So this is my twentieth blog entry. I can’t believe it. Thank you so much for continuing to follow me! My promise with this blog from day one was to post once a week and to focus on educating, sharing tips, sharing cooking techniques, and of course recipes. When I sit down to think about ideas of what to write about, each month I make it a goal to have incorporated all of those things. This is where I do feel I am a little different than other food blogs. You may not get a recipe every single week, but hopefully this difference is a positive one. My vow is to continue to share what I know to help you make the best choice in the kitchen for you and your family - help you cook for a better tomorrow! I truly think if you learn as you go instead of just ‘doing’, you will be able to maintain being a successful cook.
I would love to hear from you, whether by email (cookingforabettertomorrow@gmail.com) or simply commenting on the blog directly. Do you have ideas on things you would like me to make or blog about? I have an ongoing list of ideas, but I want to know what you want to read about.
So onto today’s entry. Today is devoted to the creamy avocado and how you can use it to make two different delicious dips for your Super Bowl Party this weekend!
Learning about an avocado:
Avocados (also know to some as Alligator Pears) are a oval shaped fruit that is grown on a tree. They come in many different varieties, but Hass is probably the most well known. Avocados have amazing health benefits, as I am sure you have heard. They are probably most well know for being a little higher in fat, but the good kind of fat your body needs for heart health - monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. They are also low in sodium and cholesterol and high in fiber, potassium and vitamins B, C, E and K.
Better Bonus Tip: Read more about avocados here.
Fun Fact: You can grow your own avocados in your house. I have never done this, but my mother in law has a great green thumb and has. Give it a try if you are feeling adventurous.
So when you are at the grocery store, how do you know what avocado to buy? First off, you need to decide when you are going to want to eat it? If you are ready to eat your avocado in the next day or two you will want it to be a little more ripe; if you are not eating it until the end of the week, you don't want it to be as ripe, because it will continue to progress over the course of the week at your house. The darker the skin on Hass avocados, the more ripe they are. You also can gently press on the outer skin to see how soft they are. You should keep in mind what you are using your avocado for. For example, a really soft avocado would be great in guacamole, but if you are wanting small little cubes for a salad, a really soft avocado is going to be difficult to work with.
Working with an avocado:
Avocados have a large seed in the middle of them, so you will not be able to cut your knife all the way through the avocado. Rather, take a paring knife and slide your knife all the way around the avocado and the seed. To open the avocado, gently twist.
To remove the seed, I have found using a sharp knife and piercing the seed and then gently twisting, will remove it from the avocado. Next, very carefully, use your hand to pull the seed off the knife blade and toss. This is obviously not kid friendly, so parents need to do this step.
So now the seed is out and we are ready to work with the avocado flesh, you have a couple of options here.
Option #1:
Use your paring knife, make diagonal slits both directions in the avocado. Then use a spoon to gently scoop out the flesh.
Option #2:
Start by scooping out the flesh with a spoon and then lay the avocado flat side down on the cutting board and cut into pieces, if needed. I tend to like this method better. I don’t always need to cut the avocado, so it eliminates a step. Even, if I do need little cubes, I find cutting them after the skin is removed works a little better to keep the consistency and form in place. You decide what you like best.
Cooking with an avocado:
As promised, today I am going to share two quick, easy and delicious dips for your Super Bowl Parties this Sunday. Both of my dips are using just one avocado, but multiply as you feel fit, to feed the group you are serving.
First up, is my traditional guacamole. I like a chunky dip, with lots of yummy flavors.
Guacamole
Ingredients:
Avocado, 1
Red onion, ¼ c chopped
Small tomato, 1, chopped
Cilantro, 2 T chopped
Lime, ½ juiced
Salt, 1 tsp
Jalapeno, pickled or fresh to desired level of heat, optional
Remove avocado from its skin and gently mash with the back of a fork. Then add all remaining chopped ingredients, lime juice and salt.
I would love to hear from you, whether by email (cookingforabettertomorrow@gmail.com) or simply commenting on the blog directly. Do you have ideas on things you would like me to make or blog about? I have an ongoing list of ideas, but I want to know what you want to read about.
So onto today’s entry. Today is devoted to the creamy avocado and how you can use it to make two different delicious dips for your Super Bowl Party this weekend!
Learning about an avocado:
Avocados (also know to some as Alligator Pears) are a oval shaped fruit that is grown on a tree. They come in many different varieties, but Hass is probably the most well known. Avocados have amazing health benefits, as I am sure you have heard. They are probably most well know for being a little higher in fat, but the good kind of fat your body needs for heart health - monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. They are also low in sodium and cholesterol and high in fiber, potassium and vitamins B, C, E and K.
Better Bonus Tip: Read more about avocados here.
Fun Fact: You can grow your own avocados in your house. I have never done this, but my mother in law has a great green thumb and has. Give it a try if you are feeling adventurous.
So when you are at the grocery store, how do you know what avocado to buy? First off, you need to decide when you are going to want to eat it? If you are ready to eat your avocado in the next day or two you will want it to be a little more ripe; if you are not eating it until the end of the week, you don't want it to be as ripe, because it will continue to progress over the course of the week at your house. The darker the skin on Hass avocados, the more ripe they are. You also can gently press on the outer skin to see how soft they are. You should keep in mind what you are using your avocado for. For example, a really soft avocado would be great in guacamole, but if you are wanting small little cubes for a salad, a really soft avocado is going to be difficult to work with.
Working with an avocado:
Avocados have a large seed in the middle of them, so you will not be able to cut your knife all the way through the avocado. Rather, take a paring knife and slide your knife all the way around the avocado and the seed. To open the avocado, gently twist.
To remove the seed, I have found using a sharp knife and piercing the seed and then gently twisting, will remove it from the avocado. Next, very carefully, use your hand to pull the seed off the knife blade and toss. This is obviously not kid friendly, so parents need to do this step.
So now the seed is out and we are ready to work with the avocado flesh, you have a couple of options here.
Option #1:
Use your paring knife, make diagonal slits both directions in the avocado. Then use a spoon to gently scoop out the flesh.
Option #2:
Start by scooping out the flesh with a spoon and then lay the avocado flat side down on the cutting board and cut into pieces, if needed. I tend to like this method better. I don’t always need to cut the avocado, so it eliminates a step. Even, if I do need little cubes, I find cutting them after the skin is removed works a little better to keep the consistency and form in place. You decide what you like best.
Cooking with an avocado:
As promised, today I am going to share two quick, easy and delicious dips for your Super Bowl Parties this Sunday. Both of my dips are using just one avocado, but multiply as you feel fit, to feed the group you are serving.
First up, is my traditional guacamole. I like a chunky dip, with lots of yummy flavors.
Guacamole
Ingredients:
Avocado, 1
Red onion, ¼ c chopped
Small tomato, 1, chopped
Cilantro, 2 T chopped
Lime, ½ juiced
Salt, 1 tsp
Jalapeno, pickled or fresh to desired level of heat, optional
Remove avocado from its skin and gently mash with the back of a fork. Then add all remaining chopped ingredients, lime juice and salt.
Better Bonus Tip: Prior to chopping the tomato, I remove the top and gently squeeze out some of the juice and seeds.
Simple right?
__________________________________________________________________
Next up is my avocado and corn salsa. This dip uses some of the same ingredients and flavors from my guacamole, but with some additions. I love corn, so that was an easy choice, but thought some red pepper and green onion would also compliment. In addition, a nice vinaigrette to give you more of the salsa feel. This dip is really good in the summer when you can grill corn on the cop and use that, but for today I just used frozen defrosted corn. For the tomatoes in this dip, I decided to use cherry tomatoes, because they hold their shape and structure a little better.
Avocado and Corn Salsa
Ingredients:
Avocado, 1, diced small
Corn, ½ c
Cherry tomato, ½ c chopped
Red onion, ¼ c chopped
Green onion, ¼ c chopped
Red pepper, ¼ c chopped
Cilantro, 3 T chopped
Lime vinaigrette:
Lime, ½ jucied
Cumin, ½ tsp
Salt, ½ tsp
Rice vinegar, 1 T
Oil, 1 T
Chop and prepare all ingredients and set aside. With this dip, you are keeping the avocado in small pieces instead of mashing, so keep that in mind when you decide which method you want to try when removing the flesh from the skin.
Mix vinaigrette and then combine with rest of the chopped ingredients.
Viola!
Better Bonus Tip: A lot of people fear the avocado will turn brown quickly, but because of the addition of the lime juice to both dips, they will maintain their green color longer.
What is your favorite way to eat an avocado? I hope you will enjoy these dips, but start to experiment with other ways to incorporate this heart healthy fruit into your diet. I like to mash up avocados and blend with sour cream or mayo and a little citrus. Great for tacos or sandwiches.
~Ashley
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I would like to learn how to make the stuffed mushrooms pictured in the main header-those look yummy!
ReplyDeleteI love avocadoes! Sometimes I eat the slices plain! Yum.
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