Fuerte Avocados and Chicken Breast with Avocado Rice

All About Avocados

Fuerte Avocados

An established Favorite

Harvested late fall though spring, the Fuerte is the original high quality avocado, with smooth green skin.

Description:

fruit is pear shaped.
medium sized seed.
peels easily.
great taste.

Size:

medium to large fruit.
ranges in size from 5 to 14 oz. (84 28 count).

Appearance:

thin green skin with smooth surface.
flesh is creamy and pale green.

Ripe Characteristics:

skin remains green.
fruit yields to gentle pressure when ripe.

Handling Information:

good shelf life.
ships well.
responds to ethylene pre conditioning.

Seasonality:

available late fall through spring.

Seasonal California Avocado Celebrations

While they are harvested and consumed year-round given California's coastal micro-climate, California avocados are celebrated in different ways depending upon the time of year. Among the examples:

Early December:

Growers in the nation's "avocado capital," San Diego County, celebrate the California avocado each year in early December by holding a ceremony to mark the "first pick" of the new season's Hass avocado crop.

The California avocado crop year officially runs from November 1 through October 31. Growers typically begin picking greenskin varieties in November and the Hass variety in early December.

January:

Football fans celebrate the California avocado each year during Super Bowl season by consuming guacamole in big numbers. Super Bowl marks the biggest consumption event of the year for California avocados.

February:

Lovers celebrate the California avocado each year around Valentine's Day due to the long-standing belief that the avocado is an aphrodisiac. This belief began with the ancient Aztecs.

March:

Consumers across the country celebrate the California avocado in March by incorporating the fruit into meals during California Avocado Month. March 1995 marks the second annual California Avocado Month, proclaimed by California Gov. Pete Wilson.

May:

Mexican food lovers across the country celebrate the California avocado in May by eating avocados or guacamole with Mexican food in honor of Cinco de Mayo, the number one consumption day of the year for the fruit.

June:

Sun worshippers nationwide celebrate the California avocado in June to mark the beginning of summer. People wanting to get in shape for the summer months include avocados in summer salads and other healthy dishes.

Chicken Breast
with California Avocado Rice

For the rice:

1-1/4 tablespoons olive oil
8 oz. fresh green bell pepper, diced
6 oz corn
6 oz. tomato, diced
4-1/2 cups cooked white rice
3/4 cup fresh chopped basil
1/2 California avocado, diced

Put olive oil in a skillet and over low heat, sauté the green bell pepper, corn and tomato for approximately five minutes. Add the precooked white rice and basil. Simmer for approximately five more minutes and set aside. Add 1/2 of the California avocado to rice prior to topping with chicken.

For the chicken:

2 teaspoons olive oil
6 3-oz. chicken breasts
1/2 cup capers
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
1/2 California avocado, sliced

Sauté the chicken breasts in olive oil for approximately five minutes on each side over low heat. Remove chicken from skillet, remove skin from each breast and set aside. In same skillet, sauté capers for approximately one minute. Remove from eat and add lemon juice and parsley.

To serve, place rice mixture on plate and top with chicken breast. Pour capers and lemon juice mixture over top of chicken and rice. Garnish with fanned California avocado slices. Serves six.

Per serving: 430 calories, 22g protein, 64 g carbohydrates, 10g total fat, 5g dietary fiber, 40mg cholesterol, 193mg sodium

Provided by the California Avocado Commission

This page originally published as a FoodDay article in 1997.