You’ve probably heard many people saying that ‘avocado is bae’. It has become a staple of many Kenyan households and it is not strange to see a crowd of people busy selecting the best looking and ripe avocados at the market. The avocado love trend has also moved to social media, with pictures upon pictures of the perfect avocado or ‘blessings’.
Apart from making them part of your daily meal, what other ways can you use avocados?
1. Avocado fries
We all love our fries, but sometimes you need something extra. You can replace kawaida fries with the healthy alternative of avocado fries. Just cut your avocados into slices, season with salt and pepper, cover them with flour, then dip them in eggs and breadcrumbs. Drizzle with oil and bake for 15 minutes or until they are golden brown. These avocado fries will be crispy on the outside and buttery soft on the inside. Pair this with your favourite sauce for a fantastic and healthy meal.
2. Avocado Popsicles
There’s a new way to cool off, and it’s super healthy, too! Avocado popsicles are a classic treat that you can make at home at any time. All you need are ripe avocados, milk or water, sugar or honey if you prefer, and some lime juice to prevent the avocados from turning brown. Blend them together till smooth then pour the mixture into popsicle moulds and freeze for several hours. This is a treat that you’ll really enjoy.
3. Psoriasis and eczema treatment
Avocados are rich in healthy fats and are often used to produce oil. This oil can be used to treat the symptoms of psoriasis, which is a non-contagious skin disease where the skin becomes dry and scaly and is surrounded by a red, inflamed border. Including avocado oil in your diet regularly and rubbing it on your skin can also reduce the symptoms of eczema, which is a series of skin conditions that lead to the irritated and inflamed skin.
4. Shaving cream
This homemade shaving cream will protect you from razor burn and leave you with soft and silky skin. Just melt some shea butter and coconut in a medium sized bowl, mix in some olive oil and place in the refrigerator until solid. Remove and whip it up until fluffy then add a mashed half avocado into the mixture. Apply the shaving cream to your legs and shave. Rinse with warm water, let it dry and enjoy the results.
5. Avocado cocktails
Wanna go green? Treat yourself to a variety of mildly sweet and wonderfully creamy avocado cocktails that will blow your mind in deliciousness. For an avocado martini, you’ll need 3 ounces of vodka, one ounce of orange liqueur, a teaspoon of avocado, juice of 2 limes and soda water. Mash the avocado with lime juice until smooth. Fill a martini shaker with ice, add all the ingredients except soda water and shake for 10 seconds. Strain the mixture into a chilled martini glass using a fine mesh strainer and garnish with a lime wedge.
If you are in the mood for an avocado daiquiri you’ll need a quarter avocado, three-quarter ounce fresh lime juice, one cup crushed ice, one-and-a-half ounces light rum and a lime wedge. Crush the ice in a blender and add the rum, lime juice and avocado. Blend until thoroughly mixed and smooth, pour into a glass and garnish with the lime wedge. Enjoy!
6. Frosting
There are two ways that avocados can be used for frosting– they can be used to replace the butter or shortening in classic frosting recipes, or you can use them as the base for their own frosting recipe. All you need to do is mix together a ripe avocado, butter, powdered sugar, some salt and vanilla extract and you get a wonderfully green and absolutely delicious topping for your cakes.
Love avocados? Find out more about this fruit here For The Love Of The Avocado
