creating healthy habits: avocado pasta

CREATING HEALTHY HABITS: AVOCADO PASTA
Lately in cooking class, I have been into helping the kiddos create recipes using familiar ingredients.  It’s fun to use ingredients that they have used recently to create one kind of recipe - to then turn around and use the same ingredient to create a completely different recipe. It’s a great way to expand their palate and to expose them to a variety of foods while keeping the familiarity of an ingredient they already feel comfortable with.

Last week we created a sweet dish with a secret ingredient, Chocolate Banana and AVOCADO pudding.  The avocado was “secret” because you could not taste in mixed in with the other more sweet ingredients.  

This week we expanded on that secret ingredient by using avocados to create a pasta dish.  The children were not only excited about using an ingredient they were familiar with but they were also excited about a kitchen tool we used the previous week - the blender!! Not only did this recipe model how the same ingredient can be part of two completely different dishes but it showed the children how kitchen tools, like a blender, can be used and are an important part of making a variety of meals.

This recipe turned out great! The kids loved it and I can’t wait to expand on this dish with my own family at home. Using avocado not only added essential omega 3 oils to the recipe but created a creamy sauce without any cream, dairy or butter.

There were lots of requests to send this recipe home to mom and dad - so give it a try!! Feel free to make this recipe your own by experimenting with different types of noodles, adding different vegetables and/or protein.  I think this dish would be awesome with shrimp or chicken!!

AVOCADO PASTA

INGREDIENTS:
-5 oz whole grain spaghetti noodles, cooked according to directions
-1 ripe avocado
-1/2 c olive oil
-2 tsp garlic salt
-1 tsp pepper
-1/4 lemon juice
-1 can corn: drained
-1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

WHAT TO DO:

• After cooking pasta, set off to the side.
• Half avocado, remove pit and scoop out the insides.  Put them into blender or food processor.
• Add olive oil and spices. Squeeze in lemon juice.
• Blend until smooth.  Add more oil if needed.
• Time to prepare pasta! Add corn and tomatoes. Toss.
• Pour in avocado sauce.  Toss until coated.
• Serve right away or refrigerate.  Tastes good served as both a warm and cold pasta dish!!