Sorry for the lack of posts this week. I’ve been under the weather and thus not eating/cooking much. I did, however, discover a tasty little snack in one of the most unexpected fruits–the humble avocado.

Don’t get me wrong; I love a good, ripe avocado in a salad, as guacamole, or mixed with roasted corn and spices; dolloped on a layer of crisp, salty tortilla chips; and topped with grilled shrimp. But by itself? I’d never even thought to try it.

Turns out, simply sprinkling an avocado half with salt and pepper is a healthy yet filling snack, perfect to curb those 3 p.m. cravings.

Though some people may shun the smooth, creamy, green fruit for its fat content, those fats–mono and polyunsaturated–in fact make it a healthy substitute for foods high in saturated fat. If that’s not enough, the California Avocado Commission says one fifth (1 oz) of an avocado contains nearly 20 vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients, 25 mg of beta-sitosterol, a natural plant sterol which studies show may help maintain healthy cholesterol levels, and 81 micrograms of lutein, which may help maintain healthy eyesight as we age.

What does that mean for the single person? Healthier skin, hair, nails, and eyes, plus consumption of fewer calories due to their satisfying and filling healthy fats.

Nutrition Info
Serving size: 1/5 (1 oz) fresh avocado

Calories: 50
Total fat: 4.5 g
Polyunsaturated fat: .5 g
Monounsaturated fat: 3 g
Saturated fat: .5 g
Cholesterol: 0 g
Sodium: 0 g
Potassium: 140 mg
Total carbohydrate: 3 g
Protein: 1 g

Sources: California Avocado Commission and “Nutrition Information for Raw Fruits,” U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition

Tip
To tell if an avocado is ripe and ready to use, gently squeeze it in the palm of your hand. Ripe fruit will be firm but will yield to gentle pressure. If you plan on serving it in the next few days, buy hard, unripe fruit and let it ripen at room temperature.

Serving Suggestions
Sprinkled with salt and pepper.

Scattered over a salad of fresh greens, tomatoes, olives, and feta cheese.

Mixed with roasted sweet corn kernels, fresh cilantro, lime juice, Old Bay, and salt and pepper to taste; topped with grilled shrimp and served with tortilla chips. Add a few dashes of cayenne pepper to the mixture to add a little more heat.

Mixed with crab meat, Old Bay, lime juice, fresh cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste, spread on half a flour tortilla, folded, and grilled.

Recipe to try: Chilled Avocado Soup (Adapted from Quick Vegetarian Pleasures by Jeanne Lemlin)
Yields two servings

1/2 medium ripe Haas avocado
1 cup buttermilk
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
Dash cayenne pepper
1/2 medium tomato, seeded and finely diced
1/2 small scallion, very thinly sliced

Discard avocado pit. Insert the handle of a teaspoon between the flesh and the skin, and move it around until the flesh is released from the skin.

Combine avocado flesh, buttermilk, lemon juice, salt, and cayenne pepper in a blender or food processor, and puree until smooth. Pour into a medium bowl.

Set aside about half a tablespoon each of the tomato and scallion. Stir the remaining tomato and scallion into the soup. Cover bowl and chill at least one hour before serving. Garnish with the reserved tomato and scallion, and serve.