Cooking with California Avocados!
I received free samples of California Avocado mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by California Avocado and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.
Avocados are a summer staple. They are so versatile—I keep them in my kitchen as a wonderful edition to family meals. Whether I make guacamole for our tacos, or slice them up on a grilled cheese, or add them to a salad—they are a nutritious and delicious way to zip up what could be hum-drum meals. I recently tried them as a replacement for fat in a pasta salad. The results were amazing!
I attended my family reunion recently, and needed to bring a side dish that would help serve about 90 people. My Mother’s side of the family has 199 decedents from my grandparents—and more on the way! That’s a lot of people to feed! I decided to bring a pasta salad, as my garden was producing more than we could eat right now. I saw and idea in the Family Fun magazine that made a dressing with an avocado, so I thought I would give it a try—my way! I prepared the pasta per the directions, then drained and rinsed it, and added a little olive oil when done to keep it from soaking up the dressing and making the salad dry. I used multicolored pasta, but whole wheat would be terrific also. I cut up cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and fresh basil. Then I added cubed chicken, a little cheese, and a few green olives. The chicken, cheese and olives were items I always have on hand. I made the dressing, with a few avocados that were nicely ripe, low-fat sour cream and a little skim milk, lime juice, garlic salt and a little seasoning salt.
When complete, I had two HUGE containers of a salad chock full of vitamins and minerals, little fat, and LOTS of flavor. It went over very well at the reunion. When I make it again, I am saving and avocado to chunk up in the salad! My Mom wanted to know what was in it, as I am always “experimenting” with recipes. One year I brought muffins made with pinto beans to the reunion. They were also a hit—and no one ever knew they were eating a little healthier!
- I made more than one recipe for this group!
Thanks to the California Avocado Commission for this contest. I love avocados, and it was fun giving them a new spin! For more recipes with nutritious avocados, check out Recipe Redux recipes below, or visit http://CalifoniaAvocado.com.
Avocado Pasta Salad
Dressing:
- ½ cup low-fat sour cream
- ½ cup skim milk
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1 heaping teaspoon chopped garlic
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
- 2 teaspoons fresh chopped basil
Blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor and set aside. Taste to see if it needs salt and pepper.
Salad:
- 1 bag multicolored rotini, cooked and tossed with 1 Tbs olive oil
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes
- 1 cup chopped cucumbers
- 1 cup chopped onions
- 1 cup diced cheese
- 1 ½ cups chopped roasted chicken
- ¼ cup green or black olives
Mix dressing with salad ingredients and chill for at least four hours. Overnight is better to let flavors meld. Side note: Our blog has been down for a short period of time, but now we hope you enjoy all of our updates and changes. It will continue to morph for a little while, until we tweak it to just what we decide we want. Let us know if you like our changes!