I love avocados. I love them on sandwiches, I love them in salads (green or grain), I love them as soup toppers, I love them in sushi. Sliced avocado seems to make just about anything better, and guacamole... well. That just goes without saying. And while I don't typically use avocados in dessert or sweet-themed recipes, the salad pictured at left, Avocado and Mango with Yogurt, Honey and Lime, is definitely tempting me.

The trouble with avocados, though, is timing. If you've ever wanted last-minute fresh avocado, you know what I mean. They're a lot less desirable when everyone who visited the grocery store that week has already squeezed them to test for ripeness. So what I try to do is pick up a green avocado or two just about every time I'm buying groceries, so there's always a steady stream of ripening avocados in my kitchen.

I think one of my favourite avocado recipes, which isn't really one at all as I modified it to add the avocado, is a quinoa corn salad from the Rebar Cookbook. I don't have it on hand, but I believe the ingredients include cooked quinoa, corn kernels, chopped bell peppers, chives and green onion and a dressing of lime and lemon juice—plus I mix in a chopped avocado. It's a great summer side dish.

Here are a few more of our best healthy avocado recipes for you to try:

• Avocado and Chicken Club Sandwich
• Avocado and Shrimp Cups
• Broiled Salmon with Avocado-Mango Salsa
• Smoked Trout and Pasta Salad
• Avocado Carpaccio with Wild Blueberry Cottage Cheese Mix

How do you like to serve avocados?

Image courtesy California Avocado Commission

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