It's hard for me to think of avocados without remembering the groves of avocado trees on Highway 41 in California. I have fond memories of drives over to Morro Bay as a kid, and without fail my mom would always point out the avocado trees as we drove past and wax rhapsodic about her love of that amazing, creamy fruit.
It was years before I really appreciated the avocado myself, but boy am I hooked! I love them. Remember that avocado salsa I made last month?
They're just phenomenal. Flavorful, creamy, easily adaptable- not to mention nutrient dense and filling. Personally, 1/2 of an avocado doctored up a little is a perfect filling snack or light lunch.
Needless to say, I was absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Avocados from Mexico this month as an Allrecipes Allstar!
I was challenged to come up with a recipe using avocado and immediately knew what I was going to do-
A couple of months ago, a fellow Allstar (knowing I'm a bit of a chicken salad connoisseur...) asked me to help her recreate a chicken salad she loves from a local restaurant.
I agreed- then promptly forgot (sorry Tina!). Oops!
It's hard to recreate something you've never tasted, so I'm not sure if I nailed it or not- what I do know is that this is an amazingly delicious salad I'll definitely be making again!
I didn't have a WHOLE lot to go on...I knew it was very finely chopped chicken, had avocado but no mayo, didn't contain fruit or nuts, and didn't have a Mexican vibe to it.
I started with chicken breast that my husband cooked on the grill last night. I marinated it in lime juice, olive oil, garlic powder, a little lemon pepper, a tiny bit of cumin, and black pepper. I'm sure any chicken breast would be wonderful, but I've got to say my husband's grilling skills are superb. :-)
I kept this salad VERY simple- a little sour cream, and just a touch of pepper, salt, garlic...I really wanted that creamy avocado flavor to come through and it TOTALLY did. I can see why the chicken is so fine- it helps to not compete with the avocado and turns out wonderfully. I may have come up with the recipe, but I have to give a big thanks to my friend Tina for asking for my help!
I served mine plain on whole wheat bread (and a low-carb tortilla wrap for me) but you could easily add tomato or lettuce to this- even try serving it on a croissant or in half of an avocado! Yum!
In addition to the AMAZING Creamy Avocado Chicken Salad, I discovered my new favorite lunch. So simple.
So delicious!
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| Click here for the recipe! |
Oh my word. First of all- click that link. Order their oil or vinegar. I didn't try a single variety I didn't love when I visited, and I tried a LOT of oils and vinegars when I visited!
My favorite is the Pear-Cranberry White Balsamic I bought while I was there. It's just so darn good!
My husband loves it in a simple vinaigrette salad dressing, but me...well, this hardly seems like a recipe.
Half of an avocado, sprinkled with a little salt and ground black pepper, then drizzled with just a touch of that white balsamic. I'm sure any white balsamic would be great, but that fruity flavor of the pear-cranberry is fantabulous!
I'm absolutely in love.
Last, but definitely not least in this bastion of avocado love is a recipe from Allrecips.com that I totally fell in love with too- Asparagus, Avocado, and Slow-Roasted Tomato Salad. Seriously, the name itself has me drooling. I did sub that amazing Pear-Cranberry White Balsamic for the sherry vinegar and omit the thyme, but other than that I stuck to the recipe and loved the outcome!
I know I'm not the only avocado lover out there, and with warmer weather practically begging or light, fresh recipes these are absolutely perfect!
2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1 ripe avocado, sliced
1/2 C sour cream
1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp lime juice
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp salt
1. Pulse chicken breasts in food processor until finely chopped. Add all remaining ingredients and process on low until fully combined and almost puréed.
Disclaimer
I am an Allrecipes Allstar Brand Ambassador (a voluntary position) and I’m not compensated for my work with Allrecipes.com.
Products received from advertiser are only used for experienced-based reviews on Sunny Days With My Loves. The reviews, content and opinions expressed in this blog are purely the sole opinions of Nora.
Nora, these look DELICIOUS!! I am dying to try them now...
ReplyDeleteDo it! They're SO GOOD! :-) I just polished off the leftovers...
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