Grilled Avocados
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Avocados have been a mainstay of my culinary life for about as long as I can remember. Growing up in Southern California in the 60's, avocados were locally grown, plentiful and part of just about every party and celebration, usually in the form of guacamole. But all that changed and guacamole became the springboard for a host of dishes, sweet and savory, but for me, nothing beats a plain slice of perfectly ripe avocado. It really needs nothing to enhance its lusciousness, but then....
The other day as I was listening to one of my food podcasts, Evan Kleiman was interviewing an avocado grower who mentioned that one of his favorite ways to eat avocados is to grill them. What?! That's brilliant! Why I hadn’t I thought of that?! The avocado and the grill were simply made for each other.
THAT night I’m so grilling an avocado. Oh. My. Goodness. Really, people. Grilled avocados are the bomb. Just cut your avocado in half, remove the seed, and brush it with some lime juice and olive oil. Place it flesh-side down on your hot grill for about 5 to 7 minutes.
Remove it from your grill and and sprinkle with a little lime juice and salt. Unbelievable. If you want to take it a step further, fill the hole with your favorite salsa and top that with a little sour cream. Sprinkle the whole thing with some chopped cilantro, a good sprinkling of kosher salt and maybe another drizzle of lime juice. The avocado meat gets a little soft and warm and smoky, and you honestly will just want to curl up in it. We scooped it out with a spoon, but it would be just as yummy to scoop it out with some tortilla chips.
Here's a quick and easy salsa recipe. It was divine inside that avocado.
Quick and Easy Salsa
1 can fire-roasted tomatoes
1/8 to ¼ cup diced onion
3 cloves garlic
1T white wine vinegar (or lime juice)
¼ tsp cayenne or crushed red pepper(you can also throw in a jalapeno if you want)
½ tsp salt
3 or 4 sprigs of cilantro,
Dump it all in the blender and process until it becomes a harmonious blend of salsa goodness.
Taste and add more salt, cayenne or cilantro if needed.
