Help your heart with this avocado & raspberry salad

Avocados contain a lot deal of fat, it's true. But this fat is the good, monounsaturated type. In this salad, the creaminess of avocado is complemented by fresh raspberries and a fruity vinaigrette.

Salad:

• 2 avocados
• 1 kg (4 c) mixed salad greens
• 375 g (1 1/2 c) raspberries
• Sprigs of fresh mint to garnish

Vinaigrette:

• 30 ml (2 tbsp) olive oil
• 22 ml (1 1/2 tbsp) raspberry vinegar
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) half-and-half
• Finely grated zest of 1/2 orange
• 2 ml (1/2 tsp) orange juice
• Pinch of sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation time: 10 minutes. Serves 4.

1. Put all the ingredients for the raspberry vinaigrette in a large salad bowl, adding salt and pepper to taste. Whisk to mix.
2. Halve the avocados and remove the pit, then peel and dice the flesh. Add to the dressing immediately and turn to coat. This stops the avocados from turning brown.
3. Add the salad leaves to the bowl and toss gently with the avocados. Scatter the raspberries on top and garnish with mint sprigs. Serve at once.

For a tropical avocado and mango salad variant, do the following:

1. Line 4 plates with romaine lettuce leaves. Cut each avocado in half horizontally, slice thinly and arrange on the plates with 1 thinly sliced large, ripe mango.
2. Scatter 3 chopped scallions over the top. Drizzle each salad with 15 millilitres (1 tablespoon) olive oil and 15 to 30 millilitres (1 to 2 tablespoons) orange juice. Dust lightly with cayenne pepper.

To turn this into an Italian-style avocado and mozzarella salad, try the following:

1. Thickly slice each avocado half horizontally and arrange on four plates with one 25-gram (1-ounce) slice mozzarella cheese per person.
2. Scatter with 50 grams (1/4 cup) sliced sun-dried tomatoes, then drizzle 15 millilitres (1 tablespoon) olive oil. Season with pepper and garnish with fresh basil leaves.

Each serving provides:

• 110 Calories (70 Calories from Fat)
• 8 g Fat (1 g Saturated Fat and 0 g Trans Fat)
• 1 g Protein
• 10 g Carbs
• 4 g Fibre
• 90 mg Sodium
• 21 mg Vitamin C
• 22 mg Magnesium
• 252 mg Potassium
• 45 mg Calcium

Packed with good fats and nutrients that can lower bad cholesterol levels, this salad is a fresh take on heart-healthy cuisine.