When I have down time from school work, a go-to hobby of mine is experimenting with foods. Avocados have been my ingredient of interest as of late. They have somehow made their way into many of my meals throughout the week, most of the time spontaneously. Avocados contain a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats that provide many nutritional benefits. Here are three simple recipes for each meal of the day in which I have been able to incorporate avocados:
1.) Breakfast: Crunchy Avocado Bagel
– Whole Wheat/Whole Grain Bagels
– Avocados, sliced
– Roasted Sunflower Seeds
– Optional: Bacon Bits
Cut the avocado into slices and spread them around the bagel halves. Honestly, I only thought of this because I didn’t have cream cheese in my refrigerator, so the first thing I thought of was to use avocados as a “spread”. The consistency is slightly similar, but also much healthier. Sprinkle the roasted sunflower seeds on top of the avocados to the amount of your choice. The sunflower seeds add a nice crunch to the bagel, while giving you a good amount of Vitamin E to start off your morning. If you’re a fan of traditional breakfast food items, you can also add some bacon bits on top for more flavor! Fry the bacon bits yourself, or if you want a faster alternative, they also sell ready-to-eat prepackaged bacon bits. This is a very quick and simple breakfast snack when you’re on time constraint.
2.) Lunch: Chicken Avocado Cucumber Salad
– Grilled White Meat Chicken, sliced
– Avocados, cubed
– Boiled Egg, sliced
– Cucumbers, sliced
– Dried Cranberry Bits
– Black Pepper
– Garlic Salt
– Optional: Cranberry, Walnut, and Gorgonzola Salad Dressing
My mom keeps telling me to cut down carbs like rice, pasta, and bread from my diet. My lunch and dinner would usually consist of one of those things, along with some protein. The key here is to pack on the avocados and cucumbers as a substitute for those carbs. Cut up some boiled eggs, grilled white meat chicken & dried cranberries, and toss them in. Additionally, add some pepper and garlic salt to keep the cucumbers from tasting too bland. This dish could do without dressing, but if you really have to, I would suggest the Cranberry, Walnut and Gorgonzola Salad Dressing from Trader Joe’s (The lady at the store told me this dressing was like crack for her. After trying it for myself, I realized she wasn’t wrong. It’s addicting).
3.) Dinner: Grilled Salmon Mushroom with Avocado
– Salmon Fillet
– Avocados, cubed
– Mushrooms, sliced
– Basil Pesto Sauce
– Whole Wheat Pasta or Veggie Pasta
– Olive Oil
– Fresh Garlic, diced
– Salt, Garlic Salt
– Black Pepper
– Chili Powder
– Onion Powder
– Oregano
– Optional: Parmesan Cheese
I never thought of grilling avocados in a pan since they can get pretty mushy, but it is do-able! Cut up some mushrooms and toss them in a pan with olive oil, as well as a dash of onion powder, black pepper, chili powder, and oregano. Once the mushrooms are almost ready, toss in a generous amount of cubed avocados and mix it up in the pan for an additional minute or two (you don’t want the avocados to get too pasty). Prepare a portion of salmon on the side, however you’d like. To keep it simple, I would just brush on olive oil, and season the salmon with garlic salt/salt, pepper, and a little bit of onion powder. Grill the salmon fillet on a pan, and make sure to flip it on both sides to ensure even heat distribution. For the pasta on the side, I would suggest a whole wheat or veggie pasta. Once the pasta is cooked, mix in some basil pesto sauce, as well as diced garlic. Spread the mushroom + avocado concoction on top of the grilled salmon, and serve with pasta. I believe this dish has enough flavor already, but if you want, adding some parmesan cheese wouldn’t hurt!
*Fun Fact: Avocados are also known as “alligator pears”.
Hope you all enjoy these recipes!