Avocados also known as the alligator pear, are considered a superfood as they have lots of health benefits. The avocado is high in protein and has mono-saturated fat which is the good fat. They are low in sodium and fructose but high in potassium, and essential vitamins and minerals such as fiber, vitamin K, B5, B6 and C and foliate.
Eating an avocado a day helps to lower the risk of heart disease, maintain healthy cholesterol levels and helps the body efficiently absorb fat soluble nutrients. It also reduces arthritis symptoms and lowers the risk of certain cancers. It helps to maintain good eye health and also promotes weight loss.
Avocados can be eaten in salads, smoothies, added to soups and can be substituted as spreads or used in baking too.
Before you eat the avocado make sure your avocado is ripe, it usually takes avocados 4 to 6 days to ripen. You can tell when they are ripe by gently pushing down on them. A ripe avocado should give a bit when you add pressure, if the avocado is hard it means it is not yet ripe. You can speed up the ripening process of the avocado by placing it in a paper bag with a banana or apple. The ethylene gas released from the apples and bananas will cause the avocados to ripen faster.
I was recently invited to attend a masterclass in Avocado carving followed by a Avocado supper club sponsored by Avocado fruit of life and Hello Fresh Kitchens in London.
I was unsure as what to expect but believe me, I was totally bowled over with the entire evening. Look at the amazing menu that was served at the supper club.
The evening started with a masterclass and a demonstration by Food Stylist Colette Dike of Fooddeco in the art of Avocado carving.
To carve the rose you peel the avocado and de -stone it after which you rub it with some vinegar or lemon juice to stop it going black.
Next you slice the avocado as thinly as possible and then lay out the slices in a long line overlapping each other. Finally starting at one end you start to roll the slices to create the rose which can then be transferred to a rice cake or a plate.
You can serve the Avocado flower as a starter, drizzled with a vinaigrette dressing and garnished with chilli flakes, poppy seeds and rose petals.
I really enjoyed creating and carving my own avocado rose which I was rather proud of as I had not done it before.
After the masterclass, we had a chance to mingle over more avocado inspired mocktails and cocktails before we sat down to enjoy a delicious avocado themed supper at a beautifully decorated table.
The starter of sweet corn fritters, served with an avocado centre, cherry tomatoes, feta cheese drizzled with tangy dressing and sprinkled with pumpkin seeds was absolutely amazing. I really enjoyed it as it had all the flavours and textures well balanced.
The main course was spectacular, an avocado bun served with a quinoa burger, avo mayo and sweet potato fries. It was very innovative way to use the avocado itself to sandwich the burger.
The highlight of the evening was the dessert, a vegan avocado and pecan chocolate brownie served with dairy free ice cream, chocolate shavings and raspberries. It was delectable and you would not have guessed that the brownie was vegan.
The meal was delicious and I am totally inspired by the recipes and hope to make more use of avocados in my recipes.
I was a guest at the Avocado supper club and all the views shared in this post are of my personal experience.
WOW, I love avocados, the avocado bun served with a quinoa burger and the vegan avocado and pecan chocolate brownie look delicious, and the cravings are amazing!! YUM!
ReplyDeleteI too was totally gobsmacked at the taste of the brownie, it was amazing.
DeleteI love them and this looks such a great evening. Mocktail and cocktails sound interesting.
ReplyDeleteThe mocktails were delicious , Avocado with tropical mango nad pineapple.
DeleteOhhh I love avocado and I am happy that you can easily cook
ReplyDeletehealthy good food with it! But use it as a burger bun..what a fun idea! And that rose!
That looks so hard to do! I am having a hard time just to slice them in quarters and slice them perfectly
thin like that seems impossible. But I guess there is a technic?
Funnily enough it looks harder than it is, the trick is to get a ripe avocado and slice it very thin to create the petals.
DeleteThis looks great. I didn't know you could use avocado in so many different ways
ReplyDeleteI was amazed too since every course was avocado inspired.
DeleteOhh as much as I know avocado is healthy, I just can't bring myself to eat them! They are the one food I can't stand, my husband eats one a day!
ReplyDeleteIndeed. avocado is a fruit of life and wow , I was so delighted to see those amazing delicacies with this magical fruit. Sounds great and I'm sure would have tasted more better.
ReplyDeleteI could seriously eat avocado every day! I fell in love with in compliments of trips to Mexico.
ReplyDeleteI can tell you had a great time at this event! I had never before heard about avocados in a cocktail or in desserts, that's interesting. As part of an appetizer or a sandwich or topping a burger or perhaps a nice piece of broiled fish, you can't beat a fresh avocado for adding extra flavor and nutrients.
ReplyDeleteWow that's a lot of avocado dishes, sadly I just can't say that I like it x
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like pretty much my ideal event, being the avocado queen that I am. I would love to learn how to make an avocado rose.
ReplyDeleteHow amazing are those avocado roses? I am so pleased to now like avocados after years of not being able to cope with the texture.
ReplyDeleteI bet this was great fun! I would love to go to a class dedicated to avocado.
ReplyDeleteI know that Avocado is such a great food to have in your diet but I really hate the taste! It's amazing just how many dishes they created from one product. The rose looks so cool x
ReplyDeleteIt took me a long time to grow to love avocados, and now I can't get enough of them! Such a delicious food, and this looks like a great event to have attended! Love those avocado roses!
ReplyDeleteOh how I love avocados! I too have experimented with them so this post really encourages me to look at more avocado based recipes. I have in the past made a dessert with avocados and it was delicious!
ReplyDeleteI just bought avocados! The hardest part is waiting for them to become perfectly ripe. I love them mashed with some olive oil and lemon on a bit of toast. Yum!
ReplyDeleteThe alligator pear, how funny. That class looks like a blast. I would love to learn how to carve one like that.
ReplyDeleteAvocados are delicious and healthy. That avocado flower looks amazing and I bet it taste great too.
ReplyDeleteI love avocado, this masterclass looks amazing! Some fab dishes and drinks too :)
ReplyDeleteAll these dishes look beyond delicious 😍😍 im addicted to avocado
ReplyDeleteI am a major avocado fan, they are so good for you and they also taste great in cakes and smoothies.
ReplyDeleteWow this looks amazing, growing up in So Cal I grew up on avocado! Great photos too.
ReplyDeleteYes please!! I love a good avocado. I just wish I could find really good ones where I live!! I would eat them every day if I could!
ReplyDeleteI love avocados so much. Thanks for the useful information about its benefits.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a super fun event! The Avocado rose looks so cute, I am going to try making one for sure! :) Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteDo drop by my blog as well : http://styleovercoffee.com :)
It looks like a brilliant event! I didn't know that you can make such beautiful roses out of avocado without them turning black. Great work!
ReplyDeleteI had no idea that avocado can be used in so many different ways! I'm not a big fan of avocado but glad to know that it has so many health benefits! I need to include that in my diet more!
ReplyDeleteWE love avocados and can eat in any form. Glad you enjoyed this event, I am loving that avocado rose.
ReplyDeleteI love avocado I would literally eat one a day if I could, this event looked so good! x
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh! This is my ideal night out. I love avocados so much - I have yet to master the avocado rose!
ReplyDeleteEverything looks so good, I never think of buying avocados, I really should. What a fab event to go to x
ReplyDeleteI've never actually had avocado before but the pictures look amazing and the food delicious so I would definitely try it out!
ReplyDeleteBritt Mont | http://www.othersideof25.com
Wow this looks amazing! I love avocado and have been trying to replicate an avocado flower for ages.. you nailed it!
ReplyDeleteGreat to see avocados being used for other things than being smashed on toast! I had no idea they could be good for your eyes either!
ReplyDeleteOh my! This is making me hungry. I love avocados so i am drooling right. lol!
ReplyDeleteIt really is amazing all the different things you can do with avocado! I really need to try some of these ideas. It sounds like you had a lovely time at supper club.
ReplyDeleteAvocado is my favorite and I love everything with avocado, I love to try these ideas
ReplyDeleteAvocado is yummy and the bonus is they are really healthy too. Love the rose I've not seen them before.
ReplyDelete