Avocado Chicken Salad Boats

Here at Health is Wealth Plus, I like to extol the versatility, flavour and health benefits of the avocado by highlighting it in recipes. This remarkable fruit has a rich but subtle taste due to its high fat content, and that fat content makes the avocado a sublime pairing to other foods, especially other fatty foods.

If you're concerned about the high fat content in avocados, you might be reassured to hear that 75% of it is monounsaturated and the avocado is very high in dietary fibre.  On a weight basis, avocados have 35% more potassium than bananas.  They have high amounts of folic acid and vitamin K.  There is some evidence they lower blood cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome.

So let's celebrate the glorious avocado with a fun new recipe, avocado chicken salad boats!







Ingredients:

• 1 ripe  avocado
• 2 small cooked chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup green onions
• 1 lime, juiced
• Cilantro leaves
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Directions:

• Cut avocado in half along its length and remove its pit
• Scoop out the flesh of the avocado taking care not to harm the shell
• Reserve the shells
• Take half of the scooped avocado and cut it into small cubes, set those cubes aside.
• Mash the remainder of the avocado in a bowl with a fork, mix in the cumin, garlic salt and cayenne pepper
• Cut the chicken into cubes, chop the green onions and cilantro finely
• Add the avocado cubes, chicken cubes, green onions and cilantro to the mash. 
• Add the lime juice and mix all the ingredients gently.
• Fill the reserved avocado bowls with chicken salad.
• Serve cold.

As a variation, consider this recipe on a sandwich of toasted bread.  Just try it!