Avocado Enchiladas

I can't believe that yesterday a posted the amount of 0 recipes.
Well, to make it up, I'll try posting three avocado recipes before I give in to my incredible urge to doze off.
My favorite Mexican food is enchiladas by far. The first time I had one, I fell in love.

Ingredients:

 

Sauce

• 1 teaspoon  canola oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon  sugar
• 4 tablespoons  ground cumin
• 3 tablespoons  dried oregano
• 1 can beer
• 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup  chicken broth or water
• 1 tablespoon  balsamic vinegar

Filling

• 8 ripe avocados, peeled and seeded
• 1 cup  cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
• 3/4 teaspoon  salt
• 1/2 red onion, finely diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
• Juice of 1 lime
• 20 corn tortillas
• 2 cups  grated reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese

Instructions:

Heat oil in a saucepan. Add onion; saute 5 minutes. Add garlic, sugar, cumin, oregano; saute 2 minutes. Add beer, tomatoes, broth; simmer 20 minutes. Add vinegar. Heat oven to 400F. Chop avocados; toss with cilantro and next 4 ingredients. Spread 1/2 cup sauce on the bottom of a casserole. Dip tortillas in remaining sauce; spoon 3 tablespoons of filling onto each. Roll up and arrange, seam side down, in dish. Pour sauce over, sprinkle with cheese. Cover; bake 25 minutes. Remove foil; bake 5 minutes. Let cool and serve.

 

All Bites Reserved By ~Me~

Avocado Deviled Eggs

I've enjoyed deviled eggs since I was born into the Earth, and avocado deviled eggs delighted me beyond belief. Actually, the first thing I did was make them, even before I posted this. I made them yesterday. They were amazing, and hopefully yours are too!

< Beyond Perfect Deviled Eggs That I Can't Make

Ingredients:

• 10 hard-boiled eggs
• 1 avocado, peeled and pitted
• 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise (preferably homemade)
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions:

1. Peel eggs and cut in half, either lengthwise or crosswise. Carefully scoop out yolks, and arrange whites on a platter or tray.
2. In the bowl of a food processor, process egg yolks, avocado, lemon juice, and mayonnaise until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Transfer egg yolk mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe mixture carefully and very neatly into egg halves. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 3 hours.

All Bites Reserved By ~Me~

Avocado Cheesecake (With Walnut Crust)

My mind is set on repeat, and the song that's playing in my head is a string of words: avocado, avocado, avocado, avocado, avocado, andI'm just sitting at the keyboard, patiently waiting for my mind to clear avocados entirely from my memory. Maybe this 'Food of the Week' thing will cause insanity.

But, anyways, yet another crazy way to use avocados is in a cheesecake, apparently... So here it is.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup shelled walnuts
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed anise seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
• 1 lemon
• 1 1/2 cups skim milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 fully ripened Avocados from Mexico, halved, pitted, peeled and diced
• 8 ounces fat-free cream cheese, softened and cut in pieces

Instructions:

   Heat oven to 350°F. In food processor, pulse walnuts until finely ground. Add graham cracker crumbs, 1 tablespoon sugar, anise seeds and salt; pulse just until combined. Add 2 tablespoons water; pulse until ingredients are thoroughly combined and resemble wet sand. Press into bottom of an 8 1/2-inch springform pan. Bake 20 minutes; cool completely.
In measuring cup or small bowl, combine gelatin with 2 tablespoons water; let stand for 5 minutes. With vegetable peeler, remove strips of lemon zest (yellow portion only). In saucepan, combine milk, 1/2 cup sugar, vanilla and lemon zest; bring to boil. Add gelatin; simmer until gelatin has completely dissolved, about 1 minute; strain and discard lemon zest. In food processor, combine avocados and cream cheese. Pour hot milk mixture into processor; process until very smooth. Pour into baked crust; cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or until set. Remove side of pan; cut cheesecake into 10 slices. Serve with raspberry sauce, if desired.

All Bites Reserved By ~Me~

Avocado-Chocolate Mousse

Chocolate Mousse. Chocolate Mousse. Chocolate Mousse.
I say it again and again in my mind. Just the sound of the name sends people to the kitchen table in two seconds flat. We had some mousse today, and it was then that I had one of those 'A-Ha!' moments- a chocolate mousse recipe for the blog.
But, of course, I stumbled upon gold while looking for silver- an Avocado-Chocolate Mousse. For once, I wasn't surprised. In fact, I'm getting kind of sick of avocado, and it's only been a couple days. But how could I refuse to add this to the growing empire of avocado-based recipes?

Also, here's a hint on what the next 'Food of the Week' will be: It's a famed dairy product, and there are many variations of it. If that didn't give it away, this will: The French are crazy for this dairy product. Ring a bell? Anybody could know this one, but if you don't hang on to your seats until next week!

Back to the recipe!:

Ingredients: 

½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, such as Ghirardelli

 

semisweet chocolate chips½

4 very ripe (8-ounce) avocados, peeled and pitted

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

½ cup agave

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

⅓ cup unsweetened almond milk

Fresh raspberries, for garnish

 

Instructions:

 

Place the chocolate chips in a small bowl. Place over a small saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth, about 3 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

Place the melted chocolate, avocados, cocoa powder, agave, vanilla, and salt, and almond milk in a food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Spoon into glasses and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (can be prepared 1 day in advance). Garnish with fresh raspberries and serve.

All Bites Reserved By,

 

                                       ~Me~

Avocado Chicken Salad

   Mmmmmmm... Chicken Salad.
Chicken salad is good, but it's even better when tossed with avocado, white rice, and mayonnaise, and blanketed in a smooth, creamy avocado dressing sauce. Mouth watering yet? It should be. and if it is, then make this salad now.

Ingredients: 

Salad:

• 3 cups cooked, diced chicken
• 3 cups cooked white rice
• 2 avocados, peeled, diced, and tossed with 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 to 2 teaspoons pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

Avocado Dressing:

• 1 large avocado, peeled and mashed with 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Dash cayenne pepper
• Thick, crusty bread, multi-grain or sourdough, for serving
• Lemon wedges, for garnish

Instructions:

   Salad:

Mix all ingredients and chill. Pass with avocado dressing.

Dressing:

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Chill and serve alongside chicken salad.

Eat ^ UP,

                      ~Me~

Avocado-Banana Smoothie

Smoothies are one of the staple diet foods in my opinion. Once we went on a health spree, and every day for two weeks we had a different healthy smoothie for breakfast. There were all kinds- and one was Martha Stewart's Avocado-Banana Smoothie. That one was among my favorites, and as soon as I remember it, I rushed to Martha Stewart's website. So, here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

   ~1 avocado~

1 banana

1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt

1 1/2 cups fresh orange juice (from 3 oranges)

1/4 cup honey

2 1/2 to 3 cups ice

 

Instructions:

 

   In a blender, combine avocado, banana, yogurt, orange juice, honey, and ice. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

 

Eat ^ UP,

 

                       ~Me~

Avocado Bread

I love the different kinds of bread to make.
Zucchini bread is amazing, and banana nut bread is irresistable. And now I've found what I've been looking for- Avocado Bread. The name just makes my mouth water. I can't wait to make it, but first, here's the recipe.

Ingredients:

  

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1/2 cup mashed avocado (1 medium avocado)

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup chopped pecans

 

Instructions:

 

   Step 1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Generously grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.

Step 2. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk to blend thoroughly.

Step 3. In a separate bowl, beat together the egg and avocado. Stir in the buttermilk. Add to the dry ingredients and blend well. Stir in the pecans.

Step 4. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

 

Makes one loaf.

 

Eat ^ UP,

 

                          ~Me~

Chocolate Avocado Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

I'm really learning a lot by doing this blog- especially about the many ways avocado can be used. I've been trying to list as many recipes that feature avocado in them besides guacamole, and I already have some interesting avocado recipes posted up- including avocado ice cream!
But here we go again, this time with avocado cupcakes. And the avocado is paired with chocolate! And peanut butter! Who would've thunk it? It's incredible! So I seriously beg you to try this, because I'm sure most people who read this haven't had avocado cupcakes before...

Ingredients for the:

   Cupcakes:
2 C cake flour
1 C sugar
1/2 C cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking soda
dash of salt
2 tsp. vanilla
~1 C mashed avocado~
1 C warm water


Peanut Butter Icing
 1/2 C butter, softened
1 C creamy peanut butter
2 C powdered sugar
2-3 Tbsp. milk

Instructions:

Step 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees; line cupcake pan with liners.
Step 2. Place flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, salt, vanilla and avocado into a bowl.

Step 3. Mix until incorporated; pour in the water, then mix until combined.

Step 4. Evenly pour the batter into the cupcake liners.

Step 5. Bake 18-20 minutes; until a toothpick comes out clean.  Set aside to cool.

To make the peanut butter frosting, whip the peanut butter and butter until creamy. Mix in the powdered sugar, then slowly whip in the milk until you reach the desired consistency. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes and dig in!

Eat ^ UP,

                         ~Me~

Avocado Ice Cream

I will admit that I was very... skeptical about the idea (Which is bad, because, as a food enthusiast, I believe that any food can taste good if prepared the right way). Avocado ice cream? Sure, it's good on sandwiches, in salads, in dips, even spread on pizza or blended in a dietary smoothie. But... as ice cream?

While looking for a homemade cereal recipe, I somehow stumbled upon this recipe. I was scrolling through a food site, minding my own business, searching for the cereal recipe, when the word 'avocado' entered my radar. I was excited at first, but when I saw that it was a recipe for 'Avocado Ice Cream', I was very dubious about the whole recipe.

But, after a lot of thought, I decided 'Why not?'. I scoured the web, but this time not for homemade cereal- for avocado ice cream. Imagine that- a couple of minutes ago, I had never even imagined such a thing existed. But it's not a myth, and people actually make this stuff- I found more than ten different kinds of avocado ice cream recipes! I went with Alton Brown's classic version, so you can vary it however you want!

Ingredients:

• ~12 ounces avocado meat, approximately 3 small to medium~
  
  
  
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream

Instructions:

  

1. Peel and pit the avocados. Add the avocados, lemon juice, milk, and sugar to a blender and puree. Transfer the mixture to a medium mixing bowl, add the heavy cream and whisk to combine. Place the mixture into the refrigerator and chill until it reaches 40 degrees F or below, approximately 4 to 6 hours.


2. Process the mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions. However, this mixture sets up very fast, so count on it taking only 5 to 10 minutes to process. For soft ice cream, serve immediately. If desired, place in freezer for 3 to 4 hours for firmer texture.

Eat ^ UP

                        ~Me~

Bacon & Avocado Dip

A wonderful combination of bacon and avocado collides in an easy to make appetizer that's sure to please! This recipe features avocados, the featured FOTW (Food of the Week).

Ingredients:

   • 1 (4 ounce) package cream cheese, softened  

   • 1/4 cup salsa

   • 5 slices cooked bacon, chopped

   • 3 green onions, chopped

   • salt and ground black pepper to taste  

   • ~1/2 avocado - peeled, pitted, and cubed~

Instructions:

   Mix cream cheese, salsa, bacon, green onions, salt, and pepper in a bowl; top with avocado cubes.

Given recipe makes 4 servings.
Finished in 10 minutes.

Food of the Week (FOTW) May 18th- May 24th: Avocado

Guacamole is one of my very favorite dips! It's seriously the best!

But, unfortunately, this week is featuring avocados, and I figured there could be a week featuring guacamole some other time, because I have many good guacamole recipes in store. So, here's some avocado fun facts, and I'll be posting an avocado recipe or two tonight.

The avocado, or alligator pear, is technically a fruit. People avoid eating the pit, but animals should avoid eating any of the avocado, because it is noted to be very harmful to many kinds of animals (including dogs, so don't give him that leftover guacamole!) and can even result in death sometimes, even to some birds.

Really, there's not much more I can say about avocados that I know on my own, and I'm afraid that stealing it from Wikipedia might be illegal, so I won't take any chances. But, I'll post some yummy avocado recipes throughout the week, along with some other different ones.

Eat ^ UP,

                          ~Me~