What says summer better than fresh avocados? While they’re great in your salads or the ever-popular guacamole, this “super fruit” does so much more.
“I’ll always remain a guacamole fanatic, but the bacon-cotija guacamole makes my world go round,” says Gaby Dalkin food blogger and author of the new cookbook “Absolutely Avocados.” She tells us why we could use the fruit in our chocolate chip cookies or even as fries.
What’s your favorite unconventional avocado recipe?
It would have to be the avocado chocolate chip cookies. I mean when I was developing recipes for this book, I was playing around a lot with substituting butter for avocado and it’s just so interesting that you can swap them out as a one-to-one ratio. All of a sudden you have these cookies that are not only way less calories because of the lack of butter but, also are full of vitamins and nutrients.
What’s your favorite thing to mix avocados with?
I’m really obsessed with avocado shrimp pasta right now because you can use avocado in the sauce and you get this really creamy texture with just a hint of avocado flavoring along with the lemon and the parmesan [cheese]. So it’s really just a nice fun summery dish. However, I’ll always remain a guacamole fanatic so, the bacon-cotija guacamole makes my world go round.
What’s the one misconception about avocados that you want to clarify for people?
Mainly [I’d want people to know] that avocados are a good fat. A lot of people get bogged down with the idea that avocadoes have fat in them but, in reality there are no trans fats and they’re full of all the good fats and fiber. They’re also great for anti-stress and heart health. I mean they’re a wonderful super food and you can incorporate it in so many different dishes. I just feel like if we ate more avocadoes, we’d all be healthier and happier.
5 facts about avocados
-Avocados are fruits (not vegetables)
-Avocados provide the healthy kind of fat (HDL) that your body needs.
-Avocados are gluten free, dairy free, vegan, vegetarian and cholesterol-free.
-Avocados lower bad cholesterol.
-Avocados contain more potassium than bananas.
Recipe: Cumin-dusted Mahi Mahi Tacos
Prep Time: 25 minutes
(includes time to marinate the fish)
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
(includes time to marinate the fish)
Serves: 4 (makes 8 tacos)
4 4-ounce skinless mahi mahi filets
1 lime
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1⁄2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
8 4-inch flour or corn tortillas
1 cup shredded lettuce
1⁄2 cup pico de gallo
1 batch Tomatillo-Avocado
Salsa (page 66)
Arrange the mahi mahi in a small baking dish.
Zest and juice the lime into a small bowl. Add 2 teaspoons of the olive oil, the paprika, and cumin to the bowl and stir together. Pour the spice marinade over the fish and let sit for 20 minutes.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Sprinkle the mahi mahi with salt and pepper, put the fish in the skillet, and cook until the outside is golden brown and the fish is flaky and cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer the mahi mahi to a cutting board. Using a fork, gently flake the fish into bite-size pieces.
Wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 45 seconds, until warm.
To assemble, add about 1⁄4 cup of the mahi mahi to the center of each tortilla, along with some shredded lettuce. Add 1 tablespoon pico de gallo, drizzle with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the salsa, and serve.
