Think of your favourite dish. Got it? Okay, now add avocado.

Voila! You have a winner.

Let’s be real, avocado goes with just about any meal – which is why nature’s spread has taken the world by storm.

You see, avocados not only taste great, but are a great source of vitamins C, E, K, and B-6, as well as riboflavin, niacin, folate, pantothenic acid, magnesium and potassium. They also provide lutein, beta-carotene and omega-3 fatty acids.

In light of this popularity, Food & Wine set out 30 recipes which feature avocados so you can consume an avo every single day for 30 days.

While most of them are existing recipes with avo added to the mix, I chose five that use avocado in a completely different way, just to get your creative juices flowing this fine Friday.

Enjoy and click on the title for the recipe:

Creamy Avocado Paletas

These tangy, luxurious paletas (Mexican ice pops) from La Newyorkina’s Fany Gerson are completely dairy-free: avocado and coconut milk give them a supervelvety texture. The pops are incredible by themselves or dipped in chocolate and coated with toasted coconut (as pictured).

Avocado-Tarragon Dressing

This multipurpose avocado dressing makes a perfect dip for crudités and a great go-with for grilled steak, or swap it for the mayonnaise in chicken salad.

Chicken-and-Avocado Soup with Fried Tortillas

Here’s a silky soup that doesn’t rely on cream for its creamy texture; pureed avocados do the job quite nicely. It doesn’t rely on long cooking for its full flavour, either—the soup’s in the pot for less than ten minutes. Plus, the crisp tortillas add just the crunch you crave when you’re eating soup.

Spicy Avocado and Pea Tea Sandwiches

Next time you’re having a tea or luncheon, these are the way to go. These tasty vegetarian tea sandwiches feature avocado two ways—mashed and in a chunky salad. Both are tossed with a tangy chile-herb dressing we can’t get enough of.

Avocado Toasts with Oaxacan Sesame Sauce

Food writer and stylist Karen Gillingham makes this spicy, fragrant sesame sauce inspired by a version she discovered at a hole-in-the-wall café in Mexico. She likes spooning it over toasts topped with mashed avocado, but it’s also great with eggs and grilled fish. Plus, it takes just 30 minutes to whip up.

You want more? I thought so.

Pop over here and you’ll find another 25 inspirations, from avo hollandaise to hybrid dips that include hummus.

[source:foodandwine]