The Amazing California Avocado

I've been hearing a lot about Avocados lately as being very healthy so I thought I'd share some of what the website stated.

"Avocados are cholesterol-free, sodium-free and low in saturated fat. They're a nutrient dense food that offers potassium, magnesium, folate, dietary fiber, riboflavin and vitamins C, E and B6.

Avocados are an important part of 5 A Day The Color Way, a program for healthier eating by including a variety of colorful fresh fruits and vegetables in your daily diet. Each fresh California avocado is packed with disease-fighting phytochemicals including lutein and other antioxidants. Research shows that, ounce for ounce, avocados rank highest in the following phytochemicals and nutrients among the 20 most frequently consumed fruits:

[ol]Lutein - may protect against prostate cancer and eye disease such as cataracts and macular degeneration.

Vitamin E - a powerful antioxidant known to slow the aging process and protect against heart disease and various forms of cancer.

Glutathione - functions as an antioxidant like vitamin E to neutralize free radicals that can cause cell damage and lead to disease.

Beta-sitosterol - lowers blood cholesterol levels. Avocados contain four times as much beta-sitosterol as oranges, previously reported as the highest fruit source of this phytochemical.

Monounsaturated fats - heart-healthy fats proven to help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and boost HDL (good) cholesterol.

Folate - promotes healthy cell and tissue development. Folate is especially important for woman of childbearing age as it helps protect against birth defects.

Potassium - helps balance the body's electrolytes. Avocados contain 60 percent more potassium than bananas.

Magnesium - helps produce energy and is important for muscle contraction and relaxation.

Fiber - lowers cholesterol and reduces risk of heart attack."

Here's one recipe that you may find interesting enough to try:

[b]Beer-Battered Fried Avocado Wedges with Salsa[/b]
Category: Appetizer
Serves: 4

Nutrition Information per Serving: 510 calories, 37g of fat, 290mg of sodium and 7g of protein.

Ingredients
• 1 Cup lager beer or ale
• 1 Cup all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ tsp paprika
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
• 2 California avocados
• Vegetable oil as needed for deep frying
• Salt as needed
• 1 Cup purchased salsa

Instructions
1. To make beer batter, whisk together beer, flour, paprika, and garlic until well blended.
2. Let stand at least 2 hours.
3. Peel avocados; cut each into 6 wedges.
4. Dredge 6 wedges in reserved beer batter.
5. Deep fry in hot oil until golden about 3 minutes.
6. Repeat with remaining wedges.
7. Serve 3 wedges with 1/4 cup salsa

Comments

  • 23 Comments sorted by Votes Date Added
  • "Avocados are cholesterol-free, sodium-free and low in saturated fat."

    That is until you dredge them in beer batter and fry them! x:D

    I love avocados and this recipe sounds really interesting. They are touted as good for you, but are high in calories. It is hard to beat good guacamole though when watching the big game and you have a bag of your favorite tortilla chips!
  • compared to other 'treats' that one could enjoy of the same calorie content, it is much healthier.

    Plus some women use it on their face and in their hair as a sort-of beauty treatment. I've drawn the line short of putting food on my face but I've heard it leaves the skin and hair really soft. x:-)
  • I've also read that if one can't get to a TV with Larry King on, the avocado will do wonders to keep one regular. I made the mistake of eating a taco salad one time and didn't know what that green goop was, but it proved the above theory. A west coast variation, popular in Oregon, is to shoot them up with Vodka and eat them whole. The pit should be placed in a table napkin and discarded under the table while others are snorting. x:-)
  • [font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 04-07-05 AT 04:05PM (CST)[/font][br][br]That is a little too much information about you Don! I am also appalled that you, being from the "no shoveling" school of thought for dining etiquette, would place a pit in a napkin and discard it under the table! You leave it in the fake plant by the table! x}>
  • You are obviously avocado deprived, or someone saw you coming and as a preventive measure put something extra in the mix, just to get you out of the way. I don't know what they cost elsewhere but I bought a basket of three at a farmers market today - $2. I live in Fallbrook, Ca., the "Avocado Capitol of the World" as the sign says. About 75% of US avocados are grown in North San Diego County. You are invited to the Fallbrook Avocado Festival on April 25. Let me know if you are coming and I will talk to one of the people who will be making guacamole and it will be special.
  • Hey G, remember I'm going to San Diego in May. No funny stuff in the guacamole, though, ok. I like mine straight up!!!

    I'll be in the San Francisco area next week. Do some of those CA Avocados make it up that far in the state?
  • I 'spect so. I know that they are in Oregon, so some are bound to have fallen off the truck on the way.
  • G3: I have been studying Mexifornia speak, but I need help here; Are you offering me a place to stay or what?
  • Horrors, no. I was just saying that if you have the ----- to show up, I would make sure that you would never forget the guacamole. Oh, yes, there will be avocado ice cream at the Festival, which is on the 17th, not the 25th. If a recipe shows up in the Fallbrook - Bonsall Village News I will post it.
  • As an Oregonian, I would have responded indignantly that this is simply not true. However, I was off on an avacado drunk, so I haven't been around.
  • Here in Texas (north of Houston) we have some really great Mexican restaurants and one dish they make is a lot like yours except they cut an avocado in half lengthwise (peeled of course), scoop out the seed and stuff grilled fajita steak strips or grilled chicken and some Monterrey Jack cheese in it, then mash it back together and dip it in the batter and deep fry it. Cover it with queso and WOW! Talk about great! Your batter would be great to use on this one. Jill
  • Soooo...The avocado 1/2s would be put back together and squashed onto the fajita ingredients so it'll be flatter. I think I could eat it just like that without the batter.
    Yummmmmm :-)
  • I really am not sure how they get it to stick back together but it does and then they just dip it and fry it. It doesn't even cook the avocado just crispy's the crust! But yeah, you are right, it would be soooo good even with the frying.
  • My grandfather used to grow avocados (aguacates in Spanish) at his summer home in Cuernavaca, Mexico (city of eternal spring). Anyway, we used to take them and cut them into wedges, lay them on a plate, drizzle a bit of lime juice over them, sprinkle a bit of salt and chow down!

    Although I have never had avocado ice cream, I will take G3's word for it that it is good. They do some weird stuff in CA with vegetables and fruits. In Gilroy (garlic capital of the world) they make garlic wine. Go figure!
  • Probably the same people that eat avocado icecream and garlic wine are the very ones that eat jalepeno jelly! I love jalepenos and I love jelly, but NOT TOGETHER! haha
  • Oh, don't miss out on hot pepper jelly (different that jalepeno jelly?). Cook some carrots down until tender and only 1/2 cup of water is left, then add half a small jar of hot pepper jelly and a Tbsp or so of real butter. Mix until the jelly and butter melt. Mmmm-mmm!
  • As long as it isn't sweet I might could like it. I just don't like things sweet that aren't supposed to be! Like honey-mustard! To me that is an oxymoron! haha
  • Yea, lime juice will keep the avocado from coloring, so mix it in the guacamole or sprinkle on the fruit if you aren't going to use it right away.
  • Simply slice a fresh avacado, throw on some sliced onion and tomato, salt, pepper, a little garlic power, a little tobasco...voila! Heaven.
  • That's the way I make my guacamole except for the tabasco (I add a tiny bit of mayonnaise). I love avocados, plain or fancy, they are just wonderful tasting! I like them on hamburgers also (Texas hamburgers - NO CATSUP! haha) And I know that lime or lemon juice keeps them from turning colors but I don't like the tart taste it gives them. Besides, I eat them so fast they don't have time to turn brown!
  • Tart? Spicy overcomes tart anytime so use enough good salsa.
  • I do use lots of salsa - remember I'm from Texas! haha I just don't like putting the lime or lemon juice on the avocado - I don't like the taste, especially of the lime in combination with it. I love limes and lemons, but want my avocado with garlic, salt, onion and mayonnaise (and maybe some finely chopped tomato if I'm not lazy)
  • Sounds good, too, except I've never used the mayo. We're landscaping - Ca. native - the only tree I'm keeping is the lime.
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