Twenty Interesting Reasons To Love Avocados !

Jan1 wrote:Shame about the wrapping these days ... whatever happened to good old fashioned brown paper bags, they were great!

Yes it's horribly ironic that you can no longer get free plastic bags at the supermarket but so much of their stuff is in a plastic tray with a plastic cover inside a cardboard sleeve.

Even some of the brown paper bags are crap nowadays though, some of the ones in the greengrocer's are so fragile that they split open if you look at them wrong. At least they go into the compost bins and quickly rot down.

I know I would need to add avocados to my diet but I tried it once and it was awful... Maybe it wasn't ripped? I don't know. I would really like to improve the taste and to be able to enjoy them.

thinestever82 wrote:I know I would need to add avocados to my diet but I tried it once and it was awful... Maybe it wasn't ripped? I don't know. I would really like to improve the taste and to be able to enjoy them.

It may be worth your while to have a read of this, some handy tips from George ... use this link
https://lowcarbdiabetic.forumotion.co.uk/t1495-twenty-interesting-reasons-to-love-avocados#16412 Post n 7

Of course you can try avocados with many different foods, doing it this way you may find something to your taste and what you enjoy.

All the best Jan

Love them or hate them ... and I love them, avocados are just so good ... and this recipe idea for stuffed avocados is great for those with a busy lifestyle... well even if your lifestyle is not busy they are still great!

Avocados are nutritious, low in carbs and ready in just a few minutes!

Ingredients:
Serves Two

1 extra large or 2 medium avocados (300 g / 10.6 oz)
210g / 7.4 oz cooked chicken
58g / 2oz mayonnaise
2 tbsp sour cream or cream cheese
1 tsp thyme, dried
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
¼ tsp salt (or slightly more) to taste

Instructions:
1. Cut or shred the cooked chicken into small pieces.
2. Add the mayo, sour cream (or cream cheese), thyme, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper... lemon juice and season with salt to taste.
3. Combine well.
4. Scoop the middle of the avocado out leaving ½ - 1 inch of the avocado flesh. 5. Cut the scooped avocado into small pieces. Place the chopped avocado into the bowl with the chicken and mix until well combined.
6. Fill each avocado half with the chicken & avocado mixture.
7. Serve and enjoy!

Also featured here with links
http://thelowcarbdiabetic.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/avocado-filled-with-cajun-chicken-just.html

Will you be buying some avocado soon  

All the best Jan

Well the original thread title is Twenty Interesting Reasons To Love Avocado ... but now there may be a 21st?

This article is causing a stir - have you any thoughts?

Peeled Avocado Halves Are The Convenience Food You Never Needed

Our eagerness to devour all the avocados in sight has gotten so strong that we don't even have time to peel, halve and de-stone them anymore.

At least that's what one Canadian supermarket would have you think after stocking ready-to-eat avocado halves in their store. And by ready-to-eat, we mean peeled and de-stoned, so you can shove them directly into your mouth.

A photo of the product was shared by a Facebook user Christine Kizik on Friday, after she saw it on a friend's profile, and the image has caused quite a stir.

"It's been precut, then wrapped in plastic and cardboard. Avocado's have their own perfect, compostable, wrapping. Adding packaging to an avocado is strange to say the least. This is wasteful [sic]," she wrote.

The supermarket chain, Sobeys, has since responded, highlighting that the product, which is made by Calavo, is intended for avocado newbies and those in a rush.

"This product was developed for people who might be new to using avocados and for a little more convenience," a spokesperson for the supermarket wrote on Facebook.

"It eliminates the guess work when it comes to ripeness and any challenges if you are not familiar with peeling and seeding a fresh avocado. The packaging is there to keep the fresh wholesome appearance and quality of the avocado without it browning prior to consumption."

But one commenter disagreed: "It doesn't look fresh or wholesome. It looks like a waste and a farce. There is nothing 'new' or 'natural' about this product as the unnecessary and excessive packaging suggests.

"How about a sticker or a little sign on the avocado section with some simple instructions on how to open an avocado for those new to this wonderful and naturally well-packaged fruit? This is a shameful and ridiculous step backwards."

Full article is here
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/avocado-halves-pre-peeled_uk_56e84514e4b03fb88ede4b06?icid=maing-grid7%7Cuk%7Cdl8%7Csec3_lnk4%26pLid%3D440170

Oh good grief! Is there no end to the insanity???

>>> Back to the real thing


How about some avocado kebabs for lunch?


Now many love to have kebabs during the summer months, but they can also make a lovely lunch, and is a bit different served at this time of year. This recipe is Italian-inspired. It's easy to make and requires no cooking. Keep these ingredients on hand so you can put this simple lunch time kebab dish together at a moment's notice.

Ingredients:
Serves Four
8 (6-in.) wooden skewers
5 oz. salami
1 firm-ripe, Fresh Hass Avocados, halved, seeded and peeled
8 grape or cherry tomatoes
1/2 (8-oz.) package fresh mini mozzarella cheese balls
8 pitted Kalamata olives
Olive oil spray or balsamic vinaigrette dressing mist
Italian herbs, optional

Instructions:
Cut the salami into cubes or wedges about 1-inch wide. There should be enough for one cube per skewer.
Cut each avocado half into 12 chunks.
Thread each skewer with a piece of avocado, followed by one grape tomato, a mozzarella cheese ball, another piece of avocado, one piece of salami, an olive, and a final piece of avocado.
Place skewers on a serving tray and mist lightly with the olive oil or balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
Sprinkle with chopped Italian herbs if desired, and serve.

Serving Suggestions:
Serve two kebabs crossed on a bed of green lettuce for a pretty salad presentation.

Tip:
Large avocados are recommended for this recipe. A large avocado averages about 8 ounces. If using smaller or larger size avocados adjust the quantity accordingly.

Recipe idea with links also featured here
http://thelowcarbdiabetic.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/avocado-kebabs-something-different-for.html

All the best Jan

Ingredients:
Serves 2 - 4
½ ripe medium avocado
4 cooked baby beetroot, quartered
Handful of baby leaf spinach
Drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil
Small handful of blanched and toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
Squeeze of lemon juice
4 (very fresh) large free-range eggs

Method:
1. Peel, stone and slice the avocado, then gently toss in a bowl with the beetroot, spinach, olive oil, hazelnuts and lemon juice. Season and set aside.
2. To poach the eggs, heat a large pan of salted water until it just bubbles gently. Crack an egg into a ramekin, then slide the egg into the water, lowering the ramekin as close to the water as possible. Using a dessert spoon, gently fold any stray strands of white around the yolk. Repeat with the other eggs. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and put on kitchen paper to dry.
3. Divide the avocado mixture among 2 - 4 plates, then serve the eggs on top, sprinkled with salt and pepper.

Did you know:
When poaching eggs, the fresher, the better (ideally less than 4 days old). A fresh egg white clings more closely to the yolk in the simmering water.

Post and other links can be seen here:
http://thelowcarbdiabetic.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/poached-eggs-with-avocado-beetroot-and.html

If you would like to read the twenty interesting reasons to love avocado's do go back to the very first post on this thread ...

All the best Jan

didn't know that about eggs for poaching . don't aways get the timing right for poached eggs .  recipe looks very nice .

A salad made from iceberg lettuce, bacon lardons, avocado pear, olives, tomatoes, feta cheese, extra virgin olive oil, add some black pepper and a tiny amount of salt.

Taken from here
lowcarbdietsandrecipes.blogspot.co.uk

Why not enjoy this soon ...

( If you would like to read the twenty interesting reasons to love avocado's do go back to the very first post on this thread ... )

All the best Jan

Thanks for the reminder, I knew I was going to add something to my shopping list but couldn't remember what it was . . .

Eddie wrote:Hi Chris

We follow this guy, very knowledgeable and a great presenter. Some great tips.

We love avocados, and they have been in the news recently because people are injuring themselves when preparing and cutting them.

With that in mind these are two videos worth a watch!!!
(Eddie originally posted them a while ago)

All the best Jan

Oh thanks for the reminder, I was just pondering what I should eat and lo and behold I have an avocado on the windowsill that looks and feels ripe. I'll have it with a prawn curry.

Old engineer's joke - how do you stop a transformer buzzing? Tighten the bolts until the threads strip then stop half a turn ago.

The avocado equivalent - how do I know when it's ripe? Wait until it goes black then eat it yesterday.

How do I prepare them? Cut them in half with a knife, pull one half away from the stone, then PUT THE OTHER HALF ON A PLATE and prise the stone out.

Maybe they should come with written instructions and a list of side effects?

"Avocado prices at record high due to reduced harvests

If you're a lover of guacamole, chocolate avocado shakes or smashed avocado on toast, get ready to pay more for your fix of the green fruit.
Avocado prices have risen to a record due to surging global demand and reduced harvests from major producers Mexico, Peru and California.
A 10-kilogram box of Hass avocados from Mexico's major wholesale producer sells for around 530 pesos (£21.78; $27.89).

That is more than double last year's price, according to Bloomberg data.
Analysts expect prices to remain at "elevated levels" after a growers strike in Mexico and drought in California led to a severe supply crunch last year.
Mexico supplies 82% of avocado shipments into the US, according to data from the Hass Avocado Board, but that is expected to drop.

California production is forecast to be down about 44% this year.
Peru has also downgraded this year's crop forecast following severe flooding in its southern growing regions.
US shoppers have seen prices rise steeply, but not at the same rate as wholesale prices.

Food trend
Avocado consumption has grown dramatically after the fruit's taste and health properties turned it into a major food trend.
The avocado has the highest protein and oil content of any fruit. It is also believed to help reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease.

There are two main varieties of avocado available on the market: Hass and Fuerte. The former make up 95% of all avocados eaten in the US.
The US is the world's largest consumer and importer of avocados, but the "butter fruit" is also rapidly gaining fans in China.
Avocado exports from Latin America to China are growing by about 250% a year, according to the Financial Times.
Chinese conglomerate Shenzhen Kondarl is also buying Australia's biggest avocado farm Primary Growth for up to 1bn yuan ($146m) to meet the burgeoning demand.

In fact, demand for the fruit is so great there were even avocado thefts in New Zealand during last year's shortage.
Major US restaurant chains were also affected. Subway was forced to stop serving fresh avocado on their sandwiches while Chipotle Mexican Grill said it squeezed their bottomline.

There are also worries that avocados will get even more expensive if President Trump follows through with his threat to exit NAFTA or levy tariffs on Mexico."

Story from here
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-39768480

Just as an aside!
I don't always buy a single one, I often look out for the multi packs ...

All the best Jan

Don't worry, with global warming we'll soon be able to grow them here.

Actually I wonder if they can be done in greenhouses, or hydroponically. The stones can germinate but I never grew one on to see what happens next.

It must be wonderful to grow your own avocado... but after reading this ... and bearing in mind the UK climate, I think I will just get mine from the supermarket!

How To Grow Avocado Tree At Home

https://www.curejoy.com/content/how-grow-avocado-home/

All the best Jan

chris c wrote:

I had an absolutely PERFECT avocado earlier on, I can't think what went wrong. It was entirely full of pale green creamy goodness, with nowt but a small tinge of blackness near the stalk.

Well half of it anyway, along with a prawn curry including cashews and multicoloured peppers and coconut oil.

It was soooo good I might have to have the other half later.

You may have seen this recipe suggestion before, but we love poached eggs and we love avocado, so think this combination works so well  



I always think poached eggs make a nice change, and in fact I enjoyed one this morning for breakfast ... you may prefer two! A nutritious poached egg can make a great start to the day, and if you wish to try this recipe idea the addition of a few more great tasting foods, just make this poached egg and avocado breakfast recipe, packed with potassium, protein and vitamins B and C a great start to the day. 

For those who may like to know - here is the Nutritional info per serving:
Calories 366kcals
Fat 28.4g (6.4g saturated)
Protein 21.7g
Carbohydrates 7.4g (6.5g sugars)
Fibre 5.2g
Salt 0.9g

Ingredients:
Serves 2 - 4
½ ripe medium avocado
4 cooked baby beetroot, quartered
Handful of baby leaf spinach
Drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil
Small handful of blanched and toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
Squeeze of lemon juice
4 (very fresh) large free-range eggs

Method:
1. Peel, stone and slice the avocado, then gently toss in a bowl with the beetroot, spinach, olive oil, hazelnuts and lemon juice. Season and set aside.
2. To poach the eggs, heat a large pan of salted water until it just bubbles gently. Crack an egg into a ramekin, then slide the egg into the water, lowering the ramekin as close to the water as possible. Using a dessert spoon, gently fold any stray strands of white around the yolk. Repeat with the other eggs. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and put on kitchen paper to dry.
3. Divide the avocado mixture among 2 - 4 plates, then serve the eggs on top, sprinkled with salt and pepper.

Did you know:
When poaching eggs, the fresher, the better (ideally less than 4 days old). A fresh egg white clings more closely to the yolk in the simmering water.

Recipe idea from here
http://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/poached-eggs-with-avocado-beetroot-and-spinach/

The original recipe idea serves two, but some may find one egg is sufficient, so amend recipe to suit ...

All the best Jan

Libby at Ditch The Carbs has three avocado boat recipe suggestions you may like to see ...
https://www.ditchthecarbs.com/easy-avocado-boats-3-ways/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ditchthecarbs%2Fpkck+%28Ditch+The+Carbs%29

All the best Jan