Here, at Beeswax Fabric Wraps we are all about sustainable living, so why are we sharing avocado recipes? Avocados aren't good for the planet are they? Well, if you have read our blog 'Avoca 'do' or Avoca 'don't', you'll know that we're definitely for encouraging us all to eat fewer of them. If you do buy them, try and source varieties other than Hass and from regions as close to the UK as possible. Then make sure you stretch them out to use fewer of them in the classic avocado dishes and make sure none get wasted. You'll find more information about the avocado industry and our top tips here.
But we also realise that there are a lot of people, us included, who are unlikely to give them up entirely. So below, we've shared our top 4 recipes that include avocado combined with other foods to help make your avocado last longer. They will hopefully also give you ideas of how to use that avocado half before it goes beyond ripe and ends up in the food waste bin!
Sally's favourite avocado recipes
Guacamole
The classic avocado dish that I first encountered in Mexican restaurants as a student in Bristol some years ago! I tend to use whatever I happen to have in the cupboards if I'm honest. But this is my favourite combination, with an added ingredient to make your avocado go a bit further. This makes enough for a one person lunch.
Ingredients
Half an avocado
Half a salad tomato
Handful of coriander
One garlic clove
One spring onion, or 1/4 red onion
Juice from half a lime
2 dessert spoons yoghurt or sour cream
1/2 tspn chilli flakes
Salt and pepper
Method
Scoop out the flesh of half a ripe avocado into a bowl and wrap the other half (with the stone still in) in a beeswax wrap and keep it in the fridge.
Add the roughly chopped tomato and the finely chopped coriander, garlic and onion.
Add the lime juice, yoghurt/sour cream, chilli flakes and season.
Mix together and serve with nachos, pitta bread or as a side with your favourite Mexican dish.
The yoghurt (I use soya yoghurt) or sour cream means that half an avocado is enough for one person, allowing you to save the other half for breakfast tomorrow.
Avo on toast with a twist
Ingredients
Half an avocado
2 tbspn cooked peas
Chilli flakes
Squeeze of lime
Salt and pepper
Slice of bread
Egg (optional)
Method
Mix together the avocado and peas to the consistency you prefer, pureed or chunky!
Add chilli flakes and lime depending on your taste buds and season.
Spread over your toasted bread and top with a fried egg if that takes your fancy.
The peas add some extra and very useful nutrients but again, like the yoghurt in the guacamole, they help make half an avocado go further. You could swap the peas for broccoli, spinach or kale.
The SAT Sandwich
This is my take on the ACT sandwich they serve in my favourite cafe, Green Olive Vegan cafe. Theirs is avocado, chilli and tofu. Because we grow spinach at home and I need to make sure I'm getting a good intake of iron, mine is spinach, avocado and tofu. You could make so many variations of this. You could just add sliced avocado. Or use up any leftover avocado and pea mix or guacamole. Swap out the spinach for lettuce, change the tofu for chicken or bacon. Sandwich it between toast, sourdough, ciabatta or pitta.
The chilli bit for me is essential! We have a bottle of seriously hot chilli sauce so I spread a bit of that on, but chilli jam, salsa or no hot spice at all works too!
I'm not a huge tofu fan, but this is shallow fried, thinly cut, smoked tofu. The smoked flavour and the crispiness after frying it for a few minutes makes all the difference.
You could use a beeswax sandwich wrap to wrap your sandwich up to take to work or on a day out. A sandwich this good shouldn't be in single use plastic bags or clingfilm! You can also keep your leftover tofu in a bowl covered with a wax wrap before you put it in the fridge.
Green smoothies
Smoothies don't really need avocado to make them creamy. Banana or yoghurt do a pretty good job of that. But, if you have some avocado left over and no other plans to use it, then it's a great way of adding nutrients to your smoothie and making sure that last piece of avocado doesn't go over ripe and end up in the bin.
There are so many smoothie recipes and certainly no rules, but these are two favourite of mine. One with a zesty, citrus flavour and the other has a creamy milkshake vibe.
Do you have a favourite way of using avocado to make sure it doesn't go to waste? Let us know in the comments.
If you want to find out more about our Beeswax and Plant Wax Wraps to keep your food fresh you can read our 'How to use Beeswax Wraps' here.
If you have cut an avocado and it's too hard, you can slice it and gently fry it in olive oil with peppers, onions, or courgettes with added tomato purée to make an accompaniment sauce for fish.