Not Just For Guacamole

An article in the September 2010 issue of Southern Living featured avocados. As I read the article, I was surprised by a couple of tidbits regarding the health benefits, particularly the statistics relating to lowering cholesterol. The lovely avocado has been given a reputation for being "bad" and I'm thrilled that the "good" has been highlighted.

5 Avocado Health Benefits

1. They protect your eyes from disease.
Avocados have a high content (more than any other fruit) of the carotenoid lutein, which protects against cataracts and macular degeneration—a leading cause of blindness.

2. They will lower your cholesterol.
Avocados are high in beta-sitosterol, a natural substance that has been shown to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. In one study, 45 people saw an average drop in cholesterol of 17% after eating avocados for just one week.

3. They help regulate and reduce blood pressure.
Avocados are a great source of potassium, containing even more than bananas. Studies confirm that eating foods high in potassium (and low in sodium) can lower blood pressure and reduce your risk of stroke.

4. They are a great source of vitamin E.
Avocados are the greatest fruit source of vitamin E, an antioxidant that protects against many diseases and helps maintain overall health.

5. They will moisturize your skin.
Avocado butter and oil, two deep-conditioning emollients, will soften skin, eliminate dry patches, and restore your skin’s elasticity. Try some of our favorite beauty products, enriched with avocado butter and oil, at right.

Jessica S. Thuston|From the September 2010 Magazine Issue

I currently use avocado oil in beauty products (homemade) and can eat a gallon of guacamole, love plain old avocado all by it's lonesome, in salsas, and in BLTs, but here are a few additional ways I plan to sneak a little more of the green stuff into my diet over the next few weeks. Click each description for a link to the recipe.

Beet, Goat Cheese and Avocado Salad

Chilled Avocado Soup Shots

Caribbean Crab Sandwich

Guacamole-Goat Cheese Toasts

How will you add more of this powerhouse into your health and beauty routine?

Sheila Denise

Crabcakes!!

I simply see no reason to limit myself to celebrating on just the actual date of my birth, so I celebrate from August 1 through Labor Day. Needless to say, the celebrating has completely interfered with my blogging ability. Having fallen off the blogging wagon, I'm attempting to redeem myself after being MIA for weeks. I've been caught up in the excitement of summer/my birthday. So here I am, on the last day of a five day hiatus from work and thought I'd clear a few photos from my camera.

At some point during August, I did manage to cook a meal or two and I actually have proof and thought I'd share a few photos with you.

I had a container of Phillips Seafood Lump Crab meat and decided to make crab cakes. I used this recipe from their website and I must say, they were just what I wanted. Crab cakes with minimal filler--what more could I ask for??

Here they are ready for an hour of refrigeration. I didn't want to take any chances with them falling apart.
In their olive oil and butter bath:
They didn't fall apart during the "flip" episode:
Out of the tub, drained and ready to eat:
On a comfy bed of black bean and mango salsa (with red onion, jalapeno, avocado and lime juice):
This was truly one of many high moments of August.

Sheila Denise

Avocado Cups with Strawberry Salsa

I was surfing the web the other night and discovered this interesting strawberry salsa recipe served in an avocado cup. Although I've never eaten strawberry salsa, I've been on an avocado kick for a few weeks now and thought I'd give this little recipe a try. It was exactly as the blogger described:

"The sweet berries are complemented by the acidic lime juice, spicy jalapeno, and creamy avocado. The salsa-stuffed avocado makes a perfect alternative to a side salad, and the strawberry salsa alone would be tasty on pork, mild fish, or tortilla chips."

I know you're probably hesitant about this, but trust me on this one. You can find the recipe at YumSugar.

Sheila Denise

Guacamole Stacks

Sometimes you just need something a little different to keep the palate engaged and I was trying really hard to think of something light to serve with grilled chicken and grilled corn on the cob. Fate came to the rescue this week and voila, I had what I was looking for.

I was watching 30 Minute Meals this week and Rachael Ray made an interesting spin on guacamole--Guacamole Stacks. It couldn't be simpler to make and it was the perfect companion for the chicken and corn. The recipe for the entire meal she prepared is on Rachael Ray's website.

Guacamole Stacks

• 2 ripe beefsteak tomatoes, sliced
• salt
• 2 Hass avocados, halved, scooped from skin and sliced
  
• 1/2 lemon
  
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
  
• 1/2 cup crumbled queso Asadero
  

Season sliced tomatoes with salt and dress the avocado with lemon juice. Make 4 stacks alternating the tomatoes with avocado and onions. Garnish the guacamole stacks with cheese crumbles.

To give it a little more guacamole flair, I mixed EVOO, cumin, fresh cracked pepper, minced cilantro and a splash of balsamic to drizzle if desired. Now that I think about it, Greek yogurt would be a great topper as well.

If you're looking for something a little different to serve as a salad or side, give these Guacamole Stacks a try.


Sheila Denise