Blueberry Brie “Cake Slice” Appetizer

Delight your guests with Blueberry Brie “Cake Slice” Appetizer, a beautiful prelude to dinner or cocktail party conversation starter. Blueberry Brie Cheese "Cake" Appetizer

This “impostor” recipe looks just like a slice of sweet cheesecake piled high with plump berries and pomegranate arils but it’s actually savory-sweet cheese dish to get the flavor party started!  Read on to get all the yummy details and easy recipe:  Continue reading

Festive Fruit Ideas for Christmas Holidays

Deck out your holiday dessert table with fruit, it’s a welcomed addition among the proliferation of decadent cakes, cookies and candies found in excess this time of year. Today, Whether for the cocktail hour, a dinner party, Christmas brunch or other seasonal entertaining, you’ll love these festive fruit ideas for Christmas that make any menu merry and light!  Festive Fruit Ideas for the Holidays

 

All of these fruit ideas for Christmas are super easy and are done faster than a wink of the eye! Read on for all the juicy details and how-to: Continue reading

Watermelon Day is about Living on the Wedge!

It’s almost National Watermelon Day (Aug. 3rd), there is no way that I could let this special day of summer slip by without sharing how I’ve been celebrating with my favorite fruit all year. Jennifer Fisher thefitfork.com watermelon

Read on for all the juicy details about my #LivingOnTheWedge. . . I think you might be surprised. Continue reading

How to Soften an Avocado in the Microwave!

Are you ready to have your avocado-loving mind blow? In a pinch, you can soften a rock-hard avocado in the microwave in 2 minutes or less!

How to Soften Avocados in the Microwave

Most of us know that firm avocados take a couple days or more to achieve that magical yet fleeting soft, creamy state, even using tricks like storing next to a banana, sticking in a brown paper bag, or even burying in a canister of flour. When you need a soft avocado STAT and not “someday,” this microwave trick (probably my best of many avocado hacks yet), will save the day.

Please note, this is not the very most OPTIMAL way to enjoy a softer avocado, because obviously that would be natural avocado ripening. But like I said, sometimes we just don’t have time for that! It’s still an effective avocado softening solution that can help your satisfactorily get of a pinch at meal time.

You're the Avocado to my Toast

Pick an avocado:  Choose your avocado to “ripen” in the microwave. This will be a hard avocado, not yielding to gentle pressure – because if it does have that “give,” it’s ready to be cut or mashed up and devoured. This technique works best with rock hard to very firm avocados. For example, the avocados I used could not even be cut in half and twisted from the seed. If that seed (pit) seems too hard to get out, an avocado tool can help and is much safer than a knife.

Prepare the avocado: There’s not much to do, except use a fork or small paring knife to add a few prick marks to allow any steam forming to escape. While some have suggested removing the seed before microwaving an avocado, I find that it holds the heat that helps soften the avocado from the middle.

Microwave the avocado: Set whole avocado in center of microwave and use “defrost” or “low” setting to microwave in 30 second intervals. Between each 30 second blast, allow avocado to sit for 30 more seconds to slowly and gently used the heat that is building up in the seed. I usually do 3 to 4 cooking increments (totaling1:30 to 2 minutes of cook time). Use care when removing avocado from microwave, it may feel like a hot potato. When cool enough to touch, gently squeeze to ensure desired softness. If still hard, microwave for another increment or two, until done. Please not that these directions will vary based on 1) the avocado size, 2) the avocado ripeness, 3) the wattage of your microwave, and 4) fate.

How to Soften Avocados in the Microwave -- learn hot to turn a rock-hard avocado into a creamy, ready-to-eat fruit in 5 minutes. A great hack when you're in pinch for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Use the avocado: Once avocado has cooled enough to handle, it may be sliced, diced or smashed and used as any other avocado. Try my Avocado & Tuna Salad or Grilled Avocado Boats with Blistered Tomatoes

The only caveat to this avocado hack is that the taste may not be as blissfully “avocado” as ripening the natural way. Some have said this microwave hack “diminishes” the taste – I didn’t find that to be true. What you will be tasting is an avocado that is not fully ripe but has been tricked into being soft – how can something be diminished, if it has not acquired its fully state of being. There I go being philosophical about fruit again!

Regardless, this little trick is a lifesaver if you realize you have a company coming and your investment in avocados aren’t cooperating. So, you’ll just add a little more lime juice and garlic to your guacamole, the creaminess will still be there!  I was able to put this hack to the test in a big way when I realized I had about 20 pounds of avocado “rocks” last weekend when two hours away from teaching a class on how to grill produce – including grilled avocados.

Also, if you don’t use up the entire avocado in your meal, I’m a fan of this reusable silicone avocado “hugger” cover.

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Check out my other amazing avocado hacks that will change your life!

Disclaimer: this post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Let me know if you tried this avocado softening trick and how it worked for you.

Smoky Peach Chipolte Vinaigrette, Dressing & Marinade

The back roads of Central Texas have been alive with the sights and smells of local farm stands selling their most anticipated summer-season specialty – Hill Country Peaches. They are so sweet and delicious straight from the bushel, sometimes it’s hard not to greedily gobble them all up before arriving home.  Grilled Peach Chipolte Vinaigrette Dressing & Marinade

This year I used restraint (by putting them in the car trunk), and we arrived home from Stonewall, Texas with plenty of this popular stone fruit to make peach cobbler, slow-cooker peach sauce, and ice cream – the July rite of passage. I even had a few extra to make an awesome salad featuring this grill fruit and the recipe I’m sharing today – Smoky Peach Chipolte Vinaigrette & Marinade. Read on the get more juicy details and the instructions. Continue reading