Avocados!
Stuffed Bagel
Avocados have long been a favorite food of mine; they are delicious, nutritious, and versatile. Summer is the perfect time to enjoy avocados when they are fresh and in season, picked to ripen quickly. A native of Mexico, avocados have traveled the world, and are now grown in a wide variety of tropical and sub-tropical climates from India, to Spain, to Ecuador, and Indonesia.
A great summer treat, avocados can be used in many ways – stuffed with seafood or chicken salad, added to soups, wraps, and tacos, and yes made into guacamole, the perfect zesty and creamy dip.
The traditional Cuban salad is made with onions and tomatoes, cut in half and sliced thin, which are then layered with proportionally cut avocado slices, drizzled with a little olive oil, vinegar, and salt to taste. It is a simple salad which can be prepared ahead of time or at the last minute, and goes perfectly with almost anything from grilled meats to rice and beans.
However, if you are looking for a quick, easy, and no stove or food processor required avocado recipe, try adding a little cream cheese to that traditional Cuban salad for a fast, cool, and on the go sandwich.
Ingredients:
1 bagel per person, sliced in half and toasted
2 tablespoons of cream cheese
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
1 medium tomato, sliced thinly and lightly salted
½ avocado per person, thinly sliced, sprinkled with lemon juice and salt
Directions:
Toast the bagels until they are firm, while they are still warm, spread cream cheese on each side of bagel, and then press the onion into the cream cheese, add tomato and avocados slices, top and cut in half. You will be surprised by how utterly delicious and satisfying this sandwich is; add a few sliced oranges to the plate and you have the ideal lunch for a hot day!
You can also substitute multi-gran bread for the bagel, or add greens with spinach, watercress, or lettuce; and smoked salmon or lean ham for a little extra protein.
Point of Interest: The Hass avocado, which is familiar to most Americans for its’ small size, and dark textured skin, are native to La Habra Heights, California. In 1926, a mailman from La Habra, Rudolph Hass, purchased an avocado seed, of unknown origin, from A.R. Rideout, of neighboring Whittier, California. Mr. Hass planted the seed, along with two others, to see which of three would produce the strongest seedling. That seedling became the first tree patented in the United States, in 1935.
Today, eighty percent of all avocados grown in the United States are Hass, and all come from seeds or grafts from the original tree, which stood until 2002.
