Avocado Shake or Smoothie

One of my fondest memories of childhood was during the summer season in our little island called Marinduque when my mom, in the stifling heat, gave us cold refreshments to help us cool down. Often, it would be a fresh fruit shake in the form of mango, papaya, banana, guyabano, or avocado depending on whichever tropical fruit was in season.

But you may wonder --- avocado? Certainly, it's not fruit! Well, in the Philippines it is! When we think of avocado, we think of eating eat just like any ordinary fruit. We don't really use it as part of a savory dish; we just enjoy it on its own. When you get the ripest avocado, it is almost sweet though you don't expect it to be mango sweet, of course. In fact, for most of us, the way to eat avocado without much ado is to just to open it up - remove the pit,  sprinkle a little brown sugar on it and then scoop out the flesh with the spoon. Yum! When we are feeling more adventurous, we also squeeze a little juice from the local lime (calamansi) to give it some zing! Even better.

For me, apart from making guacamole, the best way to make use of avocado is to turn it into a yummy smoothie or shake. Avocado is just perfect for a shake for it naturally has a creamy texture. We don't call it a smoothie in the Philippines - with or without ice cream or milk - it is always considered a shake. I suggest the use of regular milk when making the shake instead of yogurt or ice cream 'cause it can get very thick. That shouldn't stop you from eating it with ice cream or making an avocado ice cream for that matter - perhaps I should make one soon!

So before the summer is over and when you get the craving to grab some avocados in the supermarket why not try to turn it into a yummy shake for a change. Trust me, once you've had it, you'll never see avocado the same way again.

Ingredients

2 Avocados (ripe)

2 cups crushed ice*

1 cup milk, plus more if needed (for Paleo sub with Almond or Coconut Milk)

Honey, Agave or Sugar (3-4 Tbsp if using brown sugar), to taste 

*You may or may not wish to include ice. Since Avocado smoothie/shake can be quite thick, in the Philippines we use some ice to dilute it a little plus it's a summer drink so it has to be cold.

Procedure

Place the crushed ice in a blender. Top it with the avocado.

Add the rest of the ingredients. Process until smooth and thick to your desired consistency. You may need to add more milk if you want just an easy pour kind of shake. I like mine a little thick and creamy.

If you are feeling rather indulgent, add some whipped cream and garnish it with a cherry on top!

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