Celebrate Canada Day with an outdoor summer picnic that includes classic outdoor eats. An added avocado twist to these picnic perfect dishes is sure to delight your guests without compromising the waistline after a food-filled day of celebration.

Give yourself time to be present and reach for these quick, easy, affordable but delicious and nutritious recipes featuring Avocados from Mexico to round out your Canada Day gathering.

Avocado Cheesecake Served in Glass Jars

Ingredients:

2/3 cup sugar

2 x 250g packages cream cheese

1 ripe Avocado from Mexico

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 gelatine leaf soaked in cold water

1 cup Graham cracker crumbs

1 tablespoon sugar

45 ml unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

Mix together all of the crust ingredients. Divide the mixture into the glass jars and press down firmly. Place the jars in the refrigerator while you prepare the other ingredients.

In a food processor, blend the sugar, cream cheese and avocado into a smooth purée. Warm the lime juice in the microwave. Add the gelatine leaf and mix well. Whip into the avocado mixture and pour into the glass jars. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

CHEF'S TIP: This cake keeps very well in the freezer. It can therefore be made in advance and thawed gradually in the refrigerator a few hours prior to serving

Avocado Popsicles (by: Angie Quaale, Well Seasoned Gourmet Food Store)

Ingredients:

1 cup of water

½ cup of granulated sugar

3 Avocados from Mexico, peeled & pitted

Juice & zest from 1 whole lime (2 if it is super small)

¼ tsp. salt

Directions:

Bring water and sugar to a boil together in a saucepan; stir continually until sugar dissolves. Set aside to cool.

Pour sugar-water mixture into a blender with Avocados from Mexico, lime juice, zest & salt; blend until smooth.

Pour the mixture into 10 ice pop molds.

Insert the popsicle sticks & freezing until firm.

Flatbread with Grilled Red Peppers, Shrimp, Arugula and Avocado

Ingredients:

1 naan flatbread

60 ml commercial Alfredo sauce

1 grilled red pepper, sliced into strips

15 ml olive oil

5 raw shrimp, peeled

1 Avocado from Mexico, quartered

A few arugula leaves

Fleur de sel and fresh pepper to taste

½ grilled lemon

Directions:

Brush the bread with the Alfredo sauce. In a skillet over high heat, sauté the shrimp in the olive oil and arrange on the bread. Add the red pepper slices. Bake in a 300°F oven for 5 minutes. Add the avocado pieces and arugula leaves. Season and drizzle a little olive oil over top. Serve with the grilled lemon.

CHEF'S TIP: Garnish with grated cheese and top off your presentation with a few slices of smoked salmon.

Avocado is a versatile and nutritious fruit to incorporate into every meal.

There are nearly 20 essential vitamins and minerals in an avocado to help nutrient absorption in the body.

An avocado serving contains less than one gram of fat, and zero grams of cholesterol and sodium.

75% of fat in avocado is "good" fat.

Eating an avocado a day helps to lower cholesterol and moderate fat levels.

Avocados are tasty when baked, fried, grilled or eaten raw.

Avocados from Mexico are available fresh, all year long.

Of all avocados consumed in Canada, 80% of avocados come from Mexico. Mexico is the world's top avocado producer (over 1, 200 growers in the Michoacán region), far outranking the United States and Chile. Currently, Canada is the second biggest importer of Mexican avocados, ranking under the United States and just above Japan.

For more recipe ideas, nutritional information and tips, visit http://avocadosfrommexico.ca/.

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If you're having an avocado, use the hashtags #LoveAnAvocadoToday or #AlwaysInSeason.