When it comes to superfoods, avocados are near the top. They’re great for weight loss, healthy for your heart, and loaded with more nutrients than you can count. And, a bonus for avocados is that they’re super adaptable for recipes and super easy to work into your diet. There’s avocado oil, avocado mayonnaise, and even avocado ice cream.

Today, we’re covering three recipes that include the green berries. (Seriously, avocados are berries!) Just one tip before we move on to them: Making these recipes will be infinitely easier if you pick a ripe avocado. There are a few easy ways to tell if an avocado is ripe.

  • The outer skin should look dark green or even blackish. (The lighter the skin of the avocado, the further from ripe it is.)
  • It will also be soft when you gently squeeze it in your hand. (If the avocado is still rock hard when you squeeze it, it may still need a few days to ripen.)
  • If you peel away the stem at the top of the avocado, and the fruit is bright green, you’re good to go. (If it won’t pull away, it’s not ripe. If it pulls away and it’s brown, it’s too ripe.)

OK, now that you should be able to gather up some ripe avocados, let’s see what you can do with them!

Glorious Guacamole

Guacamole is the first thing many people think about when they think of avocados. It’s quite possibly the snack that introduced many Americans to avocados in the first place. Most store-bought guacamoles taste fine, but there’s a lot of wasted potential. This recipe is flavorful and simple.

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Glorious Guacamole Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 ripe avocado
  • 2 tsp of cumin
  • 1 tsp of garlic powder or 3 tsp of minced garlic
  • 1 tsp of onion power or 1/3 cup of diced onions
  • ½ tsp of cayenne pepper or 1 tbsp of diced red peppers
  • 2 tsp of lemon juice
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp of mayonnaise (optional)

Directions

  1. Peel the avocado and remove the pit.
  2. Scoop the fruit into a bowl.
  3. Add the cumin, garlic, onion, cayenne, salt, and pepper, using the fresh ingredients if you want a chunkier guac. If you want a smoother one, use the powders and mayo.
  4. Add the lemon juice, which keeps the avocado from turning brown too quickly.
  5. Mix all the ingredients until the guacamole is at your preferred texture.
  6. Serve!

Avocado Toast — Not Just for Instagrammers

Avocado toast has become a bit of a hot item to post about online, with the trend confusing people internationally and starting crime waves. Seriously, we may have a bit of an avocado problem. There’s a reason avocado toast remains so popular, though. It’s really tasty. While some people spread avocado on toast, we’re taking it up a level.

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5-Ingredient Avocado Toast Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 ripe avocado
  • 1 slice of bread
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tbsp of vinegar
  • salt to taste
  • sriracha (optional if you like spice)

Directions

  1. In a large saucepan, bring two inches of water and the two tbsp of vinegar to a boil.
  2. Lower the heat and bring the water to a gentle simmer.
  3. Crack one egg into a dish.
  4. Carefully slide the egg into the simmering water.
  5. Cook for roughly three minutes or until the egg whites become firm, but not hard. Do not stir the water, as this may break the egg.
  6. With a slotted spoon, lift the poached egg out of the water and place it on a paper towel to dry.
  7. Lightly toast the slice of bread.
  8. Peel the avocado by and remove the pit.
  9. Spread roughly half of the avocado on the toast. Store the other avocado half in the refrigerator.
  10. Place the poached egg on the avocado toast.
  11. Salt to taste and add sriracha (optional) before serving.
  12. Enjoy!

Double Up with the BALT Sandwich

The BLT is such a classic sandwich, so perfect in its simplicity that it’s very difficult to improve. Recently, we’ve found a way to do just that. Avocados blend in excellently with a mix that already seems like the perfect marriage of flavors. Who knew that avocados could be so flexible!

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BALT Sandwich

Ingredients

  • 1 ripe avocado
  • 3 tsp of avocado mayo
  • 2 slices of bread
  • 1 strip of bacon, halved
  • 1 fresh tomato
  • 2 to 4 leaves of lettuce, washed
  • 2 tsp of sriracha (optional)

Directions

  1. Lightly toast the bread.
  2. Cook the bacon in a hot skillet until right before it’s at your preferred crispness. (Remember, bacon continues to cook a little after you remove it from the heat.)
  3. Peel the avocado and remove its pit. Slice one half into long strips. Store the other half in the refrigerator.
  4. Wash, dry, and then slice the tomato.
  5. Spread the avocado mayo and sriracha on the toast.
  6. Place as many slices tomato and avocado and leaves of lettuce as you want, along with the bacon, on the toast.
  7. Enjoy!