A few weeks ago a friend of mine contacted me asking for help creating a menu. She and her family were vacationing in Maine for the summer and she wanted to create a California-style meal as a thank you to their hosts. What a fun project!!
To me California foods are all about using what is in season and serving it fairly simply – letting it shine. What is abundant here in the summer? Artichokes and avocados immediately came to mind and of course anything that uses Mexican flavors. So many options, now just to narrow them down.
Option 1: You can make a really nice salad if you chop up some canned artichoke hearts, toss with some cooked and chopped red potatoes, chopped fresh vegetables, fresh herbs and use a little of the brine from the artichokes as part of the vinaigrette dressing. A new take on an old favorite and really easy to make!
Option 2: Following the Mexican stream of consciousness, grill fresh corn on the cob until you have some nice caramelization starting. Squeeze some fresh lime juice over the corn, sprinkled salt, chopped cilantro and some queso fresco. Oh yeah!
Option 3: What about using avocados as the “dish” for some sauteed vegetables and shrimp? Yep, that’s a winner! Especially when today is avocado day at the Food Network’s #SummerFest! And you can see all of our recipes on our Pinterest page too!
That’s right, today we are all celebrating the ugly duckling of the fruit world. With its black and bumpy skin, from the outside it is absolutely nothing to look at but once you open it up, the creamy green goodness is intoxicating and addicting.
Most people turn it into guacamole (which I love), but today I thought we would just enhance its natural beauty with some lightly sauteed vegetables and bay shrimp, letting it shine in a totally indulgent fashion!
Actually, you could stuff the avocados with anything you like, but this combination gives you lots of flexibility and is totally dependent on what you already have in the refrigerator. Unless your veggie drawer is completely empty, you probably already have just about everything you need.
When you cook the vegetables, make sure you lightly sauté them. You want them still slightly crunchy to offset the creaminess of the avocado. If you want a little more brightness, add a splash of fresh lemon juice to the saucepan while they are cooking. The extra acid will help cut through the fat of the fruit and complement the shrimp.
If you want to serve this as a vegetarian/vegan luncheon entrée, just leave off the shrimp. And there, in a jiffy you have an instant solution to hosting someone who doesn’t eat meat, is allergic to dairy products or is gluten-intolerant!
My friend ended up making all of my recommendations plus a few more of her own ideas and everyone in Maine got a better understanding of how lucky we are to live in a part of the country with such an incredible bounty of ingredients!
Have a wonderful day my friends and enjoy all these avocado recipes!!
Gluten-Free Tips:
These are naturally gluten-free and full of heart-healthy oils!
Kitchen Skill: How to Remove the Pit from Avocados
Use a sharp paring knife to slice the avocado in half lengthwise. Grab both halves and twist in opposite directions to separate them. Holding the half with the pit still in it in one hand, gently tap your knife in the pit, twisting it to loosen it. Carefully extract it from the knife and discard the pit. Repeat with remaining avocados.
If the thought of using a knife to extract the pit scares you, use a spoon, slip it underneath the pit and pop it out. You will lose a bit of the meat of the avocado, but you won’t run the risk of cutting yourself.
- 2 tbsp high quality olive oil
- 1/2 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 zucchini, minced
- 1 yellow crookneck squash or yellow zucchini, minced
- 2 carrots, peeled and minced
- 2 stalks celery, trimmed and minced
- 1 to 2 tsp oregano, thyme, ground cumin, or other favorite herb
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 ripe avocados
- 1/4 lb cooked bay shrimp, rinsed well and patted dry with paper towels (can be left out)
- 2 fresh lemons, cut into wedges
- In a 10-inch skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. When oil is shimmering, add chopped vegetables, oregano and salt and pepper. Toss until everything is evenly coated with oil and seasonings are distributed. Cook, stirring often, until just starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
- Cut the avocados in half lengthwise and twist open. Pop the seeds out of the centers and discard (see Kitchen Skill above). Cut a very thin slice off the rounded sides of the avocado halves, creating a stable bottom so they won’t wobble on the plate. Place two halves on each serving plate.
- Rinse shrimp well and pat dry with paper towels. Add to the vegetables in the skillet and toss until evenly distributed. Using a small spoon, fill the centers of the avocado halves with the vegetable and shrimp mixture. Squeeze a little fresh lemon juice over the top. Add a couple of lemon wedges to each plate and serve immediately.
- Make Ahead: You can prep and sauté the vegetables up to several hours in advance but do not add in the shrimp. Cool, cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over low heat, adding a splash more olive oil if needed. Add the shrimp, toss to combine, and set aside to cool. Prepare the avocados, stuff and serve.
Create a New Tradition Today!
Make sure you check out all of these remarkable recipes from my blogging friends!
Feed Me Phoebe: Kale Salad with Avocado, Cranberries and Peptias
Jeanette’s Healthy Living: Smoked Avocado Tomato Salsa Guacamole
Weelicious: Avocado Honey Dip
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Avocado Green Goddess Dressing
Red or Green: Avocado and Cilantro Pesto with Whole Wheat Penne
Blue Apron Blog: Avocado Tartines with Goat Cheese
Domesticate Me: Summer Salad with Avocado, Corn and Grilled Herb Shrimp
Dishin & Dishes: Creamy Avocado Citrus Dressing, No Cream, No Oil
And Love It Too: Sugar-Free Avocado Fudgesicles
Haute Apple Pie: Avocado BLT Egg Salad
Daily*Dishin: Colorful Sweet Pepper-Avocado Salsa
Devour: No-Cook Avocado, Shrimp and Mango Salad
Taste With The Eyes: Zucchini “Pappardelle” with Avocado “Cream”
FN Dish: 10 Audacious Guacamole Add-Ins
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Thank You!
Denise
GREAT recipe Jane. I really like the addition of squash to this one, as I am always on the look-out for new ways to sneak it into meals.
Jane Bonacci, The Heritage Cook
Thanks Denise! This time of the year a lot of us have zucchini and squash growing like crazy in the garden. I can find ways to add it to most of my savory dishes, LOL!! Glad you enjoyed!
Jeanette
Beautiful presentation Jane – such a great summer dish, very elegant!
Jane Bonacci, The Heritage Cook
Thank you Jeanette. I love this for special events like baby or bridal showers, luncheons, etc. Always popular!!
PacificMerchants
This looks like an incredibly refreshing summer recipe! I love the vibrant colors you’ve incorporated into the plating of the dish. It screams “party” in the best way.
Jane Bonacci, The Heritage Cook
Thanks so much – isn’t this plate fun! I love it and always makes me smile when I see it. You’re right, this is a party on a plate!!