Avocado Recipes

The Aztecs of the ancient Americas grew the avocado to make a sauce for their maize tortillas-most likely the first guacamole. Though Spanish conquerors ate and loved the avocado while in the Americas, the fruit was much too fragile to take back to Europe. It wasn’t introduced to European countries until the 1900s when better methods of storage during shipping were developed. The avocado is now known in Europe, Africa, and Asia by the name of “Alligator Pear.” It gets its name from its pear shape and green, rough skin. The United States, Mexico, and Brazil produce avocados for the world.

Avocado Egg Rolls

1 large avocado
Peel avocado, remove pit and dice into bite-size pieces.
2 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes - (bottled in oil)
1 tablespoon minced red onion
1/2 teaspoon fresh cilantro, chopped
Pinch salt
Combine avocado with the tomatoes, red onion, the 1/2 teaspoon cilantro, and a pinch of salt, being careful not to mash the avocado
3 egg roll wrappers
Spoon 1/3 of filling into an egg roll wrapper. With wrapper positioned so that one corner is pointing toward you, place the filling about 1 inch from the bottom corner and 1 inch from each side. roll the bottom corner up over the filling, then roll the filling up to about the middle of the wrapper.
1 egg, beaten
Brush the remaining corners and edges of the wrapper with the beaten egg. Fold the left and right corners over by filling and seal the corners to the wrapper. Roll the wrapper and filling up over the top corner. Press on the wrapper to ensure it is sealed. Repeat with the remaining two egg rolls and keep them covered in the refrigerator while you make the Dipping Sauce.
Vegetable oil - for frying

Dipping Sauce:

1/2 cup chopped cashew nuts
2/3 cup fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic - quartered
2 green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
Combine cashews, cilantro, garlic, green onions, sugar, black pepper, and cumin in a food processor or blender. Pulse until the mixture is well blended and the cashews and garlic have been chopped into pieces about half the size of a grain of rice.
4 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon tamarind pulp
Pinch ground saffron
Combine the vinegars, honey, tamarind, and saffron in a small bowl. Heat mixture for about 1 minute in microwave and stir until tamarind pulp dissolves completely. Pour tamarind mixture into blender or food processor with the cashew mixture and pulse until well combined (about 20 seconds).
1/4 cup olive oil
Pour Dipping Sauce into small bowl; add oil and stir by hand.
Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.

Chicken enchiladas with Avocado Cream Sauce

2 Tbsp. olive oil
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
1 medium white or yellow onion - peeled and thinly sliced
2 poblano peppers - stemmed and thinly sliced
1 jalapeno pepper - finely diced
Add onion, poblano and jalapeno, and saute for 5-6 minutes until the onions are cooked and translucent. Remove from heat.
8-10 flour tortillas
4 cups shredded cooked chicken - (rotisserie work best)
2-3 cups Monterrey Jack cheese
optional garnish:
fresh cilantro
sour cream
shredded cheese

Avocado Cream Sauce:

2 Tbsp. butter
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium high heat.
2 Tbsp. flour
Add the flour, whisking until golden and bubbly, about 2-3 minutes.
2 cups chicken broth
Slowly whisk the broth into the flour mixture. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes.
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp. cumin
 1/2 tsp. salt
 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
 1/4 tsp. pepper
Stir in the sour cream, cumin, salt, garlic powder and pepper, whisking if necessary to remove any lumps. Remove from heat and transfer mixture to a blender or food processor.
 2 California avocados - peeled and pitted
 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
 juice of one lime
Add avocados, cilantro and lime juice, and pulse until smooth and well-blended. (Be very careful blending hot liquids — the heat will expand! So be sure to remove the lid occasionally so that the heat can escape.) Season with additional salt or pepper if needed.
To assemble the enchiladas, place a tortilla on a flat surface. Spread a tablespoon or two of the avocado sauce down the middle of the tortilla.
Then layer on some of the vegetable mixture, shredded chicken and cheese. Carefully roll the tortilla and place it seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Drizzle the top with about half of the remaining avocado cream sauce, then cover the dish with foil and bake for about 20 minutes, or until tortillas are heated through and begin to harden.
Remove from the oven, then serve individual enchiladas drizzled with the remainder of the avocado cream sauce. You can also garnish with additional cilantro, cheese, and/or sour cream.

Avocado Daiquiri

1/4 medium Avocado
3/4 oz fresh Lime juice or frozen limeade
1 cup crushed Ice
1 1/2 oz Light rum
1 wedge Lime
Crush ice in blender. Add rum, lime juice, and 1/4 medium avocado in blender. Blend until thoroughly mixed and smooth. Pour into glass and garnish with lime wedge. Print this post