20 Unusual Things To Do With Avocado
Avocado is one of the ultimate Paleo super-foods. A great fat source and very versatile, avocado is great in salads and as a breakfast side. But there’s more to the fruit than that! Here is a list of 20 things you didn't know you could do with an avocado.
1. Freeze to use later
Peel and remove the pit and add a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice to a bowl, per avocado. Mash well together and freeze in an airtight bag (making sure you squeeze all the air out before sealing) for up to a year. A great way to preserve an overflow of avocados.
2. Remove the pit with no mess
Cut the fruit in half and hit a knife into the stone. Simply twist the knife to remove the pit.
3. Ripen fast
Put the unripe fruit in a brown paper bag with an apple or banana. After two or three days the avocado will be ripe.
4. Can’t wait?
If there’s not time to wait for it to fully ripen, cut from the fat end, as this is always the first part to ripen.
5. Drink it
Blend together an avocado, handful of spinach, a pear and some almond milk for a smoothie packed with good fats
6. Treat your hair
Nourish your hair by mixing an avocado, egg yolk and dash of olive oil. Leave this on your dry hair for 30 minutes before rinsing off and shampooing as usual. Your hair will be silky and soft.
7. Spice up your guacamole
Have you tried adding cumin and orange to your favourite guacamole recipe yet?
8. Pickle it
For a different take on avocado, try jarring it. Heat 250ml (1 cup) white vinegar, 250ml (1 cup) water and a tablespoon of salt in a pan until it boils. Cut three firm but ripe avocado into pieces and put in a jar. Pour the boiling liquid in the jar, and once cooled, put the lid on and allow to marinate in the fridge for a couple for days before using (should keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge)
9. Avocado ice cream
Blend an avocado, frozen banana, a few drops of vanilla extract and small tin of coconut milk. Freeze and once frozen, allow to thaw for a few minutes before serving.
10. Roast chicken
Try stuffing a chicken with a peeled avocado before roasting it
11. Make a chocolate pudding with it
Seriously – you have to try chocolate avocado mousse!
12. Save the pit and grow your very own avocado tree
Suspend the pit in a jar of water using tooth picks in the side of the stone, to submerge all but the top of the seed in water. Eventually the stone will break open revealing a root – and then finally a stalk! Then, quite a long time later you’ll have your own avocado tree and all the fruit you could possibly want.
13. Avocado curry?
Have you ever made a chicken curry with avocado as a base?
14. Roast it
Try roasting avocado, by peeling, removing the pit and slicing. Drizzle with oil and season, then bake at 200C (400F) for about 15 minutes. Roast avocado is great with a salad.
15. Eat the pit
Let the pit dry, grate it and add a small amount to a home-made enchilada sauce.
16. Avocado mayonnaise
Instead of adding mayonnaise to your meal, add pureed avocado instead.
17. Skin therapy
Make a face-mask with avocado, an egg white and a squeeze of lemon juice and wear it for 5 to 10 minutes to get the Vitamin A and E benefits directly on your skin.
18. Summertime treat
Make avocado iced lollies (popsicles) by blending avocado, coconut milk and lemon juice and freezing in popsicle moulds.
19. Make your own Avocado oil
If you've got time, patience – and lots of fruit – you can even make your own avocado oil
20. Avocado soup
Make an unusual – but delightful chilled avocado, cucumber and coconut soup. Blend an avocado, pinch of coriander, squeeze of line and small cucumber, then add a small can of coconut milk to the mix. Blend, then serve with some coconut flakes to garnish.
If I've missed of any unusual uses, I’d love you to share them in the comments below! What is your favourite use for an avocado?
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PrimalCon 2013
I’m just back from a fantastic Paleo trip to America (Jetlag is most definitely not Paleo). A couple of weeks after PaleoFX in Austin, Texas, I made my way to Oxnard, California, for my third year at Mark Sisson’s PrimalCon weekend. Unlike the Ancestral Health Symposium, or PaleoFX, PrimalCon is a hands on practical weekend. As well as hearing about all things Paleo – the focus is on doing.
With relatively small numbers of attendees – and lots of different presenters, there’s a chance to meet and speak to everyone. There are lots of regulars, who attend each year, but it was also great to meet so many new faces – as well as some others from Australia and the UK!
With Kelly Starrett and the Gokhale family, there were several session on posture, mobility – and the correct way to stand and move to avoid injury. Whilst these sessions were completely different, it was interesting that their methods and ideas are completely complimentary – hardly surprising as they’re based on how we’re supposed to move.
Another highlight of PrimalCon for me was finally meeting Sarah Fragoso of Everyday Paleo – who really is every bit as lovely and knowledgeable in real life as she is on her podcast!
Chef Rachel Albert gave another fantastic cooking demonstration. It’s amazing how many simple tips I pick up each year, despite being a regular in the kitchen myself!
I also loved William Vives Kettlebell session and as usual, learnt lots of new techniques that I can’t wait to practice at my Crossfit box. There were a few other fitness sessions too, such as barefoot running and sprinting techniques – and I especially loved the Olympic Lifting session – I can’t wait to master that!
As always, the food was absolutely fantastic. A local Paleo food truck (so jealous we don’t have those in Sydney!) provided a lot of the catering, and there was such a huge variety of grass fed meats, burgers, salads, veggies, nut butter – and an amazing coconut bark! It’s so nice to be able to dive into all of the food on offer, without even having to ask what is in the meatball sauce. You just know it’s 100% Paleo!
What would you most enjoy about an event like PrimalCon? The people, food or particular activities?
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The Paleo Snack Recipe Book
My post of Paleo Snack Ideas has been so popular, that I've created a new recipe ebook on Paleo snacks.
As well as lots of simple snack ideas that work well on a Paleo diet, the recipe book contains almost 80 pages of recipes. These recipes are for simple snacks that you can make and take to work, serve to children, travel with, eat after dinner, drink or use to help you on your weight loss journey. There's a snack recipe for every taste and situation! By popular demand I've also include a chapter on grab and go Paleo snack recipes.
As well as clear, easy to follow recipes, the book also features beautiful photos of most of the recipes to inspire you! The book also includes an introduction into the Paleo diet and the place of snacks on this plan.
These are some of the recipes and photographs featured in the Paleo Snack recipe ebook
The book is currently on sale for $17 and can be purchased by credit card, debit card or paypal. It comes with a 30 day guarantee and instant download. I'm also currently offering further discounts if you buy two or three of my recipe ebooks together! My recipe ebooks are currently available in digital format – I will update this page as soon as the print versions are available.
I'd love to hear your feedback on the ebook!
Buy Two or more Paleo Recipe Ebooks and Save
The book is $17, but I offer big discounts if you buy more than one of my recipe books in one transaction – you can find the bulk prices here.
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43 Awesome Paleo Cooking Hacks That You Aren’t Using
Are you using these Paleo hacks? These simple tips and tricks will save you time and hassle – and make your time in the kitchen far more productive – and your Paleo recipes better!
Please share your favourite Paleo cooking secrets in the comments below, or if you have a better method than my suggestions, please share!
1. Before cooking asparagus, coat the stalks in salt and leave to cure for 20 minutes. Rinse off the salt and prepare as normal, you’ll find they taste far better.
2. When you grind meat for homemade burgers or sausages, try adding in some bacon for great flavour. You can also grind in some offal and no one will ever know.
3. When making a salad, always keep the dressing separate. That way it can be added just before serving to make sure your salad is crisp instead of soggy.
4. To reduce tears and keep it together, don’t cut into the root of an onion when dicing.
5. When you buy fresh basil, make it last longer by keeping it at room temperature and with the stems in water.
6. To stop your chopping board (and everything you chop after) smelling of garlic, smash garlic cloves in a sealed plastic bag using the back of a knife.
7. If you’re not going to finish your lettuce in one go, prevent it from turning brown by wrapping in a paper towel in the fridge and storing in a plastic bag.
8. Clean cast iron cookware by scrubbing with salt; never use detergent!
9. Lay a chicken on onion halves and chunks of leek, instead of using a roasting rack. The onion will make a great gravy after absorbing the chicken juices.
10. Use a very fine grater or microplane to add vegetables to salads and dressings. Try adding microplaned orange and fennel to a vinaigrette dressing.
11. Make sure you keep your kitchen knives sharp, not only is it fast and easier – it’s actually a lot safer too….
12. ….and on the subject of knives, keep the tip in an old wine cork when storing in the kitchen drawer.
13. Add salt early on in your cooking – and make sure you keep tasting your dish as you cook it, and adjust your additions accordingly.
14. When frying salmon, fry with the skin side down. When it has cooked to the stage where over half has gone from pink to white, turn the heat off and flip the salmon over. The remaining heat will cook it to perfection.
15. To make sure onions store for longer, keep them in a glass jar, with the root left as is.
16. Always make stock in the biggest batches you have room for. Freeze any excess stock in small portions, ready to use as the base of a dish whenever you need them.
17. Salt your chopping board before chopping up herbs; this will keep them on the chopping board!
18. Freeze stock, left over wine and any left over sauces in ice cube trays as a great way to make a quick sauce – or add depth to an existing sauce without having to wait hours for it to defrost.
19. Use a skewer of cake tester to check how well done your fish, meat – and even vegetables are.
20. Before pan frying, always make sure your pan is super hot!
21. Add a pinch of salt to the water before boiling eggs. This will help to prevent the shells from cracking.
22. After boiling vegetables, use the remaining water for stock, or freeze to crush later and use in a smoothie. If those options don’t appeal, use the nutrient loaded water to feed your veggie patch or house plants.
23. When making hamburger patties, push a hole in the centre. This will make sure they cook faster and more evenly.
24. Give the contents of your pan room to breath – never overcrowd, or you’ll be steaming your food rather than sautéing it!
25. Before carving and serving meat, always give it a few minutes to rest
26. To prevent a roast chicken having an overcooked breast and tender legs, break up the legs and the breast. This means you can remove the breast sooner, ensuring the whole bird is moist.
27. Before frying fish or meat, make sure it is as dry as possible, by laying it on paper towels for a few minutes before cooking. This will help to make the skins nice and crispy by making sure you’re frying rather than steaming.
28. To make sure your garlic is sweet, rather than bitter, make sure you buy it as fresh as possible – and if it has green shoots – don’t use it.
29. Store empty containers and jars with a pinch of salt, to absorb any odours and keep them smelling fresh.
30. Check your eggs are fresh by placing them in a bowl full of water. If the rise to the top, they aren’t as fresh as they should be! You want an egg that sits at the bottom, or near to it.
31. After blanching vegetables, plunge them in a bowl of iced water. This stops the cooking process and will result in bright veggies.
32. Instead of rigidly sticking to a shopping list, try being flexible without it. Go to the shop or farmers market and base your meals around what ever is fresh, seasonal and local.
33. Try cooking your steak by firstly cooking the fatty edge, holding it in place with tongs. This will release fat into the pan, making sure when you cook each side it is as juicy and full of flavour as possible.
34. The secret to great roasted vegetables is heat! Preheat the oven and empty roasting tin, before adding the veggies, oil and sea salt.
35. If you’re cooking with steak, eggs or butter, bring them out of the fridge and keep them at room temperature for an hour or so before cooking for a far better flavour.
36. Roll citrus fruit in your hands before juicing it to increase the amount of juice you can extract. Also, never store citrus fruit in the fridge as it significantly reduces the flavour.
37. Prepare first. Do all of your slicing and dicing before starting to make your dish.
38. Never try a new recipe or ingredient for the first time before an important dinner! Practice, practice, and do as much of the prep as you can the night before.
39. Make sure you store spices in a cool dark place, not next to the oven. To get the maximum flavour from spices, try toasting or sautéing them before adding them to your recipe.
40. Before working with chilli, rub coconut oil into your hands to propel the spiciness. IF you want to reduce their heat, remove the seeds before cooking with them.
41. To prevent garlic from burning, try slicing it finely rather than mincing it.
42. To make sure your meatloaf, meatball or burger mix is just right, make a tiny patty out of it, enabling you to fry it and give it a try. This way you still have time to adjust your mix, before committing to it.
43. When you need to add in more oil to a pan, add it at the edge of the pan, rather than in the middle. This gives the oil time to heat up before it reaches the centre of the pan – and your food.
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