates, 18 grams protein, 780 mg sodium, 95 mg cholesterol, 6 grams fiber.

Chipotle Chicken Tacos with Avocado and Cucumber Relish

Serves: 4 (2 tacos each) Preparation time: 20 minutes / Total time: 30 minutes

For relish:

1 large ripe avocado, peeled, seeded and diced

1/4 cup seeded and finely chopped English cucumber

3 tablespoons finely diced red onion

1 large red radish, diced

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons olive oil

Salt to taste

For tacos:

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

2 to 4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped

2 tablespoons honey

2 medium vine-ripened tomatoes, cored, seeded, diced

2 green onions, finely sliced

3 cups coarsely shredded roasted chicken breast

Salt and pepper to taste

8 small corn tortillas

Cilantro leaves and lime slices for garnish

To make the relish: In a large mixing bowl, combine the avocado, cucumber, red onion and radish.

Add in the parsley and red wine vinegar, and slowly drizzle in the oil until combined. Season with salt to taste. Cover, pressing plastic wrap firmly on the relish and refrigerate until use.

To make tacos: Heat a medium saute pan over medium-high heat. Add oil and onion to the pan; cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then stir in the peppers, honey and tomatoes. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until most of the liquid from the tomatoes has evaporated and the mixture begins to thicken.

Add the green onions and chicken and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat.

Heat the tortillas in a separate small saute pan over medium-high heat for about 15 seconds on each side to warm through. Or warm in the microwave.

Divide and spoon the chicken mixture among the tortillas, top each taco with the avocado relish, garnish with cilantro leaves and serve with lime slices.

360 calories (38 percent from fat), 15 grams fat (2.5 grams sat. fat), 30 grams carbohydrates, 26 grams protein, 105 mg sodium, 60 mg cholesterol, 5 grams fiber.

All recipes adapted from www.avocadocentral.com. Tested by Susan M. Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.

Basic Guacamole

4 avocados

1/2 cup chopped white onion

2 roma tomatoes, diced

1 large lime, juiced

1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves

1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, seeded and minced

1 large clove garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

In a large bowl, lightly mash flesh of the avocados, leaving it chunky. Add chopped white onion, tomatoes, juice of lime, cilantro leaves, seeded and minced chili pepper, minced garlic, salt and pepper, cayenne pepper and chili powder, such as ground ancho (optional). Stir together lightly.

Taste and adjust seasoning. Press plastic wrap directly on the dip and cover with another lid.

Avocado, Turkey and Brie Panini

1/3 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 large garlic clove, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

1 (16-ounce) ciabatta or other rustic bread, halved horizontally

8 ounces thinly sliced turkey

8 ounces sliced Brie cheese

2 ripe avocados, peeled, seeded and cut into 24 slices

In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar and garlic; season with salt and pepper.

Open bread like a book. Brush some dressing on the inside of the bottom half. Layer turkey, cheese and avocados on the bottom half. Drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put on top of bread. Cut into sandwiches.

Cook in a heated sandwich grill or panini maker 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted and sandwiches are golden.

611 calories (53 percent from fat), 36 grams fat (11 grams sat. fat), 45 grams carbohydrates, 27 grams protein, 826 mg sodium, 66 mg cholesterol, 6 grams fiber.