30-Minute Cheesy Avocado Skillet Pizza Bread

by Averie Sunshine on June 13, 2013

This is what you’d get if you crossed cheese bread with avocado.

With pizza.

It’s also vegan, made with whole-wheat flour, and bakes in a skillet with no kneading and no fuss.

The dough comes together in one bowl in minutes, and the bread is ready in 30 minutes. Sold yet?

Last week Gaby invited some San Diego-area bloggers out to lunch to celebrate the release of her new cookbook, Absolutely Avocados.

The recipes are creative and fun, Gaby’s writing is easy-breezy and a joy to read, the photography is stunning, and the book is just wonderful. Two thumbs up.

Reading all those avocado recipes got my wheels turning and I came up with this.

I took advantage of the natural, plant-based healthy fats found in avocado, skipped any butter in the dough, and added just two tablespoons of oil for this big slab ‘ole pizza bread.

Between the seasonings and the cheese, the avocado and sour cream, it’s dense, cheesy, and packed with savory flavor.

Avocado, sour cream, buttermilk, and cheese (use vegan ingredients if desired) keep the bread soft, chewy, and very moist.

It’s so moist that when I placed it on the cooling rack after baking, it released a few tablespoons of water onto the counter. That’s some moist bread. If you’re looking for thin and crispy, dry, light and airy, this isn’t that.

The whole wheat flour adds extra chewiness, texture, and an earthier, nuttier flavor that comes with whole wheat flour.

I love the taste and health benefits of whole wheat flour but it can be tricky to get to rise properly because is has less gluten. However, it’s perfect in dough that it’s okay if it stays flatter and denser, like Whole Wheat Pizza Dough, Honey Whole Wheat Skillet Bread, or this bread.

If you like cheese bread, pizza, or are already an avocado fan, all the bases are covered here.

If you’re not an avocado fan, you’re still in luck because the avocado flavor is hardly noticeable. It adds creaminess, richness, moisture, and softness.

The pizza bread would be great served with a side of guacamole (I ran out of ripe avocados), sour cream, salsa, pico de gallo. And when all else fails, my 6 year old dipped hers in ketchup.

So many bases covered in one recipe. Pizza, bread, cheese, avocado. We were fans.

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This pizza bread is what you'd get if you crossed cheese bread with avocado with pizza. It's made with whole-wheat flour, with no kneading and no fuss, can be kept vegan, and is ready in just 30 minutes. If you can't decide if you want bread or pizza, this moist, soft, dense, cheesy pizza bread is the perfect solution.

Yield: one 10-inch flat round, 8 generous pieces

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

2 medium ripe avocados, mashed (I used Hass)
1 1/4 cups buttermilk*(see vegan tip if don't keep it around)
1/4 cup sour cream or thick Greek yogurt*
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
2 cups shredded cheese (one 8-ounce package), divided*
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons all-purpose seasoning blend, or to taste (Mrs. Dash varieties, TJ's 21 Salute, Lawry's Seasoning Salt, grill seasoning, etc.)
2 teaspoons baking soda
pinch salt, optional and to taste (remember buttermilk is salted, cheese has salt, and many seasoning blends contain salt)

*To Keep Vegan - Use vegan buttermilk. Make by combining 1 1/4 cups non-dairy milk (or regular milk if vegan considerations aren't important and you just don't keep buttermilk on hand) with 2 tablespoons white vinegar or lemon juice, let stand for 10 minutes, stir, and use. Use vegan sour cream/yogurt, and vegan cheese to keep recipe vegan.

Preheat oven to 400F. Spray an enameled 10 1/4-inch cast-iron skillet (or skillet that's 10 to 12 inches in diameter) with cooking spray, grease a seasoned cast iron skillet, or prepare an oven-safe skillet; set aside. Bread could likely be made in a sprayed 9-by-13-inch pan although I haven't tested it.In a large mixing bowl, combine first four ingredients and whisk to combine.Add about 6 ounces of cheese and fold to incorporate.Add the remaining ingredients and fold to incorporate. Batter will be lumpy, bumpy, thick, and not at all smooth; don't overmix and don't try to make it smooth.Turn dough out into skillet. Bake at 400F for 15 minutes.Remove skillet from oven, and evenly sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.Lower oven temperature to 350F, return skillet to oven, and bake for 15 minutes, or bread is cooked through and cheese is golden.Optionally, place skillet under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes in order to brown the cheese more. Be very, very careful if you use the broiler so you don't burn it. It can burn in the span of 1 minute; stand right there and watch it the entire time. I keep the oven door ajar.With a large spatula, slide or nudge bread out of skillet and onto a wire rack to cool. Don't keep it in the skillet because it will continue to cook from the carryover heat. Slice and serve after it's sufficiently cooled. Serve plain, with guacamole, salsa, sour cream, or your favorite dip. Bread will keep airtight for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Adapted from 30-Minute Honey Whole Wheat Skillet Bread

Recipe from Averie Cooks. All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or simply link back to this post for the recipe. Thank you.

30-Minute Honey Whole Wheat Skillet Bread – Fast and so easy to make, you’ll think you left something out

Copycat recipe for Outback Steakhouse Wheat Bread (vegan) – Based Outback’s hearty, wheaty bread, and is ever-so-slightly infused with subtle hints of molasses and honey. Serve with honey butter for even more authenticity

One Hour Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (vegan) – Homemade pizza dough in 1 hour so there’s never an excuse not to make pizza. Free yourself from storebought pizza dough and make your own in an hour and it’s healthier because it’s wheat

Soft Buttery One Hour Pretzels (vegan) – Just like the soft and fluffy pretzels you can buy at the mall, but now you don’t need the mall. In just 1 hour, they’re ready from start to finish and you can customize the dough, toppings, and dip and pretend you have your own pretzel shop at home

Vanilla Avocado Banana Ice Cream (Raw, Vegan, GF)

Cheater’s Guacamole (Raw, Vegan, GF) – 3 minute recipe.  No veggie, onion, or garlic chopping required

Avocado, Cream Cheese, and Salsa-Stuffed Puff Pastries (with a vegan option) – This was one of the most popular recipes on my site in 2012, thanks to Pinterest

Thanks for the entries in the $500 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway

How do you enjoy avocados?

What do you like to make in your skillet?

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Baked Salmon with Avocado Mango Salsa

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Dessert Nachos with Strawberry, Mango and Avocado Salsa

This is the thing I like about nachos. If you agree, you’re invited to the party. If you don’t, I’ll be the first to pass along an elementary-style lunch tray to ensure all of your primary food groups stay at arm’s length of one another.

Nachos. They’re layers upon layers of my favorite tastes. A little bit of salt, a lot of spice, maybe a little bit of protein—if I’m feeling the urge to act like a well-rounded adult—all blanketed in cheese, aka the glue that melds this flavor bomb together.

Last week I asked my friends on Facebook for help on what recipe they wanted to see this week: spring pasta or salsa? By the looks of today’s post I think you can see which dish came out as the clear winner.

The confirmation that this recipe was the clear winner came from my Smudge who declared it would had judiciously been added to her birthday party menu. This is serious stuff folks. Maybe it received this exclusive validation because she had become invested in the recipe as my scribe, studiously practicing her cursive skills as I dictated the ingredients and portions. By the way, I DO know there is no “t” in avocado. Most of the time. Can you even tell the difference between my handwriting and a 3rd graders? Aye—yi—yi. Scary.

Cinco de Mayo is on the calendar for this weekend’s celebrations replete with menus full of chunky guacamole, tacos (you gotta try this fried avocado version), enchiladas and a serious round of salsa. I thought about adding to the Mexican madness by recreating a standard savory affair, but headed off on a bender, pointed South and conquered the sweeter side of the border, thanks to mangos in my refrigerator in dire need of a destination resulting in this Mango, Strawberry and Avocado Salsa.

But I couldn’t just leave you, or the salsa, hanging about with no buddies to blend with. This salsa needs a date. A pairing to do the latin tango with. To keep it in tune as “la cucaracha” breaks out in song after that celebratory tequila shot. Or four. I’ll take Lime and salt with mine, and the salsa will too, please.

Cut to this: Fresh tostada chips sweetened with cinnamon sugar and baked to a golden crisp. A smattering of creamy, melted Monterey Jack cheese. With citrus spiked fruit kicked up with jalapeño heat. Cinco de Mayo celebratin’. It doesn’t take much more than that. Well, besides a trusty sombrero and some fine dipping skills.

Wing it! Try one of these recipe adaptations or add one of your own. Tell us your idea in the comments below. 

1. This is one of those recipes that can be so easily adapted and given a heartier protein punch by simply adding a handful of grocery store rotisserie chicken chicken, turning it into a quick weeknight main mealio.

2. Mango and spice go oh so nice atop a freshly grilled piece of halibut, salmon or any Hawaiian fish. Blacken the fish with creole seasonings to really emphasize the contrasting sweetness of the bright fruit flavors.

3. I can see this as a bruschetta topping, perfect as an appetizer. Cut a few slices of baguette, drizzle with olive oil and toast in the toaster oven for a few minutes. Spread with a creamy brie cheese if you’re looking for savory, a bit of mascarpone if you’re sticking with sweet, and top with the salsa and serve with a tequila spiked lemonade.

Dessert Nachos with Strawberry, Mango and Avocado Salsa

Ingredients

For the Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Chips 10-12 4-inch white corn tortillas For the Mango, Strawberry and Avocado Salsa 1 1/2 cups mango, cut into a large dice 1/2 cup strawberries, cut into a large dice 1/2 cup avocados, cut into a large dice 1 red jalapeño, seeded, deveined and minced 2 tablespoons cilantro, slivered 2 limes, juiced (about 1/4 cup) 8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese Mango, Strawberry and Avocado SalsaInstructions

For the Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Chips Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside. Stack 3-4 white corn tortillas and cut in half with a sharp knife, then cut the halves into thirds so you end up with 6 triangle shaped chips per tortilla and place on a baking sheet lined with foil. Melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave set on high for 20 seconds. Brush the tortilla chips with the butter and sprinkle each with a generous amount of the cinnamon sugar. Toast a toaster oven until golden and let cool, repeating until all of the chips have been toasted. Set aside. For the Mango, Strawberry and Avocado Salsa Mix all of the ingredients up to the cilantro in a medium size bowl. Heat the lime juice and honey in the microwave in a microwave save bowl for 15 seconds and then whisk to combine. After it has cooled, add 2 tablespoons to salsa and gently fold to combine. Add more honey lime juice to taste. Place a layer of Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Chips on a heat proof plate then top with a handful of shredded cheese, then a few spoonfuls of salsa, top with more tortilla chips and repeat 2 or more times ending with cheese. Place in a toaster or regular oven and broil for 3-5 minutes until cheese melts. Top with more salsa and serve hot.http://www.foodiecrush.com/2013/04/dessert-nachos-with-strawberry-mango-and-avocado-salsa/

Thanks for reading and please keep in touch by subscribing to FoodieCrush and follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest. This site includes affiliate shopping links of which I receive a small percentage of sales to allow me to create new and special content like this for my readers, so thank you for your support. All opinions are my own.

Tagged as: cheese, fruit, mango, mexican, nachos, salsa, strawberry, sweets

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Quinoa and Avocado Chimichurri Salad for Food Bloggers Against Hunger

One out of every two children is on some sort of food assistance today. Families are living on a daily food budget of three dollars a day for an entire family. I’ll spend twice that on an afternoon doughnut treat for my daughter and her friends. Or for a morning coffee and copy and a magazine that talks about food.

It’s time to put our voices where our mouths are and make some noise to fix what is wrong with the state of nutrition in our country. Thanks to Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry initiative and education of the general public through documentaries like A Place at the Table, the food plight of millions of American’s is being exposed.

When I walk into my daughter’s classroom in the morning, that’s when the notion that this is a real problem hits home. As I look around the continually changing and growing faces, I watch and wonder about who had what for breakfast. Do they look deflated because it’s early and they didn’t want to crawl out from their covers or because breakfast didn’t give them the energy their growing minds need? If they did eat was it a meal balanced with protein, whole grains and calcium or did they swiftly down a sugar soaked cereal that will bring them to a mid-morning crash? Or maybe they had nothing at all?

My daughter and I have an after school routine where she tells me three things about her day. The one I always care about most is about her lunch and how much she ate. While I loved school lunch as a kid, I pack my Smudge’s lunch instead. I want her meal to be balanced. I want to know what is in it and I want to know how much of it she’s eating. I’m not totally hard core about organic and avoiding sugars at all costs, but I definitely don’t want her eating frozen pizza or deep fried french fries everyday in lieu of fresh fruit and whole grains. The funny thing is she doesn’t even know what she’s missing. She doesn’t like french fries anyway. Is that why?

I’m pretty sure the majority of the children’s families in my daughter’s school have a pretty healthy notion of eating. But even having money to buy food doesn’t necessarily translate into buying the right food. You still have to make good choices. 

Making healthy food, the food that isn’t full of empty calories, the food that doesn’t come from a package, available to low-income families is essential in making a change. Creating meals that utilize fresh vegetables and grains can be extremely economical if you know how to prepare them.

Eating empty-calorie foods not only serves low nutritional value but ironically creates obesity.

In my opinion, the main solution to avoid this is with education.

Educating not only mothers and fathers, but children who will be cooking soon enough for themselves about how to create menus that stretch for more than one meal, which combinations of food groups get the biggest bang for the buck and simple recipes with simple ingredients that are tasty and economical is the key to the next generation of feeding our nation’s children.

And a lot of that, right now, is at risk of going away.

Congress is currently considering cutting funding to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that supplies low-income assistance, children’s school food programs and even disaster relief feeding programs. Take a moment and let our governing Congress know how you feel about these nutrition programs.

I’m happy to share the message behind this post thanks to the organization of Nicole of the food blog Eat This Poem who is spearheading the charge for food bloggers to take action with her creation of The Giving Table, where she has organized over 150 food bloggers to participate in today’s Food Bloggers Against Hunger. Support the following food blogger’s by visiting their sites for more great information and recipes.

It’s not too late for you to join the cause. Support the movement by visiting The Giving Table, telling Congress what you think, watch the film on demand through iTunes and Amazon and follow the feed on Instagram and Twitter hashtags at #takeyourplace.

And now to the recipe.

Quinoa might sound a tad unconventional to the everyday American, a bit on the hippie side of eating. I was first introduced to Quinoa when I worked for a natural foods publication. It sounded sooooo, odd. But it’s so far from odd. I find it similar to cous cous, but with far more nutritional value.

Quinoa has a history of health and nutrition and is a superfood powerhouse. Originating 3000 years ago, this whole grain is the perfect example of a food that just needs a little acceptance by the general public to embrace it as a replacement for empty calories. Gluten-free, high in protein, fiber, amino acids, calcium and iron.

Hence it’s won the distinction of bearing the coveted moniker: Superfood. It’s kind of like the royal family of the nutrition world.

I added Quinoa to a simple salad of protein packed avocado, vitamin and folate packed fresh spinach, lycopene and vitamin C filled red bell peppers dressed with a chimichurri sauce with heart healthy garlic and detoxifying lemon juice.

Real food = real nutrition.

I first had this avocado chimichurri at my friend Courtney’s house, where she make it as an appetizer on bruschetta, torn from the pages of an 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times. The taste wooed me immediately and quickly made its way into my avocado obsession as this salad.

If you’d like to serve this as an appetizer, dice the avocado with chunks of roasted red bell pepper and serve with crackers or slices of baguette drizzled with olive oil and lightly toasted.

Quinoa and Avocado Chimichurri Salad

Ingredients

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar ¼ cup fruity flavored extra virgin olive oil kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 2 avocados, peeled, pitted, and sliced 1 cup roasted red bell pepper, sliced 2 cups quinoa, cooked to package directions Instructions

Combine lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes, oregano, and black pepper in small bowl. Whisk in oil, then stir in cilantro and parsley. Add spinach, roasted red bell pepper, quinoa and avocado to a bowl and dress with chimichurri sauce. Garnish with feta cheese and serve with flaxseed crackers if desired.http://www.foodiecrush.com/2013/04/quinoa-and-avocado-chimichurri-salad-for-food-bloggers-against-hunger/

Remember, tell Congress what you think, watch the film on demand through iTunes and Amazon and follow the feed on Instagram and Twitter hashtags at #takeyourplace.

Thanks for reading and please keep in touch by subscribing to FoodieCrush and follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest. This site includes affiliate shopping links of which I receive a small percentage of sales to allow me to create new and special content like this for my readers, so thank you for your support. All opinions are my own.

Tagged as: appetizer, avocado, quinoa, recipe, salad, spanish, spinach

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Fish Tacos with Avocado Cabbage Slaw

Who doesn’t like fish tacos? They are the best meal for those gorgeous sunny spring and summer days. Add in some cabbage slaw doused with an avocado crema and some salsa and I seriously don’t think you can go wrong. If you’re into having a cerveza, then pour one and call it a day!

These flaky Fish Tacos with Avocado Cabbage Slaw from TK member The Culinary Chronicles are totally to die for. I made them twice this week and both times they were excellent!

Okay, here’s what to do. First we are going to torch some tortillas, which means you need to turn on your burner.

Place a small corn tortilla over the open flame for a few seconds

And then give it a flip to toast the other side for a few seconds more. Repeat this process with all the tortillas and then wrap them in a clean kitchen towel and set them aside.

Next we’re going to put some avocado in a blender …

Followed by some crema or sour cream. I only had sour cream on hand and let me tell you, it’s pure perfection.

Throw in some fresh cilantro and jalapeño pepper …

Followed by some agave nectar just to give it a hint of sweetness.

Blend it until everything is smooth and then remove the avocado crema to a bowl.

I just used some pre-shredded cabbage from Trader Joe’s, but if you shred your own, just go ahead and shred it and place it into a big bowl.

Add in a few spoonfuls of the avocado crema. Reserve some crema for later but be sure to add enough to give all the cabbage a good coating.

Toss it all together and season it with salt and pepper as needed.

Alright let’s move onto the fish. Season some white fish of your choice with some lime zest.

Then add in some red pepper flakes, followed by ground cumin and some garlic powder. You could use fresh garlic too, but I was concerned about the garlic burning when I broiled the fish so I opted for the powder.

Lastly, let’s add on some chopped cilantro.

Throw the fish in the fridge to marinate for a few minutes and then transfer it to a parchment-lined baking sheet and season it with salt and pepper. I used the juice of 1 lime to juice on top of the fish and then drizzled a touch of olive oil on top. Into the oven it goes on broil for a few minutes on each side until the fish can easily be flaked apart.

And now you’re in the home stretch. Just assemble the tacos with the cabbage slaw, flaked fish, extra avocado crema and some salsa! Serve it up and enjoy.

A big giant avocado-filled thank you to Nam of the amazing blog The Culinary Chronicles for giving us another amazing recipe featuring avocado! These tacos are a winner and you will totally dig them!

Fish tacos with a creamy avocado-cabbage slaw.

In a shallow dish, coat the fish with garlic, lime zest, cilantro, red pepper flakes, cumin, and oil. Season with kosher salt and pepper. Allow to marinate for 20 minutes in the refrigerator.

For the slaw, in a blender, puree the avocado, crema, cilantro, jalapeno pepper, lime juice and agave until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, toss the cabbage with a few spoonfuls of the avocado puree until lightly coated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Preheat the oven broiler and arrange the marinated fish on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet a few inches away from the broiler, and broil the fish for 2-3 minutes on each side or until the fish becomes opaque and flakes easily with a fork.

Warm the tortillas. Divide the fish, salsa and slaw amongst the tortillas. Sprinkle each taco with the extra chopped cilantro and serve warm with lime wedges on the side.

½ pounds Firm White Fish Fillets, Such As Cod Or Tilapia2 cloves Garlic, Finely Minced1 teaspoon Lime Zest2 Tablespoons Chopped Cilantro, Plus More For Garnish¼ teaspoons Red Pepper Flakes2 pinches Ground Cumin2 Tablespoons Vegetable OilKosher Salt And Pepper To Taste4 whole Corn Or Flour Tortillas1 cup Chunky SalsaLime WedgesFOR THE SLAW:1 cup Ripe Avocado, Diced¼ cups Mexican Crema - Or Sour Cream¼ cups Fresh Cilantro, Chopped½ whole Jalapeno Pepper, Finely Diced And Seeded1 Tablespoon Lime Juice½ Tablespoons Agave Or HoneyKosher Salt And Pepper To Taste2 cups Shredded Cabbage

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Gaby Dalkin is the young lady behind What’s Gaby Cooking, a food blog that’s bursting at the seams with incredible recipes and food photography. She’s a personal chef and professional recipe developer, and if you follow her on Twitter, you’ll soon discover her two-fold obsession: guacamole and cheese. She has small feet, a large heart, and a smile that can light up the whole building. We’re pretty stoked to have her here.

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