I think that it’s fair to say that I am a bit of an Avo-holic! I include this buttery little fruit in my diet in some form or another at least four times a week. I spend most of my life on diet, paying for my Italian food sins. I gym every day and watch what I eat like a hawk! I am short and prone to spreading sideways like most Italian Mammas. My mind registers avocado as being ‘luxurious’ without tipping the calorie scale. A slice of rye toast topped with 100g avocado is only 229 calories whereas 100g of low
fat cream cheese is 229 calories ….. It’s a no brainer!
TrickyRicky, on the other hand, mashes his avocado up with a spoonful of brown sugar just like we used to eat them as children plucked straight from the Avo tree in our back gardens! I make a beautiful lemon and cayenne pepper avocado dressing when my lunchtime salad needs a little ‘gucci-fying!
This little ‘avocado espresso’ is a little more on the naughtier side of life and is definitely a dish to serve as an entrée or an amuse bouche at a dinner party or luncheon. I have kept the avocado as the ‘star’ of the dish and resisted the temptation to add too many ingredients. But, avocado is the supermodel of the fruit family – for she can put on literally any old dress and rock the catwalk!
Avocado Porcini & Lime Espresso’s
Avocado Porcini & Lime Espresso
Ingredients
2 avocados
500ml fresh cream
1 cup of grated parmesan cheese
3Tbs dried porcini mushrooms
6Tbs fresh lime juice – 2 limes should do it
1 clove of garlic
Salt (I used my home made truffle and porcini salt) and pepper
150ml chopped fresh basil
Lime slices for garnish
sprigs of parsley for garnish
Truffle oil for garnish
1tsp finely chopped dried porcini for garnishing
Method
Place the cream into a saucepan together with the dried porcini mushrooms, garlic and a few sprigs of fresh basil.
Heat the cream until just below boiling point and allow the flavours of the mushrooms, basil and garlic infuse into the cream for about 20 minutes. Keep tasting the cream until you get a good mushroom flavour going.
Sieve out the mushrooms, garlic and basil and return the cream to the pan on a moderate heat and add the parmesan cheese.
Using a whisk stir gently until the cheese has melted but do not allow the cream to boil.
The parmesan cheese is quite salty so you must taste before adding salt and pepper.
Squeeze the juice out of the two limes – this should yield 6 to 8 Tbs of juice.
Cut the avocados in half and scoop the flesh into your liquidizer. Add the lime juice, fresh basil and the flavoured cream and blitz until perfectly smooth. If you feel that the soup is too thick just add a little milk to loosen it up a bit.
Taste and season well with salt and pepper and pour into cups and serve garnished with a slice of lime, a sprig of parsley and one drop of truffle oil.
It’s quick and easy and bursting full of flavour. You can serve it hot or cold with some grissini to dip in it.
As always
Buon Appetito
Xxx
Jan
