Don't Hate Me Because I am Good for You

Don’t Hate Me Because I’m Good For You (aka The Real No-Guilt Chocolate Pudding)

I guess that belies my age. Although I have never seen the commercial, I must confess I’ve seen enough Steven Segal movies to know who Kelly LeBrock is. Blame it on the fact that I grew up with my brothers and cousins whom together added up 10 boys. Yep, Steven Segal and Jean Claude Van Damme. Why I’m even admitting this in public, I don’t know. I should be talking about the Coen Brothers and write some witty metaphor from The Big Lebowski relevant to this post.
ANYWAY. I digress.
In my journey to applying the 90/10 (okay 80/20) rule to my food ethic – that is, 90% good for you and 10%…not so much – I’m always on a quest to find dessert holy grails. Hence, my love for Love Street Living Foods Chocolate Spread and recipes such as the one below. If I’m going to indulge in dessert, it better be good. Medjool dates, by themselves, no matter how exponentially sweet are not going to cut it when I want something velvety, chocolatey and rich.
I have been getting into the habit of refusing to tell people what’s in something until they try it. Avocadoes in my chocolate pudding??? Um, no thank you. If you grew up in the Philippines or Latin America, avocado used in desserts is not an alien concept. I grew up on cubed and mashed avocado swimming in sugary icy milk for dessert. But here, avocado is a savory. For example, a search for “avocado” on epicurious.com yields over a thousand results, only two of which are desserts!

Now this is the time to expand your avocado palette and have it for dessert. Once you cross this line, the possibilities are endless – avocado ice cream, mousse, icing…I’m serious.
Whipped, blended avocado is velvety and gives you the “fat” you need to feel satiated. Yes, you need fat to feel like you got your money’s worth. And here’s another surprise – FAT IS GOOD. YOU NEED FAT. EAT SOME FAT. IT’S GOOD FOR YOU. There I said it.
The right fat. I will talk MORE about this later on but a good rule of thumb is — If it is solid at room temperature, avoid it or eat very, very little of it (coconut oil while solid at room temp in this hemisphere is not solid in its native environment). If it comes in a container with a label that starts with a C and ends with O, run away from it. Run very far.
Avocadoes are one of the good guys.
“The delicious healthy monounsaturated fat in the avocado is one of its biggest SuperFood health claims. The only other fruit with a comparable amount of monounsaturated fat is the olive. The monounsaturated fat in avocados is oleic acid, which may help lower cholesterol. One study found that after seven days on a diet that included avocados, there were significant decreases in both total and LDL cholesterol as well as an 11 percent increase in the “good” HDL cholesterol. Half a California avocado has a really excellent overall nutrient profile. At 145 calories it contains approximately 2 grams of protein, 6 grams of fiber, and 13 grams of fat, most of which (8.5 grams) is monounsaturated fat. Avocados are also rich in magnesium. Magnesium is an essential nutrient for healthy bones, the cardiovascular system (particularly in the regulation of blood pressure and cardiac rhythms), prevention of migraines, and prevention of type II diabetes. Ounce for ounce, avocados provide more magnesium than the twenty most commonly eaten fruits, with the banana, kiwi, and strawberry in second, third, and fourth place, respectively.”
This is why avocadoes are always in my grocery list. Now couple that with raw cacao powder. That’s a whole other polemic.
CHOCOLATE PUDDING
3 avocadoes, cubed (ripe, not overripe, and just out of the fridge)
½ c. maple syrup, honey or agave
½ cup raw cocoa powder
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 tsps. vanilla extract
pinch of salt
water to desired consistency
Blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Add water one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency. Chill for a bit or eat right away!
(I guess I should also tell you how many people this recipe serves, but that depends on who’s eating it)