Avocado is one of the most versatile foods that exists. It can be used in many recipes and in many different ways: in salads, guacamole, on toasts, in tacos, in sauces...
Besides being delicious, the dishes with avocado are a great source of nutrients, as it has a high content of natural fats. In this article, we are going to explain how to prepare 6 avocado recipes straightforwardly.
Is avocado a fruit or vegetable?
Although it is thought that avocados are vegetables due to their green color and their neutral and slightly bitter, they are actually a fruit. This is because it is an edible fruit from a cultivable plant (the avocado tree).
It has been part of the basic diet of many cultures over time, yet its popularity is relatively recent in many parts of the world.
For instance, the increase in the demand of this product both in Europe and in the United States, as well as incipiently in China, has made it a very valued fruit in kitchens around the world.
And this is not only because of its flavor and the ease with which it can be used to prepare different recipes. Another reason for its recent introduction in the diet of a large part of the world's population is the high number of health benefits it has: it is one of the few fruits rich in natural fats and low in sugars.
The ease with which this fruit is obtained today and the simplicity with which it can be cooked, make avocado an ingredient that should always be present in our kitchen, as well as an excellent element to add to any recipe.
6 avocado recipes
The versatility of avocado is known worldwide: we can use it as a main ingredient, but also as an accompaniment in all kinds of preparations. For this reason, this fruit can be used in many different recipes and dishes.
In the following lines, we tell you about 6 avocado recipes that are easy and fast to prepare.
1. Guacamole
Guacamole is perhaps the maximum exponent of the Mexican cuisine. The popularity of this sauce around the world has favored the avocado to be an ingredient in many types of recipes from different countries.
Moreover, the boom in avocado consumption has facilitated the emergence of a wide variety of ways of making guacamole, although the traditional recipe remains the most common one.
The traditional guacamole recipe consists in adding salt, lemon, coriander, a bit of garlic and onion to the avocado. And the Mexican style one can also include red tomato cut in small cubes.
To make this easy guacamole recipe, the avocado is ground, crushed with a mortar or just cut into pieces. Then, the ingredients previous mentioned are mixed. Sometimes, some liquid cream is added to give it a more intense flavor.
Although this is the traditional recipe, nowadays, each country makes it their own style.
2. Nachos with guacamole
Apart from the guacamole, nachos is probably one of the most famous dishes that is prepared with avocado. This dish is very typical from Mexico, and as it is easy to make, it has become more and more popular in the last decades.
The dish is based on some guacamole on top of a plate of nachos, and we can optionally add any type of meat, "pico de gallo" and cream cheese to taste.
Nachos with guacamole are so popular that there are fast food restaurants in Mexico, the United States and increasingly more in Europe, that prepare this dish and other traditional Mexican dishes.
3. Salad with avocado
Another easy recipe that we can prepare is a salad with avocado. These can be made by mixing most of the ingredients we have in pour kitchen.
For instance, we can use as a base: lettuce, beetroot, rocket, lamb's lettuce, spinach or any other typical salad ingredient.
Then, as extra ingredients, we can add, apart from the avocado, some anchovies, tomato, cheese, different kinds of fruit, nuts, sesame, tuna, asparagus, egg, sweet corn, some pasta, and many other ingredients.
When you finish adding ingredients, add some olive oil, apple vinegar, and sea salt to give it your salad with avocado a special touch.
4. Tuna tartare
Tartare is a food that is becoming more and more fashionable, and although at first it was only served in the most exclusive restaurants, today we can find it anywhere that has contemporary food.
To make this avocado recipe, mix fresh tuna or smoked tuna cut into small squares with the avocado, which also needs to be cut into squares. Then add the sauce previously prepared with lemon juice, oil, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and tabasco to taste.
You can mix everything as if it were a salad, or you can use a mold similar to the one used to make hamburgers, and in this way, we give the tartare an attractive presentation.
5. Pasta with avocado
Another recipe that can be prepared with avocado is one made from any type of pasta. A good pasta dish can be accompanied by half an avocado or a whole one.
The pasta we use can be macaroni, spaghetti, noodles or any other type. The avocado added to the pasta can be cut into pieces, crushed or turned into guacamole. We can also mix it with other ingredients, such as chicken, spinach or nuts.
In any of these ways, we will obtain a great dish of pasta with avocado.
6. Avocado toast
It is very healthy to have avocado for breakfast in the morning, as it is one of the most healthy fruits that exists. It has a large number of nutrients, so a piece of avocado in the first meal of the day provides an adequate level of fat and energy.
The avocado toast recipe is very easy to make. You can put whatever you want on the toast, such as ham, cheese, butter or cream cheese, and on top of these, you just add some avocado.
As mentioned previously, they are ideal for breakfast, but they can also be made for lunch, tea, or dinner.
On the other hand, in Mexico and other Latin-American countries, toasts are tortillas that are used for tacos, and they are ideal if you spread a small portion of fried black frijoles, a piece of avocado, a slice of tomato, some grated cheese, a little-shredded chicken breast, and semi-liquid cream.
References
Gutiérrez, S. (2004). El aguacate: cien recetas escogidas. Maikalili: Barcelona.
Tamayo, A., Cordoba, O. J. y Londoño, M. E. (2008). Tecnología para el cultivo del aguacate. Centro de Investigación La Selva: Colombia.