Last week my boyfriend's housekeeper, Rose, left us three beautiful avocados. They were 6- to 7-inches long and ripe. With the shortage of backyard fruit trees, this is a gift. I made sure that I made good use of these beautiful specimens. Once the fruit is ripened, use it right away or store in the refrigerator for a couple of days at most. I made the usual — guacamole and avocado salad — but I wanted to do much more. This motivated me to experiment. I came up with two different soups and an avocado bread.

Avocados are native to Mexico. The ancient Aztecs call them ahuacat. Spaniards called avocados aguacate (or "alligator pears"). The British call an avocado a "butter pear," perhaps they used them in place of butter in warm colonial climates. The avocado is a pear-shaped fruit that tastes more like a vegetable. It is one of the few fruits that contain fat. One average-size avocado contains some 335 calories. A larger one would be about 370 calories. However these calories also come with many beneficial nutrients: protein, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, iron, some B vitamins and vitamin E.

Fortunately, the fat in avocado is of the monounsaturated variety. Research has shown that monounsaturated fats help lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol.

The easiest way to prepare an avocado is to cut in half lengthwise using a sharp chef's knife, slicing into it all around the pit. Hold the top and bottom of the avocado with both hands and twist the two halves apart. Use a large tablespoon and carefully spoon around the edges of the pit and its skin, and they will pop out. Then use the spoon to separate the flesh from the shell. Avocado flesh discolors almost immediately when exposed to oxygen. To prevent this enzymatic browning, squeeze fresh lemon or lime juice over the exposed flesh. Plastic wrap will also retard the oxidation.

In this Mexican-style soup, avocados serve as a garnish.

MEXICANO SOPA CON ROSE AVOS

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 large red onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic minced

2 large chicken breast, boneless, skinless, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 cup canned plum tomatoes (Roma), drained

or 1 (10-ounce) can RoTel tomatoes with green chilies (if you like it spicy)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 piece ginger (1-by-1-inch), smashed

Salt and pepper to taste

1 (15-ounce) can hominy

4 cups water

Fresh chopped cilantro to taste

Avocado slices

1/4 cup low-fat cheese, grated

In a large Dutch oven, saute onions and garlic in the olive oil until translucent. Add chicken breasts and saute for 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, cumin, ginger, salt and pepper, hominy, water and a handful of cilantro. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 hour. Remove the ginger. Serve hot with avocado slices, cheese and cilantro. Serve with warm whole wheat, low-carb, low-fat tortillas.

Serves 6.