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DS just informed me he likes avocados & cilantro. He's 29 and I never knew that! (He was my very simple foods kinda guy.)

anyway, he had the Santa Fe salad at Chilis and loved it. So he picked up these items today and wonders what to make with them now?

Do you have any favorite recipes using this fruit & herb? (I didn't know avocados were a fruit til I looked it up.)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: nance425,

I love avocado simply mashed with garlic powder and some salt.

Then, I put it on many things: over baked potatoes, alongside a steak, over nachos, on a taco salad, as a dip for corn tortilla chips, spread over a corn tortilla and rolled up, etc.

If he loved Chilis salad, then I'd try to recreate it -- it's -- grilled chicken rubbed with chili powder, pico de gallo (which you can either make or buy ready made), ranch dressing, topped with tortilla strips, cilantro and avacado. It calls for a spicy Santa Fe sauce but would assume that a good salsa would work. If you wanted, you could add frozen corn and black beans (canned ones, drained) to the salad as well.

Martha

Pico de Gallo:
Equal amounts of chopped Roma tomatoes, diced onion, and loosely packed cilantro (then chop it), squeeze of half a lime or so, and salt to taste.

Guacamole
Squash an avocado to your preference (smooth or chunky), toss in some of your pico de gallo to your taste, add salt if necessary to your taste. (Hint, taste with chips you plan on serving with it as they are salty and will affect the saltiness of the guacamole.)

That's about all I've got for you.

Lots of little steps, but awesome presentation and taste:

Mexican Shrimp Martini

½ Cup Cold Water
1 Cup Roma Tomatoes - Chopped ¼ inch
1 Cup Yellow Jumbo Onion - Chopped ¼ inch
¼ Cup Cilantro - Chopped fine
½ TBSP Jalapeno Pepper - Chopped fine and deseeded
6 TBSP Avocado - Chopped ½ inch chunks
¾ Cup Heinz Ketchup
2 TSP Lime Juice - Fresh squeezed
1 TBSP Red Tabasco Sauce
1 TBSP Green Tabasco Sauce
¼ TBSP Worcestershire Sauce
¼ TBSP Cajun Chef Hot Sauce
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix Well. Serve well chilled. Yields aprox 1 quart.
For each serving:
6 oz. of MSM cocktail sauce (see above recipe)
15-20 small/medium shrimp-peeled, boiled, and chilled
1 tsp blackening spice (add to desired flavor)
1 lime wedge
½ ounce of tequila (optional)Not using this does not change the taste.
2 sprigs cilantro-no stem

Place the sauce, shrimp, seasoning, and tequila in a Bartender's metal tumbler. Squeeze the juice from the lime wedge into the tumbler and cover the top with a tight fitting lid or glass. Shake like you're making a real martini. When thoroughly mixed, pour into a serving glass. Place the glass on a plate and arrange the chips around the base of the glass. Garnish with the cilantro sprigs.

Avocados are wonderful in salads.

I use cilantro when I make corn salad. Use whole kernel corn, chopped red peppers, chopped green onions, drained and rinsed black beans, and chopped cilantro. Salt and pepper to taste. For dressing, you can use either mayo or your favorite zesty italian style dressing. Best if made a few hours before serving.

Actually, the salad would be wonderful topped with chopped avocado.

aychihuahua, that sounds soooooo good, I will be making that one day this week, it seems to be like a ceviche but not raw. In fact, all these recipes sound good. Lots of great ideas!

I really like thinly sliced avacado in chicken sandwiches. it replaces the mayo.

Have you ever had an avocado enchilada?! OH MY! One restaurant uses guacamole and covers the enchilada with cilantro sauce. Forgot all about that.

Another restaurant uses sliced of avocado.

Let me do a quick search:
Oooohhh! With creamy cilantro sauce - that's different!
http://slavosalt.com/behold-avocado-enchiladas/

Several of those recipes with creamy cilantro sauce on the internet. I don't think either restaurant where I order them uses a cream sauce...maybe so... I'll ask at my favorite restaurant.

I made an avocado and cilantro soup similar to this recipe: http://www.yummly.com/recipe/e...ntro-Soup-Allrecipes

It's very, very good.

We enjoy avocado and my favorite is for a avocado pear salad. 1/4 pared pear 1/4 pared avocado laid side by side on a Bibb lettuce leaf. The drizzle dressing is a hint of sweet vinaigrette with finely chopped green pepper and green onion in it. You could add cilantro to dressing on this one.

Oh me o my...looky at all those great ideas y'all posted. Thank you so much. I'm going to pass these ideas on to him. When we visit (Arizona), I know what we'll be having.

He said avocados are really cheap there. On sale here, Haas are usually $.99. Saw them for .88 this week, so guess I'll pick some up and try some of your ideas, too.

If you think of any more, please feel free to post.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: nance425,

I absolute love avocados but dislike cilantro just as much so my suggestions are about avocados themselves.

They meld wonderfully with seafood especially dungeness crab, shrimp and lobster ~ simply slice the avocado, sprinkle lightly with salt (keeps it from turning dark) and serve ~ nothing else is necessary!

I have 8 avocados and cilantro in the house at the moment so I would say I'm a fan of avocado and cilantro.

Has your son tried cilantro salad dressing? There are recipes for creamy style and regular.

My DM used to give a slice of toast topped with half an avocado as snack when I was in elementary school.

When we have tuna sandwiches I mash half an avocado on a slice of bread and then top it with with tuna salad. The tuna can be topped with cilantro too.

I live in Los Angeles and the sandwich shops here offer cilantro as a topping the way other areas offer lettuce or tomato.

A salad could have cilantro added.

I always add cilantro to my guacamole.

Avocado with cottage cheese is another common food snack here.

The Cuban restaurants I have eaten at serve an avocado salad which is an avocado halved with olive oil drizzled over it and a side of chopped onion.



This recipe is very mild tasting. I recommend adding some spices for a better flavor.

Avocado Quinoa Salad

Original Recipe Yield 8 servings

Prep Time:
15 Min
Cook Time:
15 Min
Ready In:
1 Hr 30 Min


Ingredients

* 1 cup quinoa
* 2 cups chicken broth
* 2 Chilean Hass avocados
* 2 tablespoons lemon juice
* 1 large tomato, diced
* 1/2 cucumber, diced
* 2 stalks celery, diced
* Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In medium saucepan, cook quinoa according to package directions, using chicken broth in place of water. Let cool. Cut avocados in half, remove pit and peel. Cut into chunks. Toss with lemon juice. Add avocado and all remaining ingredients to quinoa and toss gently to mix. Chill until ready to serve.

...and they are healthy!!! I even put lots of cilantro on top salad; love the pungent aroma/flave.

Another favorite of mine, courtesy of my MIL:

On a platter, make an array of sliced Haas avocado, sliced mango (or sliced oranges) and thinly sliced red onion.

For the dressing: whisk together olive oil, a little bit of honey, and white balsamic vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Drizzle it over the sliced fruits.

Just before serving, garnish with lots of finely chopped cilantro and add a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

OMG, Aychi!!!! That last salad you mentioned would be heavenly!!!

still tryin - I have never had quinoa. I don't even know how to pronounce it. But the recipe looks good enough to try it.

thanks aychihuahua - I have never used white balsamic before. Hmmmm....

Here you go Nancy. This ought to explain quinoa for you.

http://vegetarian.about.com/od...y/g/whatisquinoa.htm

ffg - it looks like those little ice cream pellets.
I'm for sure gonna pick some up and give it a try. thanks so much.

Oh, still tryin -
What kind of spices would you add to the Avocado Quinoa Salad? Cilantro is not enough????
(I love it!)

Oh and save the avocado pit please!

Put it the guacamole to keep it green.

quote:

Originally posted by nance425:

thanks aychihuahua - I have never used white balsamic before. Hmmmm....

Look for Alessi brand in your grocery store: http://www.vigo-alessi.com/pro....php?grp1=10&grp2=11

I have not tried cilantro in it, but I always add a hand full of baby spinach leaves and if available, a sliced avocado to an egg-beater omelet. Since I also add hot sauce and some grated parmesan, I bet the cilantro would fit right in too.

thanks aychihuahua, will look for it!!!

conrad, how do you put in a sliced avocado in the omelet? Sounds interesting... what size are the slices?

Yes, thinner 1/4 inch slices so they can cook and heat along with the eggs and spinach. Whole avocado if I am making a double omelet, and half of one if just for myself.

A health forum recommended this and it's very filling and satisfying for a meal. Avocados used to get a bad rap, since they have fat, but it is GOOD fat.