Beauty From The Inside Out: Ava-Avacados!

     If you haven’t incorporated avocados into your meal plans, except for the guacamole at Mexican restaurants or Super bowl parties, now is the time to take notice!  Avocados are fruits. They grow on trees; though ripen best in a brown paper bag on your counter.  A ripe avocado has just a little give when given the gentlest of test pressure with your thumb.

To assist in your consideration are some facts, and one of my favorites, Avocado Toasts!

Avocados have it all when it comes to being healthy, even fat.  Avocados are of the healthiest fruits that can be incorporated in to your meal plan. They are a good source of vitamins A, B-complex, C, E and K, phosphorous, potassium, magnesium, copper, zinc, iron and manganese. The fruit is also a good source of protein and dietary fiber.   Additionally, Avocados are unique in that as a fruit, they do have a high amount of fat.  Good fat that is! A serving of 170 grams contains 285 calories. Fats account for about 25 grams. Most of these are monounsaturated fats, which are considered as healthy fats. 

A True Beauty from the Inside Out warrior, avocados can easily replace butter or mayonnaise on sandwiches.   Versatile, avocados can be eaten fresh or used to make a dips, smoothies, juices or purees.  I've even tried it with pasta sauce mimicking a rich creamy sauce.  It worked! 

Avocado Keeping It Real Disclosure:   As a Beauty Treatment for Skin and Hair try 1 avocado mashed with a tablespoon or so of honey, applied to clean skin and left on for 10 minutes promotes moisture and has anti-aging properties against wrinkles.  On hair, the same recipe works as a pre-poo conditioning mask, avocados bring the radiance!

Delicious and gives you the all-around glow, Avocados Rule!

 Avocado Toasts

Yield: Serves 2

The Method: The Ingredients

4 slices of rustic pumpernickel and sunflower seed bread (or any bread of your choice)

1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

1 avocado (the one happen to be Haas)

zest and juice of ½ lemon

1 - 1 ½ teaspoons of red pepper flakes (depending on your preference for spice)

pinch of kosher salt (to taste)

1 - 2 radishes, sliced

The Madness: The Assembly

Slice and toast a thick, good-quality piece of bread.  This recipe also works well on regular sliced white or wheat bread.  If you’re using thinly sliced bread, toast it plain.  For thicker more rustic pieces of bread, drizzle bread with the olive oil, and toast it either in a heavy skillet, preheated grill pan or preheated 400 degree oven for 4 – 5 minutes.   

While your bread toasts, slice your avocado in half, remove the pit, and scoop out all of avocado flesh into a small bowl.  Add half of the lemon zest, and one good squeeze of lemon juice.  Start with a 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, and adjust the spiciness to your preference.  Sprinkle with salt, and mash mash mash until all ingredients are well incorporated, but your avocado still has some texture.  Taste and adjust seasonings to your flavor.   

Spread the mixture over your toasts, garnish with sliced radishes for crunch, and the remaining lemon zest.  Rejoice in devouring this!