How 5 STYLECASTER Staffers Use Avocado in the Kitchen

byHannah Hickok Jul 20, 2016 at 4:00 pm EDT

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Photo: Tom Medvedich / Styled by Nicole Heffron

Ah, avocado: Such a perfect fruit (that looks and acts like a veggie). There’s a reason people have devoted large chunks of time to creating every possible variety of avocado toast. The perfect addition to everything from fish tacos and smoothies to omelets, avocado mellows out other, bigger flavors, and adds creamy texture to whatever it tops.

MORE: 30 Simple, No-Sweat Summer Appetizers

Like most busy, working humans, our editors are serious fans of anything that allows us to look better, eat healthier, and be generally happier without expending too much time or energy. These five easy, tasty recipes make it easy to work nutrient-rich avocado into your regular meal rotation.

MORE: 25 Green Smoothies to Make All Season Long

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"I always dream of these fish tacos laden with avocado that I used to order all the time when I lived in Santa Fe from this amazing New Mexican restaurant called La Choza. Since I'm 2,000 miles from there now, I found this recipe from Hello Fresh that tastes very similar. This serves four." –Bibi Deitz, news editor

Ingredients

2 shallots

½ oz cilantro

2 grapefruits

8 oz shredded red cabbage

2 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

12 tortillas

2 avocados

24 oz tilapia

2 tsp cumin

Instructions

Prep the ingredients: Wash and dry all produce. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Halve, peel, and thinly slice the shallot. Pick the leaves from the cilantro, then roughly chop the stems, keeping both separate.

Segment the grapefruit: Using a small paring knife, remove and discard the grapefruit peel and pith, cutting carefully around the flesh. Working over a large bowl, carefully slice between the membranes to release the grapefruit segments. Squeeze the inner core of the fruit to collect any remaining juice. Set the segments aside, leaving the juice in the bowl.

Make the cabbage slaw: Toss the cabbage into the bowl along with the cilantro stems, shallot, half the grapefruit segments, and a drizzle of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Wrap the tortillas in foil and place them in the oven to warm. Halve, pit, and peel the avocado, then thinly slice. Toss half of the avocado slices into the cabbage slaw.

Cook the tilapia: Heat a large drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Pat dry the tilapia with a paper towel. Slice it into 1-inch wide sticks. Season liberally with salt, pepper, and cumin. Add the tilapia to the pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden brown and opaque in the center.

Assemble the tacos: Place a piece of tilapia and some cabbage slaw in each tortilla. Top with a piece of avocado, a grapefruit segment, and some cilantro leaves. Serve the extra cabbage slaw on the side.

"I recently made this marinated kale, avocado, and chicken salad for dinner and was impressed with how easy and clean it is. It’s from one of my favorite food blogs, Pinch of Yum, which calls for a sun-dried tomato sauce, but I skip that and prefer to make it with just some olive oil, salt and pepper, lemon, and a pinch of turmeric. Maybe a splash of soy-free, low-glycemic garlic flavored coconut aminos if I'm feeling wild. " –Perrie Samotin, editorial director

"People are very particular about their guac—see: the New York Times pea fiasco of 2015—but I think I’ve landed on a recipe that’s a solid crowd-pleaser: spicy but not set-your-mouth-on-fire hot; simple, but not just straight-up mashed avocados.

The only real variables are the cilantro, which I pile into the guac if I’m eating alone, but cut down on if I’m around people who don’t love it—so selfless, I know—and tomatoes, which I’ll throw in if I have on hand or if I’m trying to make the whole thing look a little bit prettier, but which aren’t totally mandatory." –Hilary George-Parkin, fashion editor

Ingredients

2 ripe avocados

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves

1 minced jalapeño pepper (seeds and ribs removed)

2 tablespoons diced white onion

1 diced, seeded plum tomato

1 lime, juiced

Salt to taste

Instructions: Peel, core, and mash your avos. Add in the rest, mix, and eat!

"We go through at least one avocado every week in our household and put it in everything from chicken tacos to grilled cheese—it’s never not on our grocery list. Where it really shines, though, is in this Slow Cooker Cuban Braised Beef and Peppers recipe, which is hearty, satisfying, and so easy to make.

You literally dump a bunch of ingredients in the Crock-Pot and get a pretty convincing ropa vieja. The sliced avocado topping really brings the dish to life, serving as a mellow, creamy contrast to the acidic tomato base." –Cristina Velocci, managing editor

"These Mexicali stuffed sweet potatoes are one of my go-to dinners. A lot of recipes will tell you to bake the sweet potato for 45 minutes to an hour—this is utter nonsense. Who has time for that? Just pierce the potatoes with a fork and pop them in the microwave with a damp paper towel for 10 to 15 minutes. While that's happening you can chop your veggies and toppings. It's so easy, you can't mess it up.

The linked recipe includes a tahini dressing, but I don't even go that far. It doesn't need it—Sriracha is the only 'dressing' you need. We occasionally make Mexican seasoned turkey as well and add it as a base layer—still lean and healthy!" –Candace Napier, designer

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