Avocado Facts!

 Although they’re often referred to as a vegetable, avocados are technically a fruit — they’re a single-seed berry that grows on a tree!

The color of an avocado’s skin isn’t the best way to determine ripeness. Hold the avocado in the palm of your hand and give it a gentle squeeze instead; ripe avocado will be firm, but will yield slightly to gentle pressure.

You can ripen avocados by placing them in a plain brown paper bag and storing them at room temperature. Adding an apple or banana to the bag will speed the ripening process.

Better than a multi-vitamin? One ounce of avocado (about one fifth of a medium avocado) has nearly 20 different vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients.

Use avocados in place of butter when you’re baking; they’ll help keep baked goods moister for a longer period of time.

Avocados make a healthy alternative to creamy frozen pudding pops. Just mix avocado with lime juice and honey to taste and then blend the avocado mixture into twice as much milk before freezing in Popsicle molds.

Recipes!

Spinach and Potato Frittata

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 small red potatoes, sliced

1 cup torn fresh spinach

2 tablespoons sliced green onions

1 teaspoon crushed garlic

salt and pepper to taste

6 eggs

1/3 cup milk

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Place potatoes in the skillet, cover, and cook about 10 minutes, until tender but firm. Mix in spinach, green onions, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking 1 to 2 minutes, until spinach is wilted.

In a medium bowl, beat together eggs and milk. Pour into the skillet over the vegetables. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 5 to 7 minutes, or until eggs are firm.

Aloo Phujia

This simple Indian recipe is a great way to add some kick to your potatoes

1 onion, chopped

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 pound potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric or curry powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

2 tomatoes, chopped

Lightly brown onion in oil in a medium size skillet.

Stir in salt, cayenne, turmeric and cumin. Add potatoes and cook 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

Add tomatoes, cover pan and cook until potatoes are soft, about 10 minutes

The Halton Fresh Food Box is a not for profit corporation which works to provide equitable  access to healthy, predominately  locally grown, fresh fruit and vegetables for the residents of  Halton region.