Normally I make guacamole, a spicy dip, with avocados. Or I half the fruit and just squeeze a bit of lemon juice over the flesh. Scooped out with a spoon this is an right away gratifying treat. However, recently I found great avocados in the market and bought two kilograms. With this abundance I wanted to try something different.
On the internet I found many recipes for avocados, most of them originating in the United States of America. In California, avocado pie seems to be very popular. I even discovered a recipe for avocado-chocolate truffles. One day I will try my hand on this one.
Homemade Chocolate Truffles
First of all, I wanted to join avocado with pasta. Inspired by my total internet-research I came up with the following recipe which I call 'alligator pasta'. I decided to mingle the avocado with feta, roasted garlic, cherry tomatoes, fresh thyme and yellow bell pepper.
"Nice, salad for dinner", was my husband's reaction when he saw me preparation this dish. He took it well that the salad turned out to be condiment for pasta. "It works astonishingly well with the feta, but I could do without the cherry tomatoes and the bell pepper", was his response. I agree with him, but I also appreciate the extra vitamins, minerals and fibre from the added vegetables.
Alligator Pasta
Ingredients (for 4 servings):
- 1 big, ripe avocado
- 1 packet (200 grams) feta
- 1 packet (500 grams) Italian pasta
- 75 grams butter
- 200 grams cherry tomatoes
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- any fresh herb you like
- 6 big cloves garlic
- salt
- pepper
Method:
Put a big pot with water on the fire to cook the pasta. All the time salt the pasta water shortly before boiling. If you add the salt in the beginning, the water takes longer time to cook.
While the water is heating up, wash the cherry tomatoes and the bell pepper. Halve the tomatoes and cut the bell pepper into cubes. Wash and cut your herbs and place them together with the vegetables into a bowl. Salt and pepper the vegetables slightly and join them well. Grate the feta cheese and keep aside.
Clean the garlic cloves and crush them. Melt the butter in a small pan and fry the crushed garlic until slightly brown. Be just not to burn it.
When the water boils, add the pasta and cook according to the instructions on the packet. Drain the pasta, return it to the pot and mix it with the garlic butter. Add the grated feta cheese. Turn on the heat until the cheese melts. Keep a bit of feta aside for sprinkling over the top of the pasta.
Pour the pasta into the bowl with the vegetables and thought about blend it with the avocado-mix. You don't want to end up with a mush. Sprinkle the rest of the feta over the pasta and serve immediately.
Avocado - the salutary kind of fat
The name avocado has its origin in the Aztec word ahuacatl. The avocado tree has been cultivated in Central and South America since 8.000 Bce. During the 18th and 19th century, the avocado spread first to Jamaica and from there throughout the Asian tropical regions. The cultivation of avocado as a crop started in Florida and California at the beginning of the 20th century.
Although avocados have a lot of fat, they belong to the healthiest fruits of our planet. They should not miss in any salutary diet.
Avocados consist of oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat that helps cut 'bad' cholesterol levels and lowers the risk of breast cancer. In addition, it offers a lot of lutein, a carotenoid which enables the body to digest nourishment from other food sources. If you add some slices of avocados to your salad, your body can make greater use of the nutrients in the salad.
The large estimate of vitamin E in avocados boosts the immune system, keeps the skin salutary and prevents heart disease. The list of nutrients in avocados includes magnesium, vitamin C and vitamin B 6, folate, iron and potassium, a mineral that helps regulate blood pressure.
Alligator Pasta With the Goodness of Avocado