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3 Avocado Recipes That Are Not Guacamole

Try these recipes out the next time you have a craving for avocado.

There is more to this casual game

Guacamole is grand, but don’t settle for just the chips and dip on this food holiday. Clear the table for everything from the appetizer and main dish all the way to dessert. On National Avocado Day, this tree grown fruit has them all covered!

AVOCADO PASTA

This recipe uses avocado as the main component of the ‘pesto’ and serves it with crunchy grilled corn and roasted tomatoes. You can substitute with any grilled veggies you like.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 12 ounces spaghetti
  • 2 ripe avocados, halved, seeded and peeled
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2 cup canned corn kernels, drained and rinsed

DIRECTIONS:

  1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.
  2. To make the avocado sauce, combine avocados, basil, garlic and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor; season with salt and pepper, to taste. With the motor running, add olive oil in a slow stream until emulsified; set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, combine pasta, avocado sauce, cherry tomatoes, and corn.
  4. Serve immediately.

Source Credit: DamnDelicious.net

AVOCADO Mango Ginger Smoothie

This smoothie is packed with vitamins and antioxidants.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1/4 ripe Fresh California Avocado, seeded, peeled and diced
  • 1 Tbsp. minced ginger
  • 1/2 cup frozen mango cubes
  • 1/3 cup plain, nonfat yogurt
  • 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • As needed Cayenne pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup ice cubes

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Combine all ingredients in blender and puree until smooth.
  2. Serve immediately.
  3. *Large avocados are recommended for this recipe. A large avocado averages about 8 ounces. If using smaller or larger size avocados adjust the quantity accordingly.

Source Credit: californiaavocado.com

AVOCADO Dip & Dressing

When you want to change things up in your daily menu, the easiest and best place to start is with your salad dressing. This versatile recipe can be used as a dressing or as a dip for your favorite veggies.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 large ripe avocado, pitted, peeled, and cut into chunks
  • ½ cup plain, whole-milk Greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 tablespoons chopped chives
  • 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • Zest of 1 lime
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • Kosher salt

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Put the avocado, yogurt, herbs, and lime zest and juice into a blender and process until smooth.
  2. Taste and season with salt. Add water by the tablespoon to get it to the consistency you like (it should be pourable).
  3. Set aside if making the salad right away, or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.

Source Credit: chowhound.com