mmm...the wonderful avocado..

I love avocado's! Avocado on toast is one of my favorite snacks and sometimes an easy and delicious lunch. It is so easy to make. You just mix avocado in a bowl with a little bit of lime juice, salt and pepper and then spread on toast and broil! You can also add tomato if you want. I don't think my mother ever bought an avocado growing up and I cant remember eating guacamole until I was in my twenties. It is definitely another underrated fruit and if you have never tried avocado or given it a fair chance, I think avocado on toast would change your mind :)

INTERESTING AVOCADO FACTS

• Avocados are a fruit, not a vegetable.
• There are more than 500 avocado varieties.
• Another name for the avocado is the "alligator pear," so-called because of its alligator skin texture and pear shape.
• The Aztec word for avocado was ahuacatl, which means "testicle tree".
• The Hass is the most common avocado in the United States and is the only avocado grown year round.
• Mexico is the world's top producer of avocados, with California coming in second.
• One tree can produce between 150 and 500 avocados per year.
• The average avocado contains 300 calories and 30 grams of healthy polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat.
• Avocados have the highest protein content of any fruit.
• Avocados contain more potassium than bananas.
• One avocado contains 81 mcg of lutein, an important nutrient for healthy eyes.
• Once an avocado is picked, it takes between 7 and 10 days to ripen. Keeping it in the refrigerator will slow down the ripening process, while putting it in a paper bag with a ripe apple will speed up the process.
• On average, 53.5 million pounds of guacamole are eaten every Super Bowl Sunday, enough to cover a football field more than 20 feet thick.
• Avocado's act as a "nutrient booster" by enabling the body to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients.
• Those with latex allergies might also be allergic to avocados, according to the George Mateljan Foundation, since they contain chitanases, which are associated with the latex-fruit allergy syndrome (hmm..I have never heard this before!)

MARINATED MUSHROOM AND AVOCADO SALAD

 

Ingredients:

½ cup sherry wine vinegar
½ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
¼ cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound white mushrooms, sliced
6 lettuce leaves
1 medium avocado, peeled, pitted, sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded, diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded, diced
12 slices Italian bread, grilled

 

Preparation Instructions:

1) Whisk together vinegar, basil, mustard, and oil in a medium bowl. Add mushrooms, toss to coat, and marinade 30 minutes.

2) Plate salads: place lettuce on 6 serving plates. Top with avocado, bell peppers, and marinated mushrooms. Drizzle remaining marinade over. Place 2 slices grilled bread on plates and serve.

AVOCADO IS EVEN GREAT FOR YOUR SKIN!

Treat yourself to an avocado facial. Beauty, they say, is only skin deep. Luckily, avocado has moisturizing power to help make your skin more beautiful. For years, people have used avocado as a natural facial treatment, especially for dry skin. It's easy to do in your own home. Just remove your makeup and wash your face with warm water and soap or your favorite cleanser. Mash some avocado and mix it with a little milk or oatmeal and apply it to your face. Leave it there for 10 minutes, then rinse it off with lots of water.

Leda's Favorite Baby Food Recipes!!

These are a couple of Leda's favorite recipes. I cut up the meatballs for her and she loves to eat them herself. Lately she has been eating whole meals by herself! I am constantly on the lookout for more interesting finger food recipes, so if you have any please feel free to share :)

CHICKEN AND APPLE BALLS


Makes 20 Chicken Balls


2 tsp light olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and grated (I used a Gala and it was fine)
2 chicken breast fillets (about 1/2 lb) cut into chunks
1/2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp fresh thyme or sage. chopped, or a pinch from mixed dried herbs
1 chicken bouillon cube, crumbled (if your baby is over 1 year)
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
all-purpose flour for coating
vegetable oil for frying (i used olive oil and as little as I could get away with)


Heat the olive oil in a pan and saute half the onion for about 3 minutes. Using your hands, squeeze out a little excess liquid from the grated apple Mix the apple with the chicken, cooked and remaining raw onion, herbs, bouillon cube (from one year), and breadcrumbs and roughly chop in a food processor for few seconds.
With your hands, form into about 20 little balls, roll in flour, and fry in shallow oil for about 5 minutes until slightly golden and cooked through. Cool slightly before serving.

TASTY LIVER CASSEROLE

*Liver is so good for children! It is easy to digest, a good source of iron, and is very easy to cook. A lot of adults dislike the taste, but children seem to enjoy it :)

1/4 lb calfs liver, trimmed and sliced
2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1 large or 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
scant 1 cup chicken or veggie broth (homemade is of course best)
2 medium tomatoes, skinned, seeded and chopped
2 tsp fresh parsley, chopped

Saute the liver in 1 tbsp of the oil until browned, then set aside. Heat the remaining oil in a saucepan and saute the onion for 2-3 minutes. Add the chopped carrot and saute for 2 minutes, then pour over the broth, bring to a boil, cover and simmer over a low heat for about 15 minutes. Chop the liver into pieces and add to the pan together with the tomatoes and parsley, and cook for about 3 minutes. You can either serve with mashed potato as it is or blend the mixture for a few seconds to make a rough puree.