AVOCADOS HELP TAKE
DEPRIVATION OUT OF DINING

A diet you can stick to is a diet you can lose weight on. No matter what plan you follow, if you feel hungry and dissatisfied, you are likely to lose interest before you lose all the weight you want.

Depriving yourself of the foods you love, feeling hungry and sitting down to boring meals all contribute to diet-dreariness. To the rescue: rich, luscious Hass avocados from Mexico, available in your local supermarkets until mid-May. Low in carbohydrates, these avocados provide the great taste and hunger-satisfying "good fats" that will help you stick to a weight-loss regimen.

Shrimp and Avocado Salad (pictured) , a delightful dish for brunch or a light dinner, turns avocado shells into attractive containers for the bright flavors of shrimp, mango, red onion, lime juice and jerk seasoning. Pair a filled avocado shell with an omelet or, if you like, have an extra guilt-free serving.

Whether you are dieting or not, Chicken and Avocado Tostadas make a delicious, quick-to-fix lunch or dinner. Eliminate the crisp tostada if you are low-carb’ing or low-cal’ing, and you have an equally tasty salad. With additional satisfaction coming from protein in the chicken, beans and queso fresco, this dish will never be mistaken for rabbit food.

If a quick-and-casual meal is what you are hungering for, then have Bunless Veggie Burgers with Avocado Topping. Store-bought vegetarian patties get the gourmet treatment with a delectable avocado topping. The carbs and calories are so low you can indulge in an extra burger if you so choose.

Avocados make such just-in-time-for-spring recipes taste like an indulgence, but this alluring fruit can actually help you stick to your healthy-eating program. In particular, it’s a low-carb dieter’s dream food: One fifth of an avocado, a typical serving, contains less than three grams of carbohydrate, and the mono- and poly-unsaturated “good” fats in avocados help fight off the hunger pangs that can doom a diet.

Hass avocados from Mexico have a pebbly skin that turns from dark green to almost black as the fruit ripens. Like many other subtropical fruits--including bananas, mangos and tomatoes--avocados are picked when fully mature but not completely ripe. Leave a firm avocado on your kitchen counter until it feels soft when pressed gently. At that point it is ripe, ready to eat and can be used within a day, or held in the refrigerator for an additional two or three days.

SHRIMP AND AVOCADO SALAD

2 ripe Mexican Hass avocados
8 ounces peeled, cooked small shrimp (about 1 cup)
1 cup diced pineapple or mango
2 tablespoons diced red onion
1/2 to 1 teaspoon jerk seasoning
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Cut avocado lengthwise around middle; twist to separate halves; remove pit by striking lightly with a knife blade, twisting and lifting out pit; scoop avocado from the shells with a spoon; dice avocado flesh; reserve shells. Reserve 4 shrimp for garnish; in a medium-sized bowl, combine the remaining shrimp with the pineapple, red onion, jerk seasoning and lime juice. Gently stir in avocado. Spoon mixture into shells, dividing evenly; garnish with the reserved shrimp.

YIELD: 4 portions

Photo # MA - 17

Photo # MA-17

With its bright tropical flavors, this Shrimp and Avocado Salad is a far cry from the ladies’ lunch specialty of years past. And it’s on the “yes” list for low cabers. Please credit Avocados From Mexico

CHICKEN AND AVOCADO TOSTADAS

1 ripe Mexican Hass avocado
2 tablespoons prepared oil and vinegar salad dressing
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
8 ounces diced cooked chicken (about 1-1/2 cups)
1-1/2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
1/4 cup thinly sliced radishes
2 teaspoons chopped green onion (scallion)
1 cup plain or spicy refried beans, slightly warm
1/4 cup crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese, divided
4 prepared corn tostada shells*

Cut avocado lengthwise around middle; twist to separate halves; remove pit by striking lightly with a knife blade, twisting and lifting out pit; scoop avocado from the shells with a spoon; dice. In a cup, whisk together prepared salad dressing and lime juice. In a medium-sized bowl, combine chicken, lettuce, radishes, green onion and salad dressing mixture. Spread 1/4 cup refried beans on each tostada; arrange 1 cup salad mixture on top; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon cheese; top with 1/4 sliced avocado.

YIELD: 4 portions

* Alternatively, brush corn tortillas on both sides with 1 teaspoon vegetable oil. Bake at 400°F until crisp, about 6 minutes.

Low-Carb Variation: Omit the tostada shells. In place of the refried beans, combine ½ cup black or pinto beans with the remaining ingredients.

Per portion: (Regular) 366 calories, 23 gm carbohydrate, 23 gm protein, 20 gm fat

(Low Carb) 276 calories, 10 gm carbohydrate, 21 gm protein, 17 gm fat

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BUNLESS VEGGIE BURGERS WITH AVOCADO TOPPING

1 ripe Mexican Hass avocado
1/2 cup diced cucumber
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon chopped green onion
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 frozen vegetable burgers (about 2.5 ounces each), cooked according to package directions
4 lettuce leaves
8 tomato slices
1/2 cup cucumber slices

Cut avocado lengthwise around middle; twist to separate halves; remove pit by striking lightly with a knife blade, twisting and lifting out pit; scoop out halves with a spoon and place in a medium-sized bowl; mash until creamy. Stir in cucumber, lemon juice, green onion and salt. Arrange a lettuce leaf on each of 4 plates. Place a vegetable burger on each leaf; top with tomato and cucumber slices, and 1/4 cup avocado mixture.

YIELD: 4 portions

Per portion: 227 calories, 13 gm carbohydrate, 19 gm protein, 12 gm fat

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HASS AVOCADOS FROM MEXICO: READY TO ENJOY

Avocados are native to Mexico. Centuries before the arrival of Cortez, the Aztecs and Mayans enjoyed the luscious blend that eventually gained worldwide fame as guacamole.

Today, Mexican soil, sun and rain continue to provide an ideal microclimate for the development of superlative Hass avocado flavor and texture. Bushy, evergreen and heavy with fruit, avocado trees cover acres of rich orchard land in the state of Michoacán, northwest of Mexico City, where growing conditions permit a four-season harvest.

Under strict standards set by the United States Department of Agriculture, Mexican avocados will be in supermarkets until May (including Cinco de Mayo). The fruits are grown only in certified orchards. After harvesting, they are covered with tarps, then moved quickly to scrupulously clean packing houses for grading and inspection by USDA agents. At their port of entry into the U.S., the avocados are inspected once again before transport to their destination by approved distributors.

Consumers and chefs are enjoying this year’s abundant crop of Mexican Hass avocados. Under the dark pebbly skin, the pale green flesh is creamy smooth and full of flavor. This nutrient-dense fruit helps meet our daily need for fiber, potassium, folic acid and other B-vitamins, as well as vitamin E. Their mono- and poly-unsaturated “good” fats are recommended as part of a heart-healthy diet. Avocados are also a favorite with dieters and diabetics who are limiting their carbohydrate intake.

An avocado that feels soft when pressed on the bottom with a thumb is ripe and ready for eating. Alternatively, ripen avocados for a few days on a kitchen counter (to speed up the process, place them in a paper bag).

It’s easy to enjoy a ripe avocado from Mexico. Sprinkle a pitted avocado half with lime juice and salt, and eat it spoonful by spoonful right out of the skin. You can also mash the avocado with a little prepared salsa to make a quick guacamole, and avocado slices will make any salad or sandwich taste better.