It’s no secret that I love avocados. I eat them in some form or other every single day: blended with juices, smashed on corncakes or toast with tomato and chilli powder, as a dip or dressing with crudités or salad (see photo) as a sauce with pasta, even in chocolate mousse! (There are recipes in the Menu at the top of the page).
‘But they are so full of fat and calories!’ Yes, they contain fat and calories, but they are the good sort, the sort your body needs. As I said earlier, I eat them every day (along with those other so-called weight-gainers, nuts and seeds) and I am not exactly breaking the scales!
Have you ever noticed how vegans usually have glowing, soft skin? It’s probably all the avocados! Adding avocados to my daily diet certainly helped clear up my mysterious skin disorder, an itchy scaly rash that appeared out of nowhere and nearly drove me mad. You can read about it here: How I Juiced My Skin Clear: A Rash Decision?
Avocados are little miracle workers. They are nutrient-dense, great for your skin, your brain, your immune system, providing protein, energy and fibre. They can help lower cholesterol and fight inflammation. They are a meal and a medicine cabinet all in one fruit.
‘Oh, but they’re either too hard or over-ripe, or you end up throwing some away because it won’t keep!’ We always have one ripening in the fruit bowl and one waiting in the fridge. The best way to test for ripeness is not to press the wider part of the fruit, but the ends, where the stalk is, so you don’t bruise it and make it go black.
Do you know you can freeze avocado? If you only require a quarter or a half of one, say for a smoothie or sandwich, you can chop or slice the remainder, put it in a freezer bag or container in the freezer and it will keep for ages until you need it. No waste. (Same goes for over-ripe bananas, by the way).
(The above is a Vegan Gluten-Free Nut-Free Bread Mk IV – the best yet!
I’ll soon be posting a recipe for Guacamole with Coriander, Chilli and Moringa. Meanwhile, try eating ripe avocado with a spoon straight out of the shell with a squeeze of lemon or lime and a twist of black pepper. It will fill you up for longer than any chocolate bar or packet of crisps, flooding your body with lots of healthy vitamins, minerals, protein, carbs and fats to provide it with sustained slow-releasing energy, rather than leaving you feeling tired and hungry and reaching for another nutrient-free snack.
ps An easy way to peel a ripe avocado and remove the stone is to score down the shell and flesh with a sharp knife from top to bottom in quarters, the 4 parts will fall away and the stone will pop out, you can then peel the quarters like an orange.
You’re welcome!
Copyright: Chris McGowan
Well, it’s mid June and still we are wearing long socks and woolly cardis while cowering inside from gale force winds and rain, but worry not, we Brits are a hardy bunch and we know how to keep our peckers up! Here’s an easy wholesome dinner that will not only warm your cockles but is satisfyingly healthy too.
There is less fruit in this smoothie than normal, but don’t let that put you off. It still has a sweet flavour and smooth, creamy consistency. It is also chock full of nutrients: magnesium, potassium, protein (did you know Romaine lettuce is a good source of protein?), B vitamins, zinc, vitamin E, lots of other vitamins and minerals as well as healthy fats.
This dinner came about when I had recently finished a 3 week juice plan and wanted something simple but with a little flavour – not too much, as my digestion wouldn’t be able to cope so soon.
The idea was to have rice with mildly chilli-flavoured stir-fried veggies topped with the crumbled burger and lightly chilli-seasoned cashew cheese sauce. 
I loved this smoothie! It has an unusual combination of ingredients and I wasn’t expecting to photograph it at all because usually anything with dark ingredients, and especially Spirulina, will look less than appetising. I was pleasantly surprised, it looks just like a milkshake!
Baobab powder may be new to many of you. I’ve only recently begun using it in smoothies and on porridge and I really like it.
This smoothie recipe is also vegan, gluten-free and organic.
The avocado also provides protein, fibre, vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids, and contributes to a more satisfying, satiating juice.
I nearly always start a smoothie wth a banana. I like that it thickens the smoothie but also that it has so many healthy nutrients in one ingredient and it is so satisfying.
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