Avocado & Comice… a Great Pair of Pears

The Avocado and the Pear

Story time

Short and squat, Miss Comice Pear rolled into his office. “I want you to defend me,” she exclaimed, blushing a rosy red.

A desk plaque proclaimed the man she was addressing to be the Honorable V. H. Avocado, LL.M. “What is the charge?” the lawyer asked.

“They say I’m harboring a load of sugar. They accuse me of doing great harm. But it’s not true!” Comice was distraught.

“Calm down,” replied Mr. Avocado. He adjusted his dark green jacket over his rather-rounded middle. “Perhaps if you began from the beginning?”

“Dr. Aitkin was the first to accuse me. He got Dr. Dukan to testify, too. They say I hold too much sugar for a weight-loss diet.” Comice sighed. “Yes, I have some sugar. But it’s mine… naturally! And it adds just a few calories to those that come from my healthy fiber,  and don’t forget all those vitamins.” She smiled. “I do people lots of good.”

“Sounds to me like it’s a case of the good out-shining the bad.” Mr. Avocado nodded. “I’ll take your case. I think we’ll make a good pair!”

The Pretty Comice

Many juicy fruits make excellent choices in a balanced, healthy-eating program. These valuable additions to lean meat and dairy, good fats,  and low-starch veggies  give your meals variety.

Pears are particularly useful for their whole raft of phytonutrients. Phytonutrients work as  antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. Pears digest easily and most people are not allergic to them. Their fiber fights cancer (especially of the digestive tract),  diabetes, and heart disease. Dr. Moreno (who gave us the 17-day diet) allows two watery fruits a day on his healthy-eating program.

The Honorable Avocado

Why so honorable, you might ask? Isn’t he a little, well, too fatty to be good for our health? Well, no. The fats in avocado are of the good variety. Its main kind (oleic acid) protects heart health. It’s also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. These most desirable inflammation fighters are hard to come by, but they are plentiful in avocados and walnuts. They nourish the brain, too. Be sure to include these foods in your balanced diet.

The fats in avocado also feed our brains = an excellent food for kids

And surprise! Avocados are a source of complete protein. You get all 18 amino acids in avocado, a fact vegetarians pay attention to. That’s because most plants only contain some of the essential amino acids muscles need. So vegetarians usually have to mix and match to make sure they get all of them.

The recipe

Here is a totally delicious recipe that pairs an avocado pear with comice pears. You’re welcome! You’re also welcome to makes substitutions. The recipe contains the healthiest combination of foods I know. But if you don’t have one of the ingredients, make it with another. As long as it’s similar, you can’t go far wrong. If you prefer, add 1 teaspoon maple syrup instead of the stevia I recommend. It adds 10 calories per serving and 2 more grams of  sugar.

Important announcement

Leave the skin on the pear and scrape up and eat all the dark green flesh next to the skin of the avocado. That’s where more than 50% of the nutrients hang out.

Avocado stuffed with creamy pears and walnuts
Great for breakfast, lunch, or mid afternoon snack (serves two)

• 1 ripe avocado, halved
• 8 ounces low-fat cottage cheese
• 2 comice pears with skin, cored and chopped
• 2 tablespoons walnuts, chopped
• 1 small shake of stevia (equivalent to 1 teaspoon of sugar), optional

1. Cut the avocado in two, lengthwise, and throw away the seed. Leave the flesh in the skin and place each half on its own plate.
2. Combine the rest of the ingredients and mound half the cottage cheese mixture into each of the cavities of the two avocado halves. For a creamier version, blend the cottage cheese before mixing.
3. Serve with a small spoon to scoop out the avocado’s flesh and enjoy it with the sweet fruity nutty cheese mixture. Be sure to scrape the flesh right down to the skin, to scoop up all the precious nutrients. So good!

Note: For each of two servings: Calories (kcal) 338.2, Fat (g) 20.8 of which 3.3 g is saturated, Sodium (mg) 466.8, Potassium (mg) 715.6, Carbohydrate (g) 25.5 of which 9.7 g is fiber and 12.1 g is sugar, Protein (g) 17.4, Vitamin A (RAE) 20.4, Vitamin C (mg) 13.6, Calcium (mg) 95.6

On her way out the door, Comice Pear turns and asks,” What does the V. H. on your desk plaque stand for, anyway?”

Her attorney smiles. “Very Healthy, of course!”

The song

The Andrews Sisters recorded a catchy song to honor avocados. It came out in 1946 (an important year in Vinny’s family), but it’s still fun to listen to today. For a trip to the past, Play it now :).

Related

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• Something’s fishy… Boost heart-healthy omega-3 fats with fish. Make salmon two flavor-filled ways.
• Mmmm… I . love . turtles! Walnuts are a treasure chest for precious omega-3 fats. Use them with chocolate and dates to make a family favorite.
• Creamily-creamless-triple-chocolatey pudding loaded with omega-9 Make a chocolate pudding from avocado or use the mix to ice a cake deliciously!
• Avocado crostini – A gourmet’s delight!