 I love avocadoes. I know many of you do, too. What's not to love? This tropical fruit is chock full of fiber, is rich in potassium, and is packed with vitamins like B, E, and K.  Even if you cast aside the fact that this green delight contain loads of heart healthy oleic acid, it still receives high marks for other attributes, like the silky texture, rich buttery flavor, and versatility. Versatility? Why, yes. Don't tell me all you're doing with these verdant beauties is making smoothies and guacamole! Take a look at just how versatile this fab fruit can be, and discover that all avocados are not created equal!  My gift box from California Avocados Direct ~ Avocados = Love! I use California avocados in all of my recipes, so you can't imagine how excited I was when I received this lovely gift box from Mimi and Ben at California Avocados Direct! Before my avocados arrived, I received a message that Ben had picked my avocados and they were ready to be shipped. Oh, and a picture of Ben picking them was provided as well. See for yourself!  Ben picking avocados to be shipped same day! And in preparing to conduct this review, I didn't merely gain a box of avocados grown with love and care in sunny California - I gained new friends. I have enjoyed communicating with Mimi via Twitter - chatting about her family's rich history and long-time service and dedication to agriculture, as well as our having connections to some of the same places where we've lived over the years. The internet can be a wonderful tool for connecting with folks you'd otherwise never be able to meet. And it can connect you with farm-fresh, hand picked, beautiful California avocados, too! On their site, you can find gift baskets, guacamole kits, a variety of salsas, and you can even buy "season tickets" so that you receive your avocados every month during the season (Feb.-July). Please visit California Avocados Direct to get your fresh avocados, as well as gift items, recipes, and nutrition information. You'll notice the difference in every bite (really)! So, I know you're wondering just what I did with my avocados. Have a peek at a few of my unique uses for this versatile fruit:  A short ingredients list for my Avo Mayo. If you've been following along here for any length of time, you've likely heard me say that I miss mayo. I gave it up when I had to give up eggs. When I found a vegan mayo at Whole Foods, I couldn't wait to get it home and put it on a sandwich. And I did. I also got very, very sick. In a heated moment of mayo-craze, I failed to read the label. I cannot tolerate soy (soybean oil is in many commercially available mayos). Since then, I've been mayo-free; until I saw a recipe on the internet for avocado mayonnaise, which basically consisted of commercially available mayo blended with pureed avocado. That sounded pretty disgusting to me, but it did elicit an idea.  Avo Mayo And it worked. Here's what I did: Avo Mayo 1 ripe avocado Juice of 1/4 lemon 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon black peper 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 3 Tablespoons light olive oil Combine all ingredients except oil in the bowl of your food processor and blend until pureed. You will need to scrape down the sides several times to insure all avocado is pureed. When the mixture is smooth, drizzle the oil slowly into the processor while blending. Be patient - if you add the oil all at once or too fast, you will not achieve the rich creamy mayo-like texture that you're looking for. Use immediately, or store in fridge for 3-5 days tightly covered. It may keep longer, but it never stays around my fridge long enough to find out.  A sandwich with Avo Mayo ~ a beautiful thing!  Seriously, beautiful.  This Avo Mayo is as versatile as the fruit itself. How about some deviled eggs? Here's a simple recipe that is easily doubled (or more!) using the Avo Mayo recipe. Avo-Ovos (Deviled Eggs) 4 hard boiled eggs, halved with yolks removed to a small bowl 1 Tablespoon Avo Mayo 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon minced fresh chives Place egg whites on a serving dish. Mash yolks with a fork until smooth, then add the Avo Mayo, mustard, and chives, stirring to blend. Spoon mixture into a piping bag and fill the whites. Sprinkle with sea salt & serve, or chill if you prefer. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.  Avo Ovos ~ Deviled Eggs  Simply irresistable! When listing the attributes of this green giant, I should have mentioned how easily it crosses the lines between savory and sweet. Yes, sweet.  Simple ingredients, ease of preparation, fairly health-conscious - I'm in! Let's make Choc-AVO-late Brownies! Choc-AVO-late Brownies 1 ripe avocado 1/4 cup French Vanilla coconut milk creamer 1/2 cup sugar 1/3 cup cocoa powder 1/4 cup corn starch 2 eggs 1/4 teaspoon finely ground sea salt 2 Tablespoons finely chopped chocolate Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease an 8x8-inch square baking pan. In the bowl of your food processor, combine avocado flesh and coconut creamer. Process until mixture is smooth and no avocado chunks remain. Add all remainig ingredients EXCEPT grated chocolate. Blend until a smooth, creamy uniform mixture results.  Looks like pudding, huh? (Tastes like it, too!) Spoon batter into prepared baking dish and top with chocolate.  Bake for 20 minutes. Do not overbake. The top of brownies should appear dry, yet shiny, but not brown around the edges. Cool in pan for 25 minutes (seriously!), then cut into small square to serve. Store leftovers at room temperature for 3 days, or in the fridge for a fudge-like texture.  Choc-AVO-late Brownies Light and moist, with a melt-a-way texture, these brownies are terrific on their own. But. If you want to be over-the-top like me... put your AVO on ICE!   There's no better combination ~ brownies & ice cream! Avo Ice Cream (dairy-free, of course!) 1 avocado 2 cups coconut milk creamer (I use plain So Delicious, but you could use their French Vanilla flavor and omit the vanilla extract if you like) 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3 Tablespoons agave nectar (you could sub another sugar here if you like) Puree the avocado until no chunks remain and the mixture is entirely smooth (very important step, as you want a silky smooth texture for the ice cream). Transfer the avocado puree to a mixing bowl and add remaining ingredients, stirring with a whisk until a uniform mixture is achieved. Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker (I use a countertop ice cream maker). Freeze according to directions for your machine - my ice cream is ready in 30-40 minutes, depending on variety I'm making. Serve immediately, or store in the freezer in an airtight container until ready to use. If you freeze for later use, allow the ice cream to sit at room temperature 10 minutes prior to serving. This recipe yields a smooth, silky ice cream that I have stored for up to 1 month in the freezer. Enjoy! Comments05/09/2011 08:55
Gigi, you have such a way with avocados! I'm so glad to have met you, and delighted that you were willing to work your magic with fruit grown on our family farm. Thank you! Looking forward to tweeting with you! Angela 05/09/2011 12:13
I'm all over the avocado ice cream recipe! Not just because it sounds fantastic (avocados are so creamy!), but also because it's vegan and is one more way to use my favorite new find: So Delicious French Vanilla coconut milk creamer! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe! 05/09/2011 14:31
The avo-mayo is just the thing for summertime salads. can't wait to get my hands on a few today. Mimi, Debi, Angela, Jean, Lisa 01/31/2012 11:47
Hi Gigi, Lisa 01/31/2012 13:01
(By the way, about the awesome avo mayo: I find that mixing by machine (versus mixing by hand) helps infuse the lemon juice, so there is less oxidizing.) Your comment will be posted after it is approved. Leave a Reply | 
 
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