Using up fruit was this month's No Waste Food Challenge hosted over at Elizabeth's Kitchen for Kate at Turquoise Lemons. Now it may seem strange but we don't often have fruit that needs using up; I'm more of a 'when I want it I'll go and buy it and eat it there and then' kind of person when it comes to fruit. A large swathe of the recipes out there for using up fruit seem to focus on bananas as well and as I can't stand the smell of them (it makes me nauseous) they aren't allowed in the house!However - one fruit I occasionally forget about and then have to use up is avocados. I love avocados; and I know they're a love it or hate it kind of thing, I think primarily because of the texture for a lot of people. What I don't like is the whopping price tag stupormarkets seem to put on them, especially when they're often half the price in Aldi or the greengrocers. As they're massively high in calories too I tend to just have them as an occasional treat. I will get them when they're reduced on the CFC with the good old yellow sticker on but I find that they're invariably still too hard to eat so have to be stashed for a few days to ripen and soften up. This is when I sometimes forget about them and end up having to chop some of the more brown portions out meaning any ideas of a pretty fan of slices for presentation has gone out of the window. (I know, I know - how very 70's eh?!)
If you have any 'overdue' avocados to use make sure to chop any brown / black bits out as they will ruin the taste otherwise. Just use the green bits. Mash them with some grated cheese to your taste - I use mature cheddar for preference. Season with some ground black pepper and a little splash of lemon or lime juice if liked.
Toast your bread - I use seeded wholegrain style stuff. Spread liberally with the avocado and cheese mix and sprinkle a little additional cheese over the top then grill until melty and lovely. Easy unctuous goodness packed with nutrients that would otherwise have gone in the bin - what could be better? [Apologies for the lack of photo - having probs getting it off the card.] If you have a couple of sad mushrooms or a tomato lurking in the fridge to use up then give them a quick slice (and cook in the case of the sh'rooms) and pop them on the toast before covering with the avocado and cheese. This guy has some other ideas on the same lines.
There's info on the nutritional value and loads of recipes on this site amongst others Apparently they're not as high in calories as I thought according to that site so if only the price would come down I'd have them more often. :-)
Another of my fave ways of using up avocados is this lovely avocado and lime ice-cream I made before. Do give it a try - it's waaay nicer than you might think if you've only had avocados as a savoury item before.
