Today is National Avocado Day and we’re making these recipes to celebrate

Today is National Avocado Day and we plan to celebrate it in style (just as every modern avocado-loving Irish person should). Here are three tasty and easy avocado recipes from the IMAGE.ie archives to indulge in this evening.

Little Green Spoon’s Egg & Avocado Cucumber Rolls

These rolls are refreshing, delicious and packed full of healthy fats and protein. They’re pretty and party-sized; ideal for dinner parties and celebrations. You can make the egg filling ahead of time, but the cucumber is best served rolled at the last minute. This recipe is gluten free, dairy free and suitable for the paleo diet.

Makes: 10

Ingredients:
4 Eggs
1-2 Cucumbers
1 Ripe Avocado
1 Handful of Chives
Coarse Salt & Pepper

Step 1: Boil your eggs for 8-9 minutes. While they’re boiling, finely chop the chives and remove the avocados from their skin. Peel the eggs and add them to a large bowl with the avocado, chives and a good pinch of coarse salt and pepper.
Step 2: Use a fork and knife to chop and press everything together. You should have quite a mushy mixture.
Step 3: Use a mandolin or wide vegetable peeler to peel thin strips of cucumber. You’ll need two strips per roll.
Step 4: Layer two pieces of cucumber on top of each other and spread a heaped tablespoon of the egg mixture thinly over the cucumber. Roll the cucumber tightly into itself. Garnish with a little more chive, salt and pepper and serve straight away.

Indy Power at thelittlegreenspoon.com and on Instagram @thelittlegreenspoon

Little Green Spoon’s Halloumi, Avocado & Lime Salad

Indy Power from The Little Green Spoon says, “Anything with halloumi and you can count me in, but this, in particular, is such a dreamy salad. Creamy avocado, crispy halloumi and crunchy toasted seeds; all drizzled with a lime vinaigrette. Not only do I love how this salad tastes, but it looks so bright and beautiful – a feast for the eyes and the taste buds!”

Serves 4

Ingredients:
100g of Halloumi
75g of Greens (Lambs Lettuce, Baby Spinach etc)
25g of Beet Shoots or Sprouts
1 Avocado

For the dressing:
Juice of 1 Lime
1 Tablespoon of Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
1 Clove of Garlic, Minced

Step 1: Slice the halloumi into thin strips. Add it to a pan on medium-high heat and let it cook for a few minutes on each side until speckled golden. While the halloumi is cooking, plate your greens and sprouts.
Step 2: When the halloumi is done, set it aside and add the seeds to the pan. Let them cook for a few minutes until tasted and plump.
Step 3: Slice the avocado and add it to the greens with the halloumi. Combine all of the dressing ingredients and whisk well. Drizzle the dressing over everything and sprinkle with the toasted seeds.

Indy Power at thelittlegreenspoon.com and on Instagram @thelittlegreenspoon

Barbecued Carrots with Citrus & Avocado

This dish is inspired by a roasted carrot salad at ABC Kitchen in New York. It has a bit of everything: earthiness from the carrots, cool creaminess from the avocado, a nutty crunch from the seeds, and a lovely sweetness from the grilled citrus dressing. If you don’t feel like getting all of the seeds, just bump up the amount of the ones you are using.

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp sunflower seeds, roasted, unsalted
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds, roasted, unsalted
80g pistachios, shelled, roasted, unsalted
Sea salt
450g carrots
120g extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp pimento or smoked paprika
1 navel orange
1 lemon
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Freshly ground pepper
40g rocket
2 avocados, peeled and cut into 8 wedges each

Step 1: In a clean, dry skillet over medium heat, toast all seeds and nuts one kind at a time. Beginning with the sesame seeds, add the seeds to the skillet and stir often until they begin to smell nutty and turn golden. (Watch carefully; they go from golden to burnt in a blink). Transfer seeds to a medium bowl and repeat the process with the sunflower seeds, then follow with the pumpkin seeds, adding each to the bowl with the sesame seeds. Finally, toast the pistachios. When they begin to smell fragrant and turn brown in spots, move them to a cutting board and coarsely chop them or place them in a zip-top bag and crush them lightly. Add them to the bowl with all of the other seeds and a big pinch of salt. Set aside.

Step 2: Peel the carrots. If your carrots are small, leave them whole. If they’re larger than 2 cm in diameter, cut them in half once crosswise and once lengthwise to make carrot sticks. Toss with 3 tbsp of olive oil and sprinkle generously with sea salt and pimento. Heat your barbecue to medium and cook until there are even grill marks and the carrots are softened but not at all mushy, 4-5 minutes per side. When the carrots are done, transfer them to a platter.

Step 3: While you’re grilling the carrots, cut the orange and lemon in half and add both to the barbecue, cut-side down. Cook until the fruit has softened and caramelised.

Step 4: When the citrus is done, remove from the barbecue. When cool enough to handle, squeeze the orange and lemon halves into a measuring cup until you have 120ml of juice. Whisk in the apple cider vinegar, – tsp of salt, freshly ground pepper, and 90 ml of olive oil.

Step 5: To assemble, toss rocket with a few tablespoons of dressing and lay on a platter. Add carrots, arrange the avocado slices around and over the carrots, and drizzle with more dressing. (You may not use it all.) Top with seeds and serve.

Note: The dressing keeps refrigerated for one week. Store any extra seed mix in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one month.

Extracted from Vegetables on Fire: 50 Vegetable-Centred Meals from the Grill by Brooke Lewy (Chronicle Books, approx €16)

More like this:

• Watch: Baby Eats Avocado For the First Time… Click here.
• What to Make: Cured Salmon with Avocado Salsa… Click here.

Photo: Pixabay.com