avocado

Classic eggs Benedict is my favorite brunch dish; if it's on a restaurant's menu, I'll order it nine times out of 10. However, when I'm cooking brunch at home, I prefer to make a lighter, meat-free Benedict. Instead of Canadian bacon, I use roasted tomatoes and mashed avocado. The butter-heavy Hollandaise sauce is replaced with a creamy parmesan cheese sauce. Although you could use poached eggs, most of the time I'm lazy and simply used fried eggs. This dish is one that my mom loves, so if you're looking for something to make for your mother on Sunday, I highly recommend the California Benedict! Get the recipe now.

If you purchase avocados, you probably know the proper technique for checking for ripeness. Give the flesh a soft squeeze and it should yield to moderate pressure. However, sometimes a soft avocado is actually bruised. Since there's nothing more disappointing than slicing into a browned avocado, I've got another way of testing for ripeness. Flick the small brown stem off the top of the avocado. If it comes off easily and you can see green underneath it, the avocado is ripe! If the stem doesn't come off or if you see brown, the avocado is not ripe.

Do you eat avocados? What's your favorite preparation?

If you've found this season's salads to be a bit lacking, take inspiration from this wintry mix that lauren recently prepared.I love trying out new salad combinations; this one is grapefruit, blood orange, avocado, arugula with a homemade basil dijon mustard vinaigrette.

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If you're tired of the same old boring salad, I highly recommend you give this recipe a try. It combines pan-seared pork tenderloin with a hearty, delicious, and flavorful mixture of arugula, avocados, tomatoes, and olives. Feta cheese gives it a creamy texture and tangy saltiness. This dish comes together quickly, which is crucial for weeknight meals. While the meat cooks, put together the salad. Serve with crusty bread and a glass of white wine for a healthful and satisfying dinner. Check out the recipe after the break.

Have you tried a recipe you found in the YumSugar Community? Lauren did, and she shared her experience with the rest of us!
I finally gave girla's recipe a try! I opted to use low-fat milk instead of soy and rather than maple syrup substituted agave syrup, so they were no longer vegan, but still pretty tasty! I used a mini cupcake tin and stuffed a couple large chocolate chips in each cupcake since I have a chocoholic husband. I loved using avocado rather than a bunch of eggs or oil, the next time I make these, I might work the batter a little less since they were a touch chewy, but I think I stirred it just a little too long.

As you can see from the photo, before I had time to snap a photo, one cupcake had already gone missing . . . I wonder who!

Thanks girla for a very interesting use of avocados!

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It's easy to get in a salad rut and make the same salad over and over again. But, as I've vowed to eat more healthy (and, therefore, eat more salads), I'm saying bye-bye to boring salads — and I'm starting with this delicious citrus salad. The combination of oranges and fennel is a classic Italian pairing; I've built upon it by adding creamy avocado and salty black olives. The dressing is a simple mixture of oil, white wine vinegar, and fresh-squeezed orange juice. For a super colorful salad, use a mixture of Valencia and blood oranges. Serve alongside roast fish, a grilled cheese sandwich, or piping hot bowl of soup. Get the recipe now.

If you want to get healthy in the New Year but still follow your resolution to cook on a budget, here's my advice: be sure to begin each day with a wholesome breakfast that starts at home. It's all too easy to fall into the routine of buying smoothies, but they're so uncomplicated and economical to make at home. For a refreshing departure from the iconic blend of berries and bananas, opt for a creamy avocado-pear mixture that's so vividly green in color, you know it's got to be good for you! Indeed, it is: This recipe, which comes courtesy of the new book Power Foods, is chock-full of folic acid, soluble fiber, and monounsaturated fatty acids.

Boost your breakfast when you read on.

If eating healthier meals is on your agenda for 2011, start by incorporating more salads into your diet. Select fresh, in-season vegetables, fruits, and nuts and put together a salad that is full of colors, textures, and flavors. Skip the store-bought salad dressing and make your own green goddess dressing instead. This classic salad topping originated in San Francisco and has a base of herbs and anchovies. While many recipes use mayonnaise or sour cream to achieve a creamy texture, this one employs avocado and Greek yogurt. The best thing about this recipe is that the dressing can also be a dip. Pack it in a Tupperware with crudités and enjoy for lunch. Learn the technique.

Wondering if there's any natural vegan substitute for butter? Well, GirlA has one: avocados! She uses them in sweet baking applications, like with these glazed chocolate cupcakes.

Check out the latest challenge at Kitchen Challengers: vegan glazed chocolate-avocado cupcakes!

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