An Avo Recipe- but not as you know it!!

Avocado.
You either love it or you hate it.

It's one of those dividing foods.

Like mushrooms.

Or oysters.

Vegemite.

Beetroot.

Coriander

Or, even, can't-even-believe-some-people-hate-this!, peanut butter.

Now I most definitely fell into the category of more-hate-than-love when it came to avo's as a kid growing up but, as with most things in life, this was probably a direct link to my upbringing. Avocados just aren't something we ate in my household, so on the odd occasion I did consume the miraculously creamy, delicious, satisfying stone fruit, my childish tastebuds immediately rejected the strange flavour and texture;

'like, if you're a stone fruit, why are you not sweet?'

Cutting into an avo and finding this sight of perfection... happy happy days :)

Thankfully, my tastebuds decided to grow up a little bit and I also started eating avocados on the slightly more regular side and one day, I happily ate a cube of raw chopped avocado and found myself sighing with happiness.

Yep, I was now an avo lover!

Which brings me to the topic of this post (yeah, I know, we got there in the end ok!?) a delightfully delicious creamy baked avocado recipe... like you've never seen before!

Behold my friends the mountainous bowl of veggie-filled creamy cheese-y avocado bake; Steph-style!
Avocado Veg Bake:
Ingredients:
2 cups raw veg, chopped into similar sizes (the veg I chose to steam for this included pumpkin, parsnip, swede, potato and beetroot)
1/2 green beans (I just used frozen green beans)
1/2 cup peas
1 handful spinach
2 heaped tablespoons homes
1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
1/2 an avocado

Method:
1. pre-heat oven to 180 degrees celsius and lightly grease a loaf/bake tin with oil/ baking paper
2.Steam raw veggies until tender (add in peas and beans for last two mins of steaming)
3. Place the steamed veg, beans, peas and spinach in a mixing bowl
4. Mash/stir together the homes, nutritional yeast and avocado until smooth and creamy
5. Stir in the avocado/hommus cream sauce to the veggies until evenly coated
6. Transfer to greased/lined tin and bake in oven for 20-30 mins until slightly golden on top and heated through
7. Cool slightly and then enjoy!!!

Avo veg bake post-baking ^
Close-up:

Friends, I cannot express to you enough how much you need this dish in your life right now. Avocado was one thing that took me a while to get my head around. The prospect of cooking avocado took another good amount of time for me to come to terms with, but seriously- it brings out that avocado-y flavour sooooo much more! It's utterly epic!

And that combo of the warm, tender, sweet veg with that cheese-y, creamy sauce that thickens whilst cooking in the oven- it is the ultimate comfort food that still results in eating the rainbow and being completely satisfied with a nourishing and tasty meal!

Warm, nourishing, comforting, sweet, creamy, rich- I don't think I'd run out of describing words for this meal for a very long time because it literally had it all!

So, get to it guys; eat those avos and if you're keen; bake them up and enjoy that intensified, awesome avo flavour that a little heat brings to the magical food!

Your turn:
Are you an avo lover/ hater?
Fav way to use/ eat avocado? I'm quite the fan of whizzing frozen avo up into my smoothies to get that super creamy thick-shake consistency!
Baked avo- yay/ nay?

I hope you all have a truly splendid rest of your day, look after your body, be kind to others, smile lots and as always; EAT SOMETHING DELICIOUS!! Bye for now friendly friends!! :D