If you are a regular to our blog, then you must have seen various posts on Avocado. We had been suggesting some quick recipes using Avocado. You can read those blog posts here..and here…
So, Just in case you are a smoothie lover, we have an Avocado smoothie recipe also here…
Today I thought of sharing an easy-peasy Avocado spread recipe that my lovely daughter-in-law had made. Frankly speaking, I am not a very big fan of this fruit due to mainly two reasons; one its buttery taste, and two, it is a very costly fruit to buy at my place. I would never ever buy a single avocado for 400 or 450 INR. LOL.
I am happy enjoying my tangy green spread prepared with coriander and mint thriving in my kitchen garden, with a crisp toast. As I said my DIL prepared it and initially made me think, “Omg! what a waste of money to make a spread out of a 400 INR piece of fancy fruit.” But soon I was face and shock as well to know that she gets Avocados really cheap in Bangalore. Hmmm! well I know she is a sensible girl who knows the value of money. (Haha… so much of that MIL factor in me.)
Avocado is the native fruit of Mexico and Central America.
Anyways, we know that avocado is the native fruit of Mexico and Central America. It is surely a calorie-dense food with 100 gms of fruit providing 160 calories. Though the good news is that more than two-thirds of its calories come from monounsaturated oleic acid. If we consume monounsaturated fats in place of polyunsaturated fats and carbs, we reduce our chances of weight gain and diabetes.
Health Benefits of Avocado; Why we must eat it.
There are some more reasons for consuming avocado…
- Avocado is a very good source of omega-9 fats.
- It helps in reducing the level of bad cholesterol (LDL) and raising good cholesterol (HDL) levels.
- Avocado if added with nutritious vegetables helps in assimilating the vitamins and nutrients present in the veggies also.
- Avocado helps in reducing hunger as it is calorie-rich that keeps us full for a longer time.
- Therefore, Avocado is rich in healthy fiber, and protein and is low in carbs.
- It has anti-inflammatory benefits. So, it helps in preventing arthritis.
- Avocado helps in regulating blood sugar as it is low in carbs and as well as sugar.
- Avocado spread is also known to be having anti-cancer benefits too.
- It is considered heart-healthy.
In India, there are very few areas that grow avocados. The beautiful hill slopes of Tamil Nadu, Coorg, Kerala, and certain areas of Karnataka do grow these extensively. Hmmm! now we know why my DIL buys the glorious avocados so cheap.
How to select a good Avocado
Experience says that a ripe ready-to-eat avocado has to be a little soft but must not have sunken spots or cracks. It needs to be firm, as can be later ripened at home. Keep it in a paper bag at room temperature and it is good to go. Remember, avocado shouldn’t be refrigerated until it well ripens, and once ripe, it can be kept in the fridge for a week at the most.
That was all about the goodness of Avocado… Now let me share the recipe…
Avocado Spread – Easy Recipe
Ingredients:
- One nice ripe avocado
- Black pepper or white pepper powder (according to how sharp you need it)
- Red chili flakes basically add a bit of color.
- Mixed herbs / Italian seasoning ( Domino pizza leftover two pouches will do) 😛
- Garlic as per your taste finely chopped. You can roast a few on a girdle to add a bit of smokiness.
- Finely chopped Onion(optional as it can reduce the shelf life of spread)
- Lemon juice or white vinegar just a bit to add tanginess to the spread.
Method:
Just mash everything well with a fork if your avocado is nice and soft. If not that soft, use a blender. Here is the result….
Easy right? I know… I loved it all the more because I don’t like spending too much of my life’s precious time in the kitchen. So for me, this recipe works as in ten minutes I have a bowl full of rich and spicy avocado spread that I can use on a crisp toast during breakfast as well as with evening tea. Aah! did I tell you that you can keep it in the refrigerator for two weeks at least?
Hope you liked this Avocado Spread – Easy Recipe. If yes then don’t forget to share your take on it.
You may also want to read.
How Avocado Can Help You Lose Weight?
Hello All!!
The nutrition myth that you will get fat by eating fat is not going to go away so easily I guess. The truth is that certain dietary fats like the ones found in avocado can help in weight loss! Want to know why? Here it is 🙂
Is saturated fat bad for you?
Saturated fat has always been under the scanner and widely debated. But what has come to light is that trans fat and hydrogenated fat in foods like margarine are the real culprits causing not just weight gain but also heart disease. Refined carbs have also been found to trigger weight gain. It is refined carbs and not saturated fat that is behind skyrocketing levels of obesity and other diseases.
How Avocado Can Help You Lose Weight?
Avocado is a fruit that is native to Mexico and Central America.
Avocados are a calorie-dense food. Just 100 gms of the fruit provides 160 calories. More than two-thirds of its calories come from monounsaturated oleic acid. Studies have shown that oleic acids are used by the body as a slow-burning source of energy than saturated fat. If you happen to consume monounsaturated fats instead of polyunsaturated fats and carbs, you will reduce your chances of weight gain and diabetes.
Avocado is also a good source of omega-9 fats. Eating a diet rich in it has been shown to reduce the levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) and raise the level of good cholesterol (HDL). Omega-9 fat helps the body in absorbing antioxidants and fat-soluble vitamins from the food consumed. Avocados are themselves quite amazing but when eaten with nutritious veggies they help in assimilating the vitamins and nutrients present in the veggies too.
Weight Loss and Hunger
Avocados also help in reducing hunger. At times we tend to mistake thirst for hunger- the main reason for weight gain. So, the next time you feel like having a bite, have a glass of water instead.
Therefore, by consuming Mother Nature’s healthy foods, like avocados and almonds you will be less likely to feel hungry again after a short time after having your meal. Avocados have a rich buttery taste with healthy fiber content and monounsaturated fats. Along with that they have protein and are low in carbs. Avocados provide a feeling of satisfied fullness after being eaten, which is called satiety.
With so many plus points in Avocados, they seem to be a wonderful weight-loss food added to a healthy diet plan.
Other health benefits of avocado
- It provides anti-inflammatory benefits. So, it helps in preventing arthritis.
- It helps in regulating blood sugar as it is low in carbs and also low in sugar.
- It has shown anti-cancer benefits at the lab level. Studies have not been done at a human level.
- It supports heart health.
Sadly, avocado is not widely famous in India. A few shake stalls have butter fruit (as it is called here) shakes on their menu but this wonder fruit is yet to embrace by us Indians.
India does not grow avocados widely. Regions that produce the fruit include the hill slopes of Tamil Nadu, Coorg, Kerala, and certain areas of Karnataka. So that means mainly the southern parts of India. However, Sikkim is successfully growing avocados.
In Conclusion.
Let me tell you how you can select them. A ripe avocado that is ready to eat is a little soft but it should not have any sunken spots or cracks. If it is firm, it can be ripe at home by keeping it in a paper bag at room temperature. Avocados shouldn’t refrigerate until they have ripe. Once they are ripe, they can be kept in the fridge for a week.
Avocado spread is also known to be having anti-cancer benefits too.
