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Mexican Avocado and Grilled Vegetable Wraps
Sautéed Shrimp and Avocado Dinner Salad
Avocado Chicken Milanese

(Family Features) - Looking for some new dinner ideas to revitalize your meal repertoire? Want recipes that meet your desire for appetizing flavors, eating healthfully and that get you out of the kitchen pronto?

Feed all those needs with tempting, healthy meals with fresh flavors in quick, no-fuss dishes. A tall order? It's easier than you think. With a couple of well-chosen ingredients and a dash of creativity, it's easy to have some new ideas for your "favorites" recipe list.

Begin with ingredients that have fresh, bright flavors, wide appeal and are good for you. Go for quick, simple preparation: Sauté, grill, stir-fry or fix a colorful entrée salad or sandwich.

Creamy and buttery, avocados from Mexico add irresistible flavor to salads, sandwiches, dips, soups and more. The nutrient-dense, heart-healthy fruit
provides good fats, fiber, potassium, vitamin E, vitamin C, folic acid and other B-vitamins. But the main reason to love them is their rich, sublime taste, and the appeal they add to menus any time of year.

Abundant sunshine and rainfall means these Mexican beauties can be harvested year round; they're grown and processed under strict USDA standards. A label on each of these high quality fruits identifies them as avocados from Mexico.

Another ingredient that's a kitchen essential, light and clear canola oil allows the flavors in recipes, whether tangy, sweet or spicy, to shine through - making it the ideal oil for dressings, marinades and cooking. Count on vinaigrettes made with canola oil to remain clear and free running when refrigerated.

Rich in omega-3 fatty acids and the important antioxidant vitamin E, canola oil has a high smoke point (460°F). This makes canola oil perfect for frying, grilling and stir-frying: Foods cook up light and crispy, making a success every time.

You don't have to compromise flavor, nutrition or time to serve delicious meals that keep the family coming back to the table! Tempting, easy recipes and much more information are available at www.canolainfo.org and www.avocadosfrommexico.com.

Get the Goods on Good Fats

• Start with fresh, and then focus on healthful cooking habits: Use nutrient-dense, good fats in cooking and as condiments.
• Fat! Yes, indeed: Fat is an essential flavor carrier and critical for good cooking. It's also an important nutrient necessary for the absorption of fat soluble vitamins and carotenoids. Avocados and canola oil are good plant-based, heart-healthy fats.
• Omega-3 is an essential fatty acid for good health. With no cholesterol and high in omega-3 fatty acids, canola oil and avocados from Mexico are rich sources of good fats.
• Canola oil is high in heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, is one of the best plant sources of omega-3s, is high in vitamin E and contains no trans fat. Recognized by the American Heart Association as heart-healthy, canola oil is a smart pantry staple to be used daily.
• Though buttery in texture and flavor, avocados from Mexico are strictly heart-healthy. Rich in monounsaturated fats and omega-3s, this south-of-the-border tropical fruit lowers harmful LDL cholesterol.

Mexican Avocado and Grilled Vegetable Wraps
Yield: 4 portions, about 9 cups

2 large zucchini, about 10 ounces, cut in half lengthwise
1 large sweet onion, about 11 ounces, sliced 3/8 inch thick
1 large red bell pepper, about 9 ounces, halved and seeded
1/4 cup canola oil, divided
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon jalapeno hot sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 can (15 1/2 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
4 ounces pepper Jack cheese, cut in thin strips, about 1 cup
2 fully-ripened Mexican Hass avocados, halved, pitted, peeled and sliced
8 to 12 large flour tortillas, warmed

Preheat grill or indoor broiler. Lightly coat zucchini, onion and pepper with 1 tablespoon canola oil; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Arrange vegetables on grill rack or baking sheet. Cook 5 inches from heat source until vegetables begin to brown, 7 to 12 minutes. Turn; cook until vegetables are tender, 5 to 10 minutes longer, removing vegetables as they are lightly browned. In large bowl, whisk together remaining 3 tablespoons canola oil, lime juice, jalapeno hot sauce, cumin and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cut grilled vegetables into bite-size pieces. Add vegetables, beans and cheese to dressing; toss until well coated. Add avocados; toss gently. Serve over warm tortillas.

Sautéed Shrimp and Avocado Dinner Salad
Yield: 4 portions

1/4 cup canola oil, divided
16 shelled and deveined large shrimp, about 8 ounces
8 ounces fresh or frozen (thawed) sugar snap peas, about 3 cups
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 green onions, thinly sliced, about 1/4 cup
1 can (8 ounces) mandarin oranges, drained
2 fully-ripened Mexican Hass avocados, halved, pitted, peeled and sliced
4 cups baby spinach leaves

In large skillet over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons canola oil. Add shrimp; cook, stirring occasionally, until opaque, about 8 minutes. Add sugar snap peas; cook and stir just until heated through, about 1 minute. In large bowl, combine remaining 2 tablespoons canola oil, vinegar, soy sauce and green onions. Gently stir in shrimp and sugar snap peas, along with any drippings remaining in skillet, and oranges. Add avocados; gently toss. Serve over spinach.

Avocado Chicken Milanese
Yield: 4 portions

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, pounded thin
3/4 cup dry Italian-style breadcrumbs
2 cups loosely packed arugula
1 ripe tomato, cut into 16 wedges
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 fully-ripened Mexican Hass avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and sliced

Whisk 1/3 cup canola oil with vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt and pepper. Place chicken in sealable food storage bag; add 1/4 cup vinaigrette, turning chicken to coat. Refrigerate 30 minutes to several hours. Reserve remaining vinaigrette. To cook chicken, remove from vinaigrette (discarding vinaigrette used to marinate chicken) and coat with crumbs. In large skillet over medium heat, heat remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil. Add chicken; cook until golden and cooked through, turning once, about 10 minutes adding additional oil if necessary. Toss arugula, tomato and onion with reserved vinaigrette; add avocado and gently toss. To serve, top each hot chicken breast with salad.

SOURCE: Avocados from Mexico / CanolaInfo