Peruvian Stuffed Avocados
Alisa Fleming ~ Technically, avocado season should be winding down, but those green gems seem to be out in record numbers right now and with great sales to boot! To take advantage or this late season harvest, and imported varieties such as Peruvian avocados that will be available through the fall, I wanted to share this delicious and healthy stuffed avocado recipe.
In the past, avocados have had an unjust bad rap as a fatty food. In reality, avocados are rich in monounsaturated fat, which have been linked to improved blood cholesterol levels, and may even benefit insulin levels and assist with blood sugar control. To note, the extra-virgin olive oil in this stuffed avocado recipe adds an extra dose of those healthy monounsaturated fats.
Beyond the healthy fats, avocados are also a great source of fiber, folate, vitamin K, potassium, and have recently been recognized as an excellent source of carotenoid antioxidants (yes, carotenoids aren’t just for orange foods!). Their awesome profile has earned avocados high ranking status as an anti-inflammatory food. Couple that with the quinoa, sweet potatoes (yams), and other nutrient-dense ingredients in this stuffed avocado recipe, and you have one downright healthy meal that’s even naturally vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and allergy-friendly!
This recipe is from the Peruvian Avocado Board. Visit avocadosfromperu.com for more avocado recipes.
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup quinoa
- 1/4 cup fresh corn kernels
- 1/4 cup diced tomato
- 1/4 cup cooked, diced sweet potatoes or yams
- 3 tablespoons minced red onion
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 teaspoon sugar (or sweetener of choice)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 jalapeño pepper, stemmed and seeded
- 2 ripe avocados
- Fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan.
- Rinse quinoa in a fine mesh sieve and add to pot.
- Cook, covered, over low heat for 12 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork and transfer to a medium bowl.
- Add corn, tomato, yams and onion to bowl and mix well.
- Puree all dressing ingredients in a small food processor or blender and stir into salad.
- Cover and chill for at least 1 hour.
- Cut avocados in half and remove pits.
- Place avocado halves on 4 small plates and top with quinoa salad.
- Garnish with cilantro leaves.
Notes
Note that I’ve added 1 hour to the total time for chilling.
http://www.godairyfree.org/recipes/peruvian-vegetarian-stuffed-avocado
Tagged egg--free, food allergy-friendly, gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, vegetarian
4 Comments
Leave a reply
HannahSeptember 26, 2012 at 9:58 am
I’ve seen plenty of stuffed avocados, but never before have they looked so enticing! Quinoa salad is such a fantastic way to turn this somewhat decadent snack into a well-balanced meal option.
Sara SawochkaSeptember 26, 2012 at 10:03 am
Thanks for posting this wonderful article!
Alyssa | Queen of QuinoaSeptember 27, 2012 at 5:03 am
Alisa, I absolutely LOVE this recipe!! Using quinoa as a stuffing is one of my favorite ways to eat this yummy faux grain, but stuffing it in avocados? Haven’t even thought of that! Genius
JoanneOctober 2, 2012 at 5:07 am
I am a BIG fan of using avocadoes to get some healthy fat into my life! Loving this stuffing…the perfect meal!