Monday, July 15, 2013

Avocado Dessert Recipes

Healthy It Up with Avocados!
By: Chef Cristian Feher
www.tampabaychef.com

Click here to watch the video.


It seems that when I need ripe avocados, they're nowhere to be found. And when I don't, they're everywhere. Are you bored of making guacamole? Don't know what else to make with avocados? Keep reading, because these recipes might surprise you! 

What is an avocado? Is it a fruit, or a vegetable? That doesn't really matter. What matters is that it's a little bundle of vegetable fat - but it's healthy fat! Which means that you can add it to other fatty dishes to lower the calories. They will also add a layer of taste and color which will delight your palate. 


Avocado Tiramisu Recipe:

If I have ever provided you with my private dining services, it's likely that you've had my cream cheese tiramisu. My customers love it! So, in thinking, "What dessert can I improve with avocado?" This one came to mind. 

I was able to add color and depth of flavor, and shave 400 calories off this recipe by using avocados. 

Ingredients:
- 6oz Whipped cream cheese
- 3/4 cup of sugar
- 2 avocados, diced
- 3/4 cup of heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 tbsp of vanilla extract
- 2 lady finger cookies
- Cocoa powder for garnish

Instructions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, sugar, avocados, vanilla extract and whipping cream. 

2. With an electric mixer, mix all the ingredients until you have a smooth, thick mousse (it may take anywhere from 3 to 7 minutes of mixing to do this)

3. Place two lady finger cookies in a bowl or martini glass, add a couple of dollops of the mousse mixture on top of the lady fingers, and sprinkle some cocoa powder for garnish. Enjoy!


Avocado Milkshake Recipe:

This is a very popular recipe in Vietnamese and Phillipino restaurants - but since the Tampa bay area is seriously lacking in good Asian cuisine, it has probably come as a shock to you! 

I would also like to mention that I was able to shave off 270 calories off the regular milkshake recipe. 

Ingredients:
- 2 avocados, diced
- 2 cups of French vanilla ice cream
- 1/2 cup of sugar
- 1 cup of whole milk (or milk substitute)
- Whipped cream

Instructions:

1.  Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor, and make a shake! Pour into a glass and top with whipped cream. Enjoy!


Avocado Soup Recipe:

Not all of these recipes are dessert recipes. You can also make a really smooth, velvety soup with avocados. I like to make this when I offer my customers my Mexican cooking class, along with ribeye steak burritos, roast corn salsa, salsa verde, spicy pico de gallo, and... well, you get the idea. 


Ingredients:
- 4 avocados (ripe hass avocados)
- 1 cup of diced onion
- 1/2 cup of heavy cream (optional)
- 2 to 3 cups of chicken stock (or just enough to cover the avacados)
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- 1/2 tbsp of diced jalapeño pepper
- 1 lemon
- fresh chopped cilantro
- sour cream
- salt and pepper
- olive oil


Equipment:
- Immersion blender, or regular blender


Instructions:


1. Cook the diced onions in a medium sauce pot with a little olive oil for about 7 minutes until the onions start to become translucent.


2. Add the avocado flesh, jalapeño pepper, and garlic and cook for another 5 minutes.


3. Add hot chicken stock and cream and simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Puree with the immersion blender until velvety smooth. If you don't have an immersion blender - go buy one! But if you can't, just put the soup in a blender and blend until smooth.

4. Serve with a pinch of fresh cilantro, a spoonful of sour cream and you can squeeze some fresh lemon juice to kick up the taste!



Now, go out there and squeeze yourself some ripe avocados, and make yourself a healthy treat - well, healthy-ER!

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