All You Need to Know About Avocados

Avocados come from primarily Mexico and the Yucatan, but their native range extends deep into South America as well. Basically there are two types: the smaller bulb-shaped variety that has bumpy skin and is nearly black when ripe, and the larger, smooth-skinned variety that remains green when it is ripe. While the smaller variety is by far the more common of the two in the Americas, it is also rare outside of them. The cultivars that have been introduced into Asia tend to be of a larger, green type. For eating, the black (or Mexican) variety is generally considered to be the superior of the two. It is buttery (in fact one of avocado's nicknames is tree butter) and rich in flavor, with deep, nutty, overtones. The smooth variety, while also quite palatable and yummy, tends to be watery in comparison to its bumpy brother, and has a more refreshing, light taste. The latter type can get quite large as well.

While I lived in Hawaii I noticed one evening that the apartment complex next to ours had a huge avocado tree growing in the parking lot, and it was fruiting! Well, I have heard that to pluck a flower doth not a thief make, and in that spirit I have rationalized using this principle to procure a number of low hanging fruits in my day, and this was no exception. The avocado was big and hard as rock. But it softened after a full two weeks and was delicious (a big watery type). I also procured a half a dozen lilikoi (passion fruit) from the same parking lot several months later.

Most of us are familiar with the various ways to enjoy this delicious fruit (it doesn't take to cooking by the way, in case you were wondering), but have you ever tried it as sashimi? Slice it up and dip into soy sauce with wasabi and perhaps some shredded daikon or a shisho leaf. Delicious!

Many Uses of the Avocado

Most of us are familiar with avocado, few dislike this odd fruit, and while the parameters of its use seem to be restricted to Mexican fare on most tables, it always seems to be welcome. It is mostly used as a topping to chmichangas and toquittos, but is most often used as a dip we call guacamole (the name originally refers to a cactus salsa however), which is basically mashed avocado mixed with fresh salsa. Avocado undoubtedly is used as a vegetable, but it is a fruit of course and it has an unusual deep and somewhat pungent flavor. It is also great in fresh salads; either mashed and mixed with a vinaigrette as a flavorful thickener or cut into chunks as a garnish. It is also used to add interest and sustenance to sandwiches and hamburgers. Avocado is also sometimes sliced and eaten as sashimi and also appears in California sushi rolls.

Sadly, the list pretty much ends there as avocados react dismally to any sort of cooking. Their flavor becomes unpalatable, their texture gloppy, and the meat turn an unappetizing brown when they are subjected to any kind of cooking heat. Fortunately for cooks like me however, there are still avenues to explore with the avocado, particular in luncheon fare. How about wrapping them with prosciutto, fresh basil and lettuce, and dipping them in a Parmesan vinaigrette? I can think of piquant cold coleslaw variations that would welcome avocado, and cold gazpacho is an obvious candidate as well.

One thing I've never done however is tried treating the avocado as a fruit. Apart from soaking them in a sugary syrup and seeing how that works out, you cold also gently fold avocado chunks into a tropical fruit salad several hours before serving. If that sounds unpalatable, I willing to bet that an avocado milkshake or ice cream would blend nicely.

The Cherimoyas Fruit Producing Family Tree

The cherimoyas represent a quite large variety of edible fruit producing tropical trees, most of the fruit similar in shape and flavor. A notable exception is the edible paw paw, which looks rather like a mango and grows as far north as the Ozarks. Cultivars of the cherimoyas have spread throughout the tropics, but their origin is in North and South America. Cherimoyas and generally divided into two fruits, the guyabano (or soursop) and the cherimoya (or custard apple). Both fruits are similar looking; green, bulbous, and knobby. They feel like an avocado when ripe, and both have a similar appearance inside as well- they are filled with white, custardy yet juicy flesh punctuated with large black, bean-like seeds.

Now, I am a great fan of the magnificently complex and deliciously tangy guyabano, but the cherimoya fruits I've sampled have been a mixed basket for me. I have to remember though that I have undoubtedly been dealing with different species of fruit, and that I need to keep trying. For example, I've heard cherimoyas promisingly described as tasting like a combination of banana, pineapple, and strawberry, though the cherimoyas I've had in Southeast Asia were simply honey-sweet and disappointing, especially because I thought they were guyabano when I bought them. I will keep seeking the delicate and subtle cherimoya that I've heard so much promise of.

The guyabano soursop cannot be praised enough. Its flavor rivals mango and even mangosteen. I find it best eaten out of hand on a slow train in the tropics, the sun setting over the rice paddies, or on arrival to a cool hotel room in a steamy tropical city, bought fresh from the market. In all my dealings with fruit hawkers, by the way, guyabano was the only fruit I bought in which someone tried to cheat me, refusing to give my change, claiming the fruit to be ten times the price first agreed upon. I did get my change but not my guyabano- they turned out to be super sweet cherimoya instead. I was cheated after all!

Going Bananas For Bananas

Bananas, along with apples, are probably the world's most underappreciated fruits. Somewhat awkwardly skirting the unsavory political facts of banana production that continue to this day (the term banana republic is no joke) let's the look at the wondrous gem of the tropics. First of all to really appreciate a banana you must forget that you've been eating them since you were a child and they are about the cheapest fruit in the supermarket. Next, whatever variety you have, when eaten out of hand bananas are without a doubt best when fully ripe, not turning black or mushy, but soft and fragrant (don't let a few dark spots put you off). It is just at the point of fermenting that the banana's complexity takes off. Smell your banana- before you peel it and after. Keep an open mind and pretend you are smelling one for the first time. When you do bite into it, try to place the taste and aroma. Try to compare it- my guess is that you won't find anything to compare it to. A banana is a banana.

When bananas first made their way into the markets of the United States and Europe, they were either revered with passion or reviled with disgust. Either way, though they may seem boring now, people had strong feelings about them. Up until the 60's, in Japan the banana was still considered the king of fruits.

Bananas come in a plethora of verities (including the potato-like plantain), hardly any of which make it to our produce shelves. If you ever see red bananas, buy them- the inside is golden-yellow and delicious. Finger bananas are a tasty dwarf version. Oddly, the middle stem in these bananas is the same size as in larger ones, giving them and interesting snap. Hawaiian bananas are sometimes called apple bananas due to their tartness. Finally, bananas take a very long time to ripen and ferment quickly. And their leaves make great picnic plates. This magnificent and attractive plant deserves our wonder.

Healthy Juices - What They Can Do For You

Healthy juices are a great way to stay hydrated throughout the day whilst enjoying a boost of vitamins and other important nutrients. The vitamins and minerals found in freshly made fruit juices act as catalysts to the enzymes that fuel our body processes. Every single chemical reaction inside our body requires enzymes and without the vitamins and minerals we eat, our general health would suffer. Fresh healthy juices can provide even more vitamins and minerals that you would get from eating the vegetables and fruits whole. This is because the juicing process helps to break down the fiber, which in turn releases many of the vitamins and minerals that would otherwise have stayed trapped.

Fruit juice is an ideal addition to a healthy diet. It is also an excellent way of making sure you get your five-a-day portions of fruit and vegetables, since a glass of pure fruit juice is the equivalent of one portion. Pure fruit juice can also be used to make smoothies. These not only taste wonderful, they are almost a meal in a glass!

Fruit juice smoothies make great post-exercise recovery drinks. If you have finished a hard workout, your body needs to take fuel on board within thirty minutes of the end of your workout in order to replenish the glycogen you have used. Thick smoothies packed with a variety of tasty fruits will help your body recover sufficiently to be able to cope with another workout the following day.

Many supermarkets sell pure fruit juices, but the best way to enjoy the full flavor of the fruits you love is to make your own juices. Inexpensive juicing machines can be bought from most home stores and they are very easy to use. Fruits do not need to be pre-cooked in order to make juices, but any fruit that is not organically grown should be peeled first as the peel is where most of the chemical residues can be found. Some varieties of fruit will still need peeling even when they are organically grown, and these include pineapple, oranges, kiwis, grapefruits, and papaya.

Always choose fresh fruit and chop it into small pieces before you push it into the juicer. Once you have collected enough juice, make sure you clean the juicer thoroughly as left-over residue will soon turn sour and attract flies. Fresh juices should be consumed within one day.

Any fruits can be used to make tasty juices; simply pick the ones you enjoy eating and experiment with different combinations to make some interesting juices and smoothies. Ice cubes can be added to your healthy juices for a chilled drink that you can enjoy on hot summer days. You can also add some ice cream for a sweet treat.

Fresh fruit juices are a great way of encouraging children to eat a greater quantity of fruit. Many children turn their noses up at fruit as they tend to prefer sweets and junk food, but by making the suggestion that they might like to make their own juices, eating healthy fruit will soon become fun rather than a chore. They can pick the fruit they like the look of and try some fun combinations of healthy juices and smoothies. Turn healthy eating into a game and it is amazing how many kids will suddenly enjoy eating bigger quantities of fruit!

Vegetables and Fruits - Make Your Body Feel Great

Everybody knows that fruits and vegetables are healthy choices, they're full of fiber and vitamins, and they can ward off illness and disease. We haven't always listened when we were told to eat more, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't take such advice to heart now that we are older.

If we took a closer look, we would see we are actually hurrying through the day up to our elbows in hamburgers and greasy french fries, topped with a chocolate shake for lunch. It is not very often that we pass up the convenient, sugary treats, which are so easy to pop in our mouths, to take the time to prepare a nutritious snack for ourselves, even if we don't indulge in unhealthy, fatty, fast food lunches every day.

Grapes, cantaloupe or watermelon are good examples. Fruits are the original fast food. Give them a quick bath and you can start noshing right away. Maybe you would prefer some carrots, celery or cauliflower, with a bit of Italian dressing for dipping. Scientists know that we're not eating what we should. They know that the turnips and tomatoes are going uneaten, untouched. So to motivate people to develop healthier eating habits, we're being reminded of the Five-a-Day campaign to help us pay more attention to our diets and challenge us to have five servings of fruits and vegetables daily.

In the beginning, five servings per day appears like a lot. However, a few easy tips exist that might help you, like eating a piece of fruit in the morning. Fruit can be a tasty addition to cereal, pancakes and waffles. Apples or bananas make great portable snacks.

It is very easy to add veggies to your daily diet. For lunch, try including a salad. That's an easy way to get in a serving of green stuff. When dining out, you should order sandwiches with tomatoes, lettuce or sprouts. If you're baking, you can sneak in vegetables and never even realize it. If you're making a sauce or a soup, you can load up on vegetables. Cook up a batch of stew, and lay on the vegetables.

Try putting peanut butter on celery, something which is also a great snack for the kids. Offer a variety of foods to those picky kids who change their mind every day about what they like to eat. They are always told to eat their veggies in order to get a sweet treat, but this technique doesn't do anything to make veggies more appealing. It would be interesting to see what would happen if we tried the opposite approach.

How about some broccoli after that chocolate cake? Fruit and vegetable juices are another delicious and refreshing way to meet your goal of five servings a day. But, the drawback to juices is that they are not a good source of fiber. Kids can fill up on juice and then not eat their food. Juices are also packed full of calories.

There are numerous benefits to your health when you eat the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables. It's getting harder and harder to pretend you don't know about them. If you eat more veggies and fruit, you reduce your risk of contracting about fourteen different types of cancer. You're that much healthier than folks who only get one or two servings a day. Fruits and vegetables also help in the reduction of risks of adult blindness, strokes, and heart attacks.

Even though we are well aware of these facts, we continue to find reasons why we can't eat our fruits and vegetables. People love to cry that fruits and veggies are costly. Some people whine that they're too busy to slice up healthy foods to eat. Yet, they're not too busy to wait in the drive thru line for the heart attack in a bag. Letting a piece of fruit or a vegetable get too ripe is another way some excuse themselves from eating more produce.

Low Carb Diets Recipes - How to Prepare Quick Low Carb Recipes

If you fancy low carb diets recipes, try any of the following treats:

• Get a pound of eggplant and chop into desirable portions. Add a small zucchini (chopped as well). Have three (3) cloves of garlic and an onion ready. Of course, stock up on salt and pepper to taste. Roast all these ingredients for about 400 degrees for half an hour. Add nuts, yogurt and dill weed to for that irresistible, aromatic flavor.
• Have your favorite yogurt ready in a blender. Add some almond milk and also some protein powder. A cup of oats will also be desirable. Blend all the ingredients to the consistency you like. Drink your way to good health.
• Stir fry mushroom, spinach and broccoli. Add some tomatoes for a bit of interesting contrast. Prepare yourself some omelette with perhaps 2 pieces of egg. This will keep you full for hours on end.
• Over a fire and on a grill, take a slab of your favorite meat and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon. Cook until grill marks are fairly visible on both sides.

There are other quick low carb diets recipes out there. What is important is that you must be consistent. You need to have a well thought-out plan that will allow you to integrate the recipes into your lifestyle. While there may be other plans out there that promise quick results, only a low-carb diet will help you keep your newly improved body. Eating healthy is a conscious effort and requires your full attention for it to enjoy long-time success. Try to convince your family and friends to switch as well; this way, you can have the support you need.

Take note that when you choose low carb diets recipes, you are embracing a whole new way of healthy eating. The key to success is easy. Just remember to cut back on carbohydrates and increase your protein and fat food choices. The body can only take so much carbohydrates and the rest just add inches to your waist. Good luck on eating healthier, looking younger, and feeling so much better!

Low Calorie-Substitutions to Make Those Fat Recipes Into Skinny Recipes

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D-I-E-T is a 4-letter word that so many of us wish didn't have to exist. But, since it is a necessary part of life, regardless of your metabolic make up, it would really be convenient to know what to substitute when cooking or preparing foods that will make them more wholesome with fewer calories, less sugar and more fiber. Diet is not only defined as that "thing" that you must endure in order to lose weight, but as your daily intake of foods, which if done in moderation and with a few simple substitutions can make either your maintenance of, or your achievement of your weight loss goals a reality.

The goal here is to lower your fat, sugar and salt intake while also lowering your calories and increasing your fiber, without sacrificing taste, which so many diet foods lack.

The following ingredients or foods are things you can either consume in place of or utilize in recipes as a substitution for the "fatter" alternative:
All-purpose flour-Whole-wheat flour. In baked goods you can substitute half of the flour with whole-wheat flour. You might want to use whole-wheat pastry flour in cakes and muffins as it is less dense and will produce a 'lighter' product. Bacon-Canadian Bacon, Turkey Bacon, Smoked Turkey or lean Proscuitto Butter, Shortening or Oil-Use Applesauce or Prune Puree for half of the butter, shortening or oil that is called for in a recipe. Oil is not an adequate substitution for butter or shortening though. If using it to prevent sticking, use a cooking spray and/or a non-stick pan instead Creamed Soups-Fat-Free Milk-Based Soups, Mashed Potato Flakes, Pureed Carrots, Potatoes or Tofu. Creamed soups are usually used as a thickening agent, so consider one of the substitutions, maybe adding a bit of low-fat, low-sodium liquid with the mashed potato flakes and adding fresh ingredients such as broccoli, chicken or cheese when those flavors are called for. Dry Bread Crumbs-Rolled Oats or crushed Bran Cereal. You can use these substitutions measure for measure. Eggs-Two Egg-whites per egg or 1/4 cup egg substitute for one whole egg. Enriched Pasta-Whole-wheat Pasta Evaporated Milk-Evaporated Skim Milk Fruit-Flavored Yogurt-Plain Yogurt with Fresh Fruit Slices. Cream Cheese-Low-Fat or Fat-Free Cream Cheese; Low-Fat Cottage Cheese or Neufchatel pureed until smooth. Sour Cream-Low-Fat or Fat-Free Sour Cream or Plain Yogurt. Ground Beef-Ground Chicken, Ground Turkey or Extra Lean or Lean Ground Beef. Main Ingredient Meat-Three times as many vegetables as what meat is called for can be used on pizzas or in casseroles, stews and soups. Margarine in Baked Goods-Butter Spreads or Shortenings that are Trans Fat-Free and formulated especially for baking or you can also experiment with the same substitutions used for Butter above. Oil-Based Marinades-Wine, Fruit Juice, Balsamic Vinegar or Fat-Free Broth. Garlic, Celery or Onion Salts-Garlic Powder, Celery Seed, Onion Powder or Finely Chopped Garlic, Celery or Onions. Soy Sauce-Hot Mustard Sauce, Low-Sodium Soy Sauce or Sweet-and-Sour Sauce.

Further options are to always opt for the low-sodium or reduced sodium versions of your favorites and stop cooking with additional salt, especially if it is an "option" in a recipe. The taste difference is negligible when compared to the health benefits. Sea salt is also an option as it has less sodium, but you need the iodine in salt to some degree in your diet. You can use sea salt in a grinder on your table and iodized sea salt in your cooking if you wish. You can also easily cut calories and fat by using low-fat, reduced-fat or fat-free dairy products and whole-wheat to replace plain old white bread. Rice is also a preferred option to pasta and can fill out or extend a recipe, but use wild rice, brown rice, bulgur rice or pearl barley instead.

Now, isn't that easy? These are the most common "healthier" substitutions, but any time you are looking to cut fat, calories, sugar or salt, look closely at your recipe first and then think what you may be able to substitute instead. You may just like the new recipe much better and your family doesn't even have to know.

Tina loves cooking for her husband and to make her recipes even more tasty and healthy she grows her own vegetables. She has many fall vegetables which she can fertilize with jobes fertilizer spikes.

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