Courtney’s top 5 avocado tips

Avocados must be one of the most convenient snacks available: you can simply cut in half, drizzle with balsamic and olive oil, or lemon juice, and scoop it out straight from the skin. 

If you want to try something more adventurous, here are 5 top tips from Coles ambassador Courtney Roulston – plus her favourite avocado flavour matches. 

Avocado hummus

Blend 2 large ripe avocados with a 400g can of drained chickpeas, 1/3 cup of the chickpea water, 1 tbs tahini paste, 1/3 cup of lemon juice, a clove of garlic, a pinch of salt, 1 tsp of ground cumin, ¼ bunch of fresh coriander and ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil for a deliciously creamy avocado hummus. 

Dairy-free ice-cream

Blend the flesh of 2 large, ripe avocados, with 2 frozen bananas (chopped), 2-3 tbs lime juice, 300ml of coconut cream and 1/3 cup of maple syrup. Freeze in a covered loaf pan for 6 hours before serving.

Green mayonnaise

Blitz 1 large ripe avocado with 3 tbs of apple cider vinegar, 1 heaped tsp of Dijon mustard, a pinch of sea salt, ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil and 1 tbs maple syrup for smooth, green vegan mayonnaise.

Plant alternative to butter

Use avocado in pastry as a plant alternative to butter. Simply mix 180g of avocado flesh, 2 tbs olive oil, a pinch of sea salt and 3-4 tbs chilled water into 400g self-raising flour to form a smooth dough. Rest for 30 minutes, then roll out to use in sweet or savoury tart recipes. 

Chocolate mousse

Make an addictive avocado chocolate mousse by blitzing the flesh of 3 large ripe avocadoes, 8 chopped medjool dates, 1/3 cup cacao powder, 125ml coconut cream, 1/3 cup of maple syrup, 1 tsp vanilla bean paste and a pinch of sea salt until rich and smooth. Top with fresh berries, toasted coconut or chopped nuts. 

Perfect flavour matches

• Lemon/lime juice or anything acidic like vinegar 
• Soy sauce or anything with a salty edge 
• Chocolate or cacao – avocado can be used as a plant alternative to butter in many desserts
• Chilli, whether in the form of a hot sauce or chilli oil, or fresh chopped jalapeno
• Fresh herbs such as coriander, dill, mint, tarragon and parsley. 

Tips: Slicing avo for a salad? Drizzle the slices with a little lime or lemon juice – this stops them turning brown.
If your avo is too soft for salad, mash or puree it with a little lemon pepper seasoning instead. Serve it as a sauce with the rissoles.

For more avocado ideas, see here.