Oct. 17, 2001 – On some islands, an avocado is known as a "pear" due to its shape, or "butter" because of its rich, creamy taste. In the Virgin Islands, this oblong green fruit is renowned as delicious and enjoyed in numerous ways.
Native to the tropics, the avocado comes in many varieties, its skin ranging from thick to thin, its outer color from green to purplish black, its contour from round to pear-shape. No matter what the outside looks like, its flesh is usually pale yellow-green. Its weight at maturity can range from as little as 3 ounces to as much as 4 pounds.
When an avocado is ripe, the flesh is soft and has a nut-like flavor. Nutritionally, the fruit is high in fat — but it is the heart-healthy unsaturated form of fat. Half of an 8-ounce avocado contains 140 calories plus a fair amount of vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin, potassium and dietary fiber.
Like many other fruits, avocados ripen best after being picked. When shopping for avocados, look for those that are unblemished and relatively heavy for their size. To hasten the ripening process of green avocados, place several of them in a paper bag and set it out at room temperature for two to three days. Ripe avocados can be stored in the refrigerator for several days.
Once the fruit is cut open and the flesh is exposed to the air, it tends to discolor quickly to a brownish-black green. To minimize this effect, as soon as you cut the avocado into slices, rub them with lemon or lime juice.
Avocados are widely used in the United States as veggie salad makings and for guacamole, but in other places they are used in popular desserts such as avocado cheesecake, pudding and ice cream. One of the simplest and most delicious ways to serve this fruit is as a salad "boat." After slicing an avocado in half lengthwise and removing the pit, use the hollow from the pit as a holder for meat, poultry or seafood salads. Shrimp salad-stuffed avocado is one of my family's favorites.
Caribbean Shrimp and Avocado Salad
8 oz. frozen small shrimp, cooked
1/2 onion, chopped fine
1 green bell pepper, chopped fine
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Dash hot pepper sauce
2 avocados, cut in half lengthwise with pits removed
Leaf lettuce leaves
Combine shrimp, onion, green pepper, lime juice, garlic, parsley, oil, vinegar, salt, black pepper and hot pepper sauce in a mixing bowl. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate overnight. When ready to serve, line four salad plates with leaf lettuce. Place one avocado half on each plate. Fill avocado halves with equal amounts of shrimp salad.
Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 310 calories, 21 gms fat (58 percent fat calories), 111 mg cholesterol, 140 mg sodium.
