- healthy fat used to scare me!
- give this avocado-prawn cocktail recipe a whirl!
- healthy fat helps you unlock your HAPPY weight
When one of my clients asked me:
How do I add more healthy fat to my diet?
The first thing that came to mind was this Avocado Prawn Cocktail:
It’s a recipe I would’ve been too scared to eat when I was 30 pounds overweight…
But I eat it all the time now.
In fact, it’s a recipe that helped me unlock my H 🙂 PPY weight 23+ years ago.
Which is why I have it in my recipe book called: What the F do I eat?
Easy way to add more healthy fat to your meals
What the F do I eat? is a hard copy book with over 75+ recipes… that’s shipped straight to your front door as a gift 🎁 when you join my group program, also called: What the F do I eat?
(A question I had for the 10 years I was dieting; a question that came from a pretty painful place.)
Inside there’s 75+ recipes, that Alex and I cook ALL. THE. TIME.
Details coming soon about the next run of my program.
Adding more healthy fat to your diet helps you lose weight!
More on how healthy fat helps you lose weight in a mo ↓↓↓
I’d never heard of this avocado starter, that can also be part of a ROUGHLY balanced meal made MOSTLY of whole foods, until I met my partner Alex.
Or as I like to write, because I’m so busy… “Lx”.
Ummm, that’s also why I wrote “mo” above…
When we first met 23+ years ago (the same time I stopped dieting!) Lx’s mum, Carole, would make this avocado recipe full of healthy fat, whenever we drove up to Essex from London to visit.
Yum!
Now Lx makes it all the time.
It’s the perfect mix of:
easy
fancy
& delicious!
But I was curious if it’s a chi-chi recipe that Carole keeps in her back pocket OR if every chick in the UK is whipping it up like it ain’t no thang.
So last week when we were chit-chatting over Zoom, I asked her about it.
History of this hors d’oeuvre full of healthy fat
“Did that recipe with an avocado filled with prawns originate in England?”
I asked.
“I mean, is it, like, a typical British dish?”
Carole’s answer was that she wasn’t sure… but it was all the rage in the ’70’s because that’s when avocado’s first became readily available in England.
Prior, it was a logistical nightmare to transport avocados around the world because, like, you know…. avocados were predominantly grown in Mexico.
(When people say “Logistical Nightmare”… I’m always like: Ohhhh… this person totally knows their stuff!)
And there were no warehouses or temperature control cooling chambers to prevent the avocados from ripening too early on the long journey to Europe.
Soon prawn cocktail, a healthy fat, served in an avocado became popular
And because when British people do things, they do them very, very well, someone actually designed a dish SPECIFICALLY for avocados.
Here’s a pic of Alex’s parent’s super-retro avocado dishes:
Here’s proof they’re from the ’70’s:
I mean… 80’s.
And a photo of Alex’s parents from around that time:
How super cute is that photo?
Even to this day Neil & Carole dress up on Saturday Nights and have a special dinner together… a tradition Alex and I are carrying on.
Oh, and here’s a photo of an Avocado Prawn Cocktail in their avocado boat dishes that they made last week, especially for you:
Alex’s dad, Neil, is the mastermind behind the tomato roses.
A signature garnish he’s been doing for years.
He just calls them “tomato roses”.
But EVERYBODY should have a signature garnish.
And boast about it!
Like instead of asking someone you’re meeting for the first time at a dinner party:
“What’s your favorite song?”
CORNER them as they exit the loo and ask in a very loud voice:
Don’t be afraid to add more healthy fat to your diet
Just before I share this healthy fat recipe that helps you lose weight, I wanted to tell you…
The first few times Carole served this starter I asked her to keep the sauce off my prawns.
Now I didn’t say it roughly… like “Keep your dog off my lawn!”
I just awkwardly asked her if mine could be served bare.
I think I said something like:
“Um, I was just wondering
if it would be ok
if you didn’t put the sauce on my prawns?”
Ugh! I still talk like that.
…So Carole would kindly keep some prawns, baby shrimp… whatever you call them in your neck of the woods, off to the side to fill my avocado.
Then I’d take a few bites.
And stealthily slide the rest to Lx, who happily finished it. (One of the perks of dating me at the time.)
A few visits later I started accepting the sauce… but still did the slide after a few bites.
Eventually I got more confident about adding healthy fat to my diet
And I ate the entire Avocado Prawn Boat!
Plus signature garnish.
And to my surprise:
My pants still fit in the morning.
That’s when I learned:
Adding more healthy fat to your diet is part of a ROUGHLY balanced meal made MOSTLY of whole food that unlocks your H 🙂 PPY weight naturally.
(Healthy fat also improves brain function.)
Now you might be wondering:
What the heck is healthy fat?
Healthy fat is any fat that’s from a natural source. Aka: whole foods.
Like an egg yolk.
(For years I threw them away.)
Or salmon.
Full-fat milk.
And of course, avocados!
Ok, so one more thing before we look at this healthy fat Avocado Boat recipe:
How to add healthy fat to your breakfast and lunch
While we’re talking avocados…
Here’s an easy avocado wrap you can make on the run:
Just slice one avocado and wrap:
You can have it just like that as you run out the door.
Or you can throw your avocado wrap in a panini press while you layer-on a second coat of mascara to create the illusion of a thick lash.
(I’d also add a piece of fruit, like an orange or an apple PLUS a full-fat latte to make this meal ROUGHLY balanced so you meet all your body’s needs… which helps you unlock your HAPPY weight.)
And finally…
Here’s the avocado recipe to help you add more healthy fat to your diet
Fantastic for a dinner party or Friday Night with your family, try this elegant healthy fat fan favorite:
Avocado Prawn Cocktail in 5 steps
~ recipe for two ~
(1/2 an avocado each as an hors d’oeuvres)
INGREDIENTS:
1 ripe avocado
1/2 bag (200 grams) of baby shrimp or a vegan alternative like baby tomatoes
scoop of mayonnaise (probably 2-3 tbsp)
dash of ketchup, salsa, sriracha, paprika or any hot sauce to taste
pinch of Malden sea salt
a few cracks of pepper
some veg on the side
& your SIGNATURE GARNISH
There’s also vegan mayo:
How do I add more healthy fat to my diet? – STEP 1
Wash and cut ripe avocado in half.
Please note:
If you’re making this recipe ahead of time you can cut avocados at the very end so they don’t brown.
Quick tip to know if this healthy fat is ripe and ready
When you give an avocado a gentle squeeze, you’ll feel that it has a little “give”. That’s when you know it’s ready to eat. Most grocery stores have avocados in various stages of readiness. (Wow, that sounded really recipe-booky.) Generally the skin’s a bit darker (kinda like how a banana skin turns brown as the fruit ripens). And you’ll find that assessing the ripeness of an avocado gets easier and easier. You can actually get really good at it. And become a bit of a pro.
TIP:
We usually buy a bag of avocados, keep a few on the counter and the rest in the fridge. Then you can keep a steady supply chain of ready-to-eat avocados.
Here’s two avocados:
Which avocado do you think is ready to eat?
If you said the one on the right, you’re right.
How do I add more healthy fat to my diet? – STEP 2
Take prawns (aka baby shrimp) out of the freezer:
And put them in a bowl of cold water to defrost:
If you’re going for vegan, wash & slice baby tomatoes in half instead.
How do I add more healthy fat to my diet? – STEP 3
Whilst prawns defrost make the shrimp cocktail sauce by mixing:
- mayo
- ketchup, salsa, sriracha, paprika or any hot sauce
- pinch of salt
- and little bit of pepper
How do I add more healthy fat to my diet? – STEP 4
When shrimp have defrosted rinse and put on kitchen roll to pat dry (so the dressing will stick):
And stir-in cocktail sauce:
Then return to the fridge until you’re ready to serve so the prawns are nice and chilled.
How do I add more healthy fat to my diet? – STEP 5
Assemble!
Spoon prawns onto avocados and crack a little pepper on top.
Sprinkle with paprika and put cilantro, baby tomatoes, cucumber… or whatever else you like on the side.
How do I add more healthy fat to my diet? – BONUS Step
Slap on some red lipstick, straighten your Cath Kidston apron—mine was rescued from the garbage, and still has that “brand-new” fold down the center:
And serve this easy, fancy, delicious dish… like it ain’t no thang.
When people Ohhhh and Ahhhh, say:
“It took just minutes to make!”
Alternative names for this healthy fat avocado dish
If you really want to throw in a wrench and make this recipe seem more complicated than it is, Gwyneth Paltrow styles, you can rename your Avocado Prawn Boat using one of these alternative names for avocados:
Alligator Pear
Rename: Alligator Pear Surprise
(Personally I don’t eat anything that includes the word surprise in the name. )
Aristocrat of Salad Fruits
Rename: Aristocrat of Salad Fruits Cocktail
That’s how the California Avocado Society referred to avocados in Vogue & The New Yorker interviews around 1920, in a bid to heighten the avocado’s air of superiority. (It worked!)
Avo
Rename: Avo-P-Cocktail
If you’re super busy like me—too busy to say the full 4 syllable: a-vo-ca-do… just say “Avo”. Then you can get 4 times as much done.
Two ways to eat this healthy fat filled with protein
As an hors d’oeurve:
Or part of a ROUGHLY balanced meal made MOSTLY of whole foods:
Slip the above hors d’oeurve into the empty space on the plate below ↓↓↓
(Just double the recipe, so everyone gets 2 stuffed avocados.)
Here’s that delicious French Fry recipe. We eat them at least once a week! They’re also super easy.
Fascinating Avo-stats to share with your friends
When you’re done talking about what the hell is going on in the bonkers reboot of And Just Like That starring SJP.
If we can take a minute here, one of the things that’s really bugging me about And Just Like That is the poor parenting. Like if your kid announces at their They Mitzvah that they aren’t going ahead with the ceremony, don’t offer them an Apple watch, ok? Like that’s just rewarding bad behavior.
Ok… I feel better.
Back to regular programing:
Little known avocado stats that celebrate this healthy fat
- Avocados are berries (once people hear this fascinating reveal they’ll wonder what else you know)
- July 13th is National Avocado Day (I call it Avo Day b/c as previously stated, I’m very busy)
- More than 47 million kilos of avocados are made into guac on Super Bowl Sunday
- “Avocado Hand” is a recognized medical term b/c so many people cut themselves while cutting an avo
- Due to the rise in Avocado-popularity, avos are found on, well, EVERYTHING:
That’s a beautiful, double-sided MOLLY & REX bag ↑↑↑ printed with glittery avocados that we found in the garbage with the price tag ($4.99) and clear hook from the shop still on it:
PLEASE NOTE:
Plastic glitter takes 100’s of years to decompose and because of it’s tiny size, it ends up in the ocean and IN fish. Say no to glitter!! Or buy eco-friendly shiney stuff.
Having a 70’s theme night full of healthy fat food?
Kick off your party with some Chirpy Cheep Cheep:
A few Christmaseszses ago (I always have trouble figuring out how to pluralize a word that already ends in “s”) Neil & Carole put a bunch of Alex’s baby pics to music from the ’70s’ and Chirpy Cheep Cheep was one of them. I never heard this song before!
I love this song!
It has that ear worm in it that gets you hooked.
And, it’s full of (good) surprises.
Just like your easy, fancy & delicious new way to add more healthy fat to your diet so your meals are ROUGHLY balanced.
Want more examples of meals and snacks that add healthy fat to your diet?
Grab my ONE DAY Meal Plan by clicking here.
Ummm…
So this (and 100 other photos) didn’t make the cut for this healthy fat recipe blog post:
But what I’d like to know, is what is Rocky thinking ↑↑↑
(That poor guy, who we started fostering on Valentine’s Day ❤️ when he was 8 years old <Rocky turns 16 in March!> gets toted around town and has to sit through ridiculous amateur photo shoots like this every week. His ears are so cute!)
Final thoughts on healthy fat
In case you skimmed this post… This Avocado Prawn Cocktail recipe that I would have been scared to eat when I was 30 pounds overweight but eat all the time now… and 75+ more recipes (yay! we just added a whole bunch more!) are in my hard-copy book that you get shipped straight to your front door (FREE) when you join my group course. Details about the start date coming soon!
PS Do you have any garments or other items with avos on them? Or avocados with stick legs and faces?
More importantly, what I really want to know, is:
DO YOU HAVE A SIGNATURE GARNISH?
Let me know in the comments below!
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Sharing what I learned makes the 10 years I STRUGGLED worth it
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