Focused Foodie: Avocado

Who doesn’t love avocados?! They have got to be the most hyped-up food of our generation. This student staple has inspired everything from avocado puns on birthday cards to avocado toys in Urban Outfitters… I even saw avocado Christmas decorations in John Lewis yesterday! Students always buy the cheapest food possible, yet will happily spend £8.00 on some avocado toast because, let’s face it, Generation Z are addicted to the creamy, delicious goodness. 

let’s face it, Generation Z are addicted to the creamy, delicious goodness

This obsession is actually super good for you, too! Avocados are full of healthy monounsaturated fat, Vitamin E, antioxidants and carotenes, which are good at keeping your cholesterol in check, preventing oxidative stress and for general good health. It’s important to reward yourself once in a while, so for the perfect treat, I’ve rounded up some simple dishes for you to satisfy those avo-cravings.

Breakfast: Shakshuka

This is creeping up more on menus recently and I am loving it!

• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1 red chilli, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• Spices: cajun pepper, paprika, chilli flakes… you choose!
• 2 portobello mushrooms (or any mushroom)
• One avocado, sliced
• Some fresh bread for dipping

Fry the onion, chilli and crushed garlic in a small frying pan for five minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and sugar and leave to bubble for around 10 minutes. Add paprika, Cajun pepper, chilli and any other seasonings you’d like. Then poke little holes in the mixture using a spoon and add in mushrooms and slices of avocado. Leave to cook for around 3-5 minutes with a lid (or just cover in tinfoil) and then serve in the pan with bread to dip. Sprinkle with feta or coriander if you want to be extra fancy!

Lunch: Avocado Toast

Okay, I know this seems basic, but this recipe is the actual bomb of avocado toasts, trust me! I have made this a lot and know what makes it the best.

• One ripe avocado
• Juice of a lime
• Chilli flakes, smoked paprika, salt and pepper
• 3 cloves of garlic
• A generous handful of coriander
• Bread

Mix all the avocado ingredients together, toast your bread and spread the smooth creamy mixture on top. Top with Sriracha sauce and fresh baby tomatoes.

Snack: Smoothie

This is easy because it combines all frozen ingredients so no mushy brown avocado problems for you!

• One frozen avocado
• A handful of frozen berries
• Half a frozen banana
• Half a cup of plant-based milk or apple juice
• Optional: handful of frozen spinach and some syrup/honey

Whizz up in a blender and adjust amount of liquid to achieve desired consistency.

Dinner: Avocado Pasta

This is soooo creamy and yummy I could honestly eat it every night. Feel free to mix it up with different veggies and toppings.

• One avocado mushed up very well
• About 3 tbsp of olive oil
• 3 cloves of garlic
• Juice of half a lemon
• Handful of basil leaves
• Salt, pepper and chilli flakes
• Half an onion
• Half a pepper
• Some cherry tomatoes
• Preferred portion size of pasta

Blitz up first set up ingredients in a blender to get a creamy sauce. Then fry your onion and pepper in a pan with some oil and preferred spices. In the meantime, cook up your pasta for around 12 minutes. Drain your pasta and stir in the veggies and creamy sauce. Serve up with tomatoes and top with some cheese.

Dessert: Avocado Pudding

Although the idea of an avocado in a dessert sounds a bit strange, the cocoa powder hides avocado flavour, but you still get that lovely creamy consistency.

• 1 avocado, cubed
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 50g melted dark chocolate
• 3 tbsp milk, any type
• 1 tbsp syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• A pinch of salt

Basically, just blitz all of this together and eat immediately or chill in the fridge. Serve with some strawberries. 

I hope you avo-great time cooking up these tasty treats!

Katy Skillen

Featured image courtesy of Stock Catalog via Flickr. Image license found here. 

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