Avocado Two Ways

Somehow Gwenyth Paltrow cornerstoned avocado toast a few years back with her cookbook...and when I saw it, I laughed and laughed. I stood there in some bookstore, flipping through her book when I stumbled across "avocado toast," a recipe that smashes avocados and spreads them onto toasted bread.

Yes people, you heard me. She built an entire fucking recipe around something everybody knows how to do.  So I thought I'd rectify the food world with some really delicious renditions of avocado that do not involve spreading it onto toast (c'mon people, it's toast).

Avocado Smoothie:
1/4 ripe avocado, seeded, peeled and diced
1 Tbsp.minced ginger
1/2 cup frozen mango cubes
1/3 cup plain, nonfat yogurt
1 Tbsp.lemon juice
As needed
Cayenne pepper, to taste
1 cup water
1 cup ice cubes

Just lend it together.


Avocado Noodle Salad:

• 1 (8.8-oz.) package thin rice noodles (I like Thai Kitchen brand)
• Peanut Sauce (see make-ahead recipe below)
• 12 oz. steamed, chilled shrimp, deveined and shelled
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks
• 1 cucumber, peeled, seeds removed and cut into matchsticks
• 1 red bell pepper, seeds and membranes removed, and cut into matchsticks
• 2 ripe Fresh California Avocados, seeded, peeled and cut into slices
• 1 small bunch fresh basil (about .5 oz.), cut into chiffonade (thin ribbons)
• 4 sprigs fresh mint (about .25 oz.), leaves removed and roughly chopped

Directions

1. Make the noodles according to the package directions, then drain them thoroughly. Put the drained noodles in a bowl of cold water to chill for about 5 minutes while you prep the other ingredients.
2. Drain the noodles and toss with 1 cup of the peanut sauce and set them aside while you finish prepping the other ingredients.
3. Toss the noodles with the shrimp, carrot, cucumber and red bell pepper.
4. Divide the noodles between 4 shallow bowls or plates, then top each with equal amounts of avocado slices.
5. Drizzle each serving of noodles with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the remaining peanut sauce, then sprinkle with the fresh basil and mint.
6. Serve immediately.