Indulge in a meal with healthy avocado’s

What does indulgence mean to you? It could just be a secret treat that turns blah days into a blissful haze, rolled eyes into contented sighs, the mundane into the magical.

Life just seems more beautiful, bright and breezy when there’s a spot of indulgence involved.

Science tells us that spoiling ourselves and indulging in self-care can improve moods, reduce stress and boost self-esteem. It helps us prioritise our well-being, recharge our batteries, and potentially even become more productive and focused. It could even help us reframe healthy behaviours.

Treats do not all need to be unhealthy. One medium avocado contains 13 g of healthy monounsaturated fatty acids. Foods higher in good fats may lower the risk of depression, anxiety and other mental disorders.

The good fats found in avo’s facilitate thought-processing, hormone-production and stress-reduction mechanisms within the brain. They also contain essential fatty acids and nutrients, like lutein and fiber, which are essential to brain cognition and sound mental health.

Both green-skinned and dark-skinned avocado’s are equally nutritious as they are high in heart-healthy fats, vitamin K and biotin, and free from cholesterol and sodium. Avo’s can also form part of a successful energy-controlled diet for weight management, and they support overall health and wellbeing.

There are a gazillion ways to immerse yourself in the joys of avo’s: for breakfast, lunch or supper; as toppings, stuffings or dips; warm, cold or frozen; mashed, diced or sliced; as a snack, a side or the main event.

Baked Chicken Curry with Avo Crema

Serves 6

Preparation time: 25 minutes + marinating

Cooking time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

FOR THE MARINADE

• Juice of ½ lemon + extra
• 250 ml (1 cup) plain yoghurt
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) mild curry powder
• 50 g melted butter
• 5 cm piece ginger, finely grated
• 10 chicken thighs and drumsticks
• Salt and pepper

FOR THE SAUCE

• Avocado or olive oil for cooking
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) butter
• 3 cm piece ginger, finely grated
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) mild curry powder
• 10 ml (2 tsp) ground cumin
• 10 ml (2 tsp) paprika
• 50 g sachet tomato paste
• 410 g tin chopped tomatoes
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) sugar
• 250 ml (1 cup) cream

FOR THE AVO CREMA

• 60 ml (¼ cup) plain yoghurt
• 1 avocado, chopped

TO SERVE

• 1 avocado, chopped
• Handful coriander, chopped
• Basmati rice

Method:

1. For the marinade, combine all the ingredients and mix through the chicken in an oven proof dish (in a single layer). Season with salt and pepper. Marinate for at least 3 hours or preferably overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Bake the chicken, covered, for 1 hour.
3. For the sauce, heat a splash of oil and the butter in a large oven proof frying pan. Fry the ginger, garlic, curry powder, cumin and paprika for 1 minute until fragrant.
4. Add the tomato paste, tomatoes and sugar and cook for 5 minutes. Stir through the cream. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Remove the chicken from the oven and add directly to the hot sauce (discard marinade). Cover and bake for 1 hour or until tender.
6. For the avo crema, blitz together the yoghurt and avocado until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
7. To serve, combine the avocado with a squeeze of extra lemon juice and coriander. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with the curry, rice and avo crema.

For further information and avo recipes, visit www.avocado.co.za.

Recipe by the The South African Avocado Growers’ Association.