Champion’s Breakfast - Healthy Choices for a great start to your day
Thursday July 29th, 2010
Introduction - Avocados
The fruit of the avocado tree is the duck-billed platypus of the plant world.
An avocado is considered a fruit, but is closer to a berry in botanical terms.
It is primarily used as a vegetable, yet it contains enough fat to pass as a meat substitute in sandwiches and other dishes.
In some respects, an avocado is a tropical fruit similar to a banana, but its oily content and nutty flavor are reminiscent of an olive.
The skin of an avocado can vary from a bright green to a very dark purple reminiscent of eggplant. Much like a banana, an avocado is usually picked from the tree in an unripened stage.
When choosing Avocados select the ones with a dark color and slightly soft feel when pressed.
An avocado should be stored in the open air or with bananas until fully ripe. The flesh of a ripe avocado should be greenish-yellow to a deep yellow. Since the flesh may turn brown quickly, an application of lime or lemon juice may be in order. Treat the avocado flesh as you would a cut apple.
The extremely large avocado pit is mildly toxic, so it should be removed and discarded out of any animals' reach. A sharp blow with a large kitchen knife should provide enough leverage to twist the pit out of the flesh.
Some food experts suggest replacing the pit if only a portion of the avocado is actually used. This is said to reduce the effects of oxidation on the remaining flesh.
Avocado is almost always served raw, especially in Mexican dishes such as guacamole. In fact, the word guacamole comes from the Indian words for 'avocado sauce'.
Nutrition
Although avocados contain an inordinate amount of fat, most of it is of the healthy monounsaturated variety. Avocados also have significantly more potassium than bananas, and avocado oil is an extremely popular skin care ingredient, high in vitamins A, B1, B2, D and E.
Recipe Avocado and Turkey Breast Salad
One avocado
A few slices of Smoked Turkey Breast
Selection of Lettuce
Cherry Tomatoes
Black Olives
A few Orange slices
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
A good Apple Vinegar
Some Lemon Juice
Salt and Pepper
Directions
Peel the Avocado and cut in Slivers mix with a little Lemon juice (to stop the avocado meat from changing color)
Cut the Turkey Breast in large Chunks
Mix the Lettuce with all the ingredients
When ready to eat dress with some Olive oil, little vinegar, lemon juice and season with Salt and Pepper
