Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Salad smoothie with avocado and wasabi

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Don't eat salad for lunch - drink it instead!

Disclosure: The California Avocado Commission invited me as a guest for the trip described in this post. No other money changed hands. All opinions and any factual errors are my own. 

When I work at home, I try to eat salad for lunch. I have no excuse: access to the sink, a choice of dressings and toppings, pick of the vegetable drawer.

I just didn't feel like a salad yesterday, but my guilt got the better of me. I took all the salad fixings I could find (not much, as I hadn't been shopping in a few days) and threw them in the blender. I don't like sweet smoothies much, so I've been working on savory smoothies. Lettuce, endive, avocado, lime - a good start. It needed a little something, so I put in a dab of prepared wasabi left over from our last sushi-at-home party. The result: a creamy, savory, guilt-free smoothie with a kick.

Avocados are a way of life here in southern California. I went with the California Avocado Commission and a group of food bloggers down to Temecula a few weeks ago to visit West Pak, one of the largest avocado handling, packing and distribution facilities in southern California. Lots of humans are involved in the picking, sorting and packing of avocados. (Scroll down past the smoothie recipe for photos from West Pak and lunch at Fairfield Farms, an avocado ranch in the hills of Pauma Valley.)



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Salad smoothie with avocado and wasabi
If you don't feel like eating your salad, try drinking it instead. Avocado makes this savory smoothie creamy and rich; wasabi gives it a little sinus-clearing kick.
Ingredients
  • 4 cups romaine lettuce, washed and torn into pieces
  • 1 ripe avocado
  • 1 head endive (optional, or add equivalent amount of another green)
  • 1 lime (cut away skin and use flesh, not just juice)
  • 2 cups ice cubes
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp prepared wasabi (Japanese horseradish)
Instructions
Put the lettuce, avocado flesh, endive (or other green), lime, ice, water, salt and wasabi in a blender and process until very smooth. Serve immediately.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 2 servings

West Pak avocados ready for the truck
Watchful eyes pull damaged and blemished avocados off the packing line
These avocados don't look quite as good, but they're fine on the inside - they get sold to restaurants
Rachael Hutchings of La Fuji Mama, angelic in hairnet and safety vest
Gaby Dalkin of What's Gaby Cooking rocks the hairnet too!

Greg Henry of Sippity Sup at Fairfield Farms, the home and ranch of growers Carol and Bill Steed
Lunch at Fairfield Farms, clockwise from left: Salmon with corn-avocado relish, quinoa salad with avocado, watermelon avocado salad, green salad with oranges and avocado
Avocado vanilla bean frozen yogurt with berries
Gaby tries her hand at harvesting avocados - it's harder than it looks

8 comments:

Sippity Sup said...

Thanks for reminding me what a great meal that was. GREG

Cathy @ She Paused 4 Thought said...

As soon as my avocados are ripe, I am trying this one. Very intriguing.

Liz the Chef said...

What a terrific event - and I love your smoothie...

Shawn @ I Wash...You Dry said...

Looks like you guys had a great time! Not going to lie...I like my smoothies on the sweet side...but I might give this one a try!

Lisa said...

No FAIR! Us Canadians don't get fresh avocados as a way of life!!!! Love the post, love the blog, loved meeting you on the weekend.

Anonymous said...

The characters on Mad Men might have a stroke at this version of drinking your lunch, but I like it. I'm not usually a salad fan when they require forks and have been happily sipping mine since your green kale smoothie breakfast post.

Cookin' Canuck said...

I have yet to make an avocado smoothie and really need to remedy that! I’d love for you to share this recipe (and your Tostadas w/Avocado Creme…and...well,you get the picture) in the avocado link-up/giveaway that I’m hosting with Kristen of Dine & Dish right now. http://bit.ly/NKF4rk

Erika Kerekes said...

@Canuck - I saw your post about the avocado link-up this morning and it's on my to-do list for tonight! Be forewarned...I have a LOT of avocado recipes... :)

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