The Goodness Of Avocado recipes: From pistachio and avocado ice cream to the best guacamole

Avocados are full of green goodness and their creamy rich texture is not easily substituted. Their endless versatility, along with its simplicity and nutritious values makes them one of the most attractive and sought after fruits of the moment.

Lucy Jessop’s book, published this week, aim to celebrate the deliciousness of the avocado and let its potential shine by turning decadent dishes into healthier alternatives. Her recipes are for everyday from weekday suppers to hearty salads and packed lunches to baked and sweet treats.

*Dairy-Free

Everything that’s great about sushi in a salad. It’s good for you, filling, fresh and bursting with flavour. I make this punchy dressing on a weekly basis! Swap the seared tuna for cooked prawns if you prefer. To make this gluten-free, use tamari instead of soy sauce. Vegetarians can serve this with panfried mushrooms or tofu instead of tuna.

Serves 2

For the avo wasabi dressing

½ small ripe avocado
½ teaspoon wasabi paste
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons yuzu (optional)
Sea salt and freshly
ground black pepper

For the salad

100g frozen edamame beans
250g cooked brown rice (or a mix of brown and wild rice)
100g sugarsnap peas, sliced
1 tablespoon pickled ginger, drained and shredded
½ small ripe avocado, sliced
75g radishes, finely sliced
4 spring onions, finely sliced
1 tablespoon each black and white sesame seeds
250g tuna steak
½ sheet of sushi nori, snipped into pieces (optional)

First make the dressing. Roughly chop the avocado flesh and add to a small foodprocessor with the remaining dressing ingredients. Whizz until smooth. Season to taste. Add 1 tablespoon of chilled water if the dressing needs loosening. For the salad, cook the edamame beans in boiling, salted water for 2 minutes then drain and refresh under cold water. Add the beans to a large bowl along with the rice, sliced sugar snaps, pickled ginger, sliced avocado, radishes and spring onions. Add the dressing and gently toss together.

Spread the sesame seeds out on a plate. Preheat a frying pan until hot. Press the tuna into the seeds and turn to coat evenly on both sides. Sear the tuna for 30 seconds–1 minute on each side (depending on how thick it is – you want it to be rare). Transfer to a board and thinly slice.

Divide the salad between two plates. Top with the sliced tuna. Sprinkle with any remaining seeds and Nori pieces, if using.

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*Vegetarian *Dairy-Free

As if guacamole needed any help on the health front. Yes, that’s right, it’s already good for you, but this version has added goodness from super nutritious kale, edamame and pumpkin seeds to make it a really healthy snack. Warning: fennel and chilli make these pittas dangerously moreish so you may need to operate some willpower. You can also make the pitta crisps with gluten-free pittas or serve with crudités.

Serves 4–6

For the fennel and chilli pitta crisps

3 wholemeal pitta breads
2 tablespoons olive oil
11/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus extra for the guacamole
A large pinch dried chilli flakes

For the guacamole

100g frozen edamame beans
75g kale
1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 ripe avocados
1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds, toasted (optional)

First make the pitta crisps. Preheat the oven to 200°C/ fan 180°C/gas mark 6. Cut the pittas in half horizontally, to make two thin layers from each one. Cut each of these into rough triangles. Spread out on two large baking trays and drizzle with the oil. Toss to coat. Crush the fennel seeds with the sea salt and chilli flakes and sprinkle evenly over the pitta triangles. Bake for about 8 minutes or until crisp.

For the guacamole, put the edamame and kale in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside for 3 minutes, then drain and run under the cold tap. Drain thoroughly, then transfer to a food-processor to roughly chop, or do this by hand.

Put the garlic, lemon juice and zest into a bowl. Roughly chop the avocado flesh, mash with a fork, then add this to the bowl along with the kale and edamame (or add this to food-processor and pulse briefly to combine). Add a generous pinch of salt, to taste, and mix well. Sprinkle with toasted pumpkin seeds before serving with the pitta crisps.

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*Vegetarian *Dairy-Free *Gluten-Free

Avocado lends itself perfectly to this twist on the Italian favourite. Its vibrant green colour goes hand in hand with the pistachio’s natural hue and provides creaminess and richness without the need for dairy or eggs.

Serves 8–10. Makes 850ml

400ml can full-fat coconut milk
100g golden caster sugar
150g shelled pistachio kernels
1 medium ripe avocado (about 160g)
Sea salt

Place the coconut milk and sugar in a saucepan. Heat very gently over a low heat until the sugar dissolves – don’t allow to boil. Remove from the heat. Leave to cool, then refrigerate for at least an hour until cold. When the coconut mixture is completely chilled, add the pistachios to a food-processor and grind to a powder. Next, add the avocado flesh, then add the coconut mixture and a pinch of salt and blend until smooth. Taste and add a little more salt, if needed.

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Transfer to an ice cream maker and churn for 30–40 minutes until very thick, then transfer to a freezer proof container (about 1 litre) and freeze for at least 4 hours, or until ready to use. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, transfer the mixture to a freezer proof container and freeze for at least 8 hours, whisking every 30 minutes until solid. If you have leftover ripe avocado, there's no need to throw it in the compost; you can freeze it. The texture of the thawed avocado won't be nice in salads, but is perfect for whizzing into smoothies and dressings or smashing into guacamole.

The Goodness of Avocado: 40 Delicious Health-Boosting Recipes. By Lucy Jessop, published by Kyle Books. Photography by Clare Winfield