How
to pick an Avocado
Like most fruits, avocados do not ripen until picked, so
fresh ones will be as hard as rocks. Look for an even unblemished
texture, uniformly hard or soft over its entire surface
and those that feel heavy for their size. Avoid any with
bruises or soft spots, and those with a hollow between the
flesh and skin. Shake the avocado to test...if the pit is
loose, move on to the next one. The flesh of ripe fruits
will yield when pressed gently. However, ripe fruits bruise
easily with excessive handling in the markets, so it's best
to ripen your own at home. Of course, this means proper
planning, giving yourself 2-5 days in advance to insure
they are ripe for your use.
To
ripen,
place the avocado(s) in a brown paper bag and store at
room temperature for 2-5 days, away from direct sunlight.
The addition of an apple or banana to the bag will hasten
the ripening process. Do not store unripened fruit in
the refrigerator. After being chilled, they will never
ripen properly. Once ripe, they can be stored in the refrigerator,
unpeeled, for up to two weeks.
To
prevent Darkening
The flesh of the avocado quickly begins to darken when
exposed to the air, so it's important to work quickly
with the meat once the avocado is cut. The addition of
an acidic, usually lemon, retards the darkening process.
Avocados
do have a high fat content, but it is monounsaturated
fat, which some studies show to actually help reduce cholesterol.
The avocado is also low in calories.)
. |
Romaine & Avocado Salad
This
salad is a good healthy start for any meal. It is a quick
and easy way to add flavor and nutrition to your meal
all year round. The light dressing makes this salad lower
in fat than most without losing flavor.
Romaine & Avocado Salad Prep and Cook Time: 10 minutes,
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 large head romaine lettuce, outside leaves discarded
1 large tomato chopped
1 small red bell pepper cut in thin julienne, 1 inch long
1/2 small avocado cut into chunks
*Optional: 2 TBS coarsely chopped walnuts
Dressing
2 TBS lemon juice
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp Canola Harvest
oil to taste
Salt and cracked black pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Remove outer leaves of lettuce heads and discard. Cut
off tops of leaves and discard.
Tops
are bitter. Chop remaining inner leaves. Rinse in cold
water, and if you have a salad spinner, spin lettuce to
dry. If you don’t have one, remove as much water
as possible in a colander and then dry with paper towels.
This will keep the flavor of the salad from getting diluted.
2.
Whisk together lemon juice, vinegar, Canola Harvest oil,
salt and pepper in a small bowl and toss with salad greens.
Sprinkle with chopped walnuts if desired.
.
|
