Kefir Avocado Basil Dressing

The Recipe Redux is a group of like-minded food bloggers whose mission is to inspire the food lover in every healthy eater and inspire the healthy eater in every food lover. Each month members post recipes to their blogs following a theme set by the group moderators. This month’s theme is healthy, delicious recipes to bolster gut health. Click the Recipe Redux link at the bottom of this page to see links to all the posts for this month’s challenge.

Probiotics are a hot topic nowadays as more and more people learn about the growing body of research that points to a link between gut bacteria and overall health. Probiotics are the live bacteria and yeasts found in certain foods. They’re sometime referred to as “good bacteria”. Probiotics contribute to a healthy digestive tract and seem to reduce inflammation – a risk factor in a number of illness and diseases. Some researchers also believe that they help burn fat and stabilize blood sugar. Fortunately, it’s easy and tasty to incorporate probiotics into your diet and one of the ways you can do it is by making this Kefir Avocado Basil Dressing.

Kefir Avocado Basil Dressing is a light, creamy, dressing with a cool, clean taste. Use it as a salad dressing, dipping sauce, or sandwich spread to add healthy, delicious flavor and a probiotic boost. As far as nutrient dense foods go, kefir and avocados are tops on my list! While avocados are common and widely available, kefir is not as well-known, so here’s the low-down on kefir (pronounced KEE-fur). It’s a cultured dairy product chock-full of probiotic cultures that improve immunity and promote digestive health. It’s high in protein, calcium, and Vitamin D with a tart, tangy, slightly effervescent quality that has earned it the title “Champagne of Dairy”. Kefir tastes similar to yogurt, although with a thinner consistency, but is a better source of probiotics because it contains more strains of friendly bacteria.

In addition to being healthy, Kefir Avocado Basil Dressing is easy to make and extremely versatile. You can whip it up in under 5 minutes and then use it as a salad dressing, a topping for seafood, or a dipping sauce for crackers, tortilla chips or vegetable crudités. You might even end up eating it right off a spoon like I do! It’s that good!

Up until a few years ago kefir wasn’t widely available but it can now be found in most well stocked grocery stores in the diary aisle. When buying kefir, be wary of the flavored varieties as they often contain lots of added sugar. My advice is to buy the unsweetened variety and add any fruit or sweeteners yourself, in which case you’ll almost always end up using less sugar than the manufacturer puts in the flavored varieties. I hope you give Kefir Avocado Basil Dressing a try! Consuming kefir is a great way to improve your gut health. Here are a couple of other delicious recipes using kefir – Chickpea Cheddar Kefir Biscuits, Apricot Ginger Turmeric Smoothie.

Kefir Avocado Basil Dressing

 

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Author: QUEEN OF MY KITCHEN

Serves: 10 servings

Ingredients

• 1 - avocado (about 7 ounces with skin and pit)
• 1 cup plain kefir (whole milk, unsweetened)
• 1 clove garlic
• ½ ounce basil leaves (about 1 cup loosely packed)
• 1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

1. Peel and pit the avocado and put the pulp into the work bowl of a food processor or the carafe of a blender. Add the remaining ingredients and process for 30 seconds - 1 minute until smooth. Makes about 1⅓ cups.

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