In praise of the avocado
Recipes with the ingredient the first Europeans to set eyes on them used as a butter substitute
Chunky Guacamole
Serves 8
1 large ripe tomato
3 avocados, very ripe but not bruised
Juice 1 large lime
Handful coriander, leaves and stalks chopped, plus a few leaves roughly chopped, to serve
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 chilli, red or green, deseeded and finely chopped
Tortilla chips, to serve
l Use a large knife to pulverise the tomato to a pulp on a board and tip into a bowl. Halve and stone the avocados (saving a stone) and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh into the bowl with the tomato.
l Tip all the other ingredients into the bowl, then season with salt and pepper. Use a whisk to roughly mash everything together. If not serving straight away, sit a stone in the guacamole (this helps to stop it going brown), cover with cling film and chill until needed. Scatter with the coriander and serve with tortilla chips or spicy wedges and sour cream.
Crab-Stuffed Avocados
Serves 4
100g white crabmeat
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp olive oil
Handful basil leaves, shredded with a few of the smaller leaves left whole, to serve
1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped
2 avocados
l To make the crab mix, flake the crabmeat into a small bowl and mix in the mustard and oil. Season to taste. Add the basil and chilli just before serving.
l To serve, halve and stone the avocados. Fill each cavity with a quarter of the crab mix, scatter with a few of the smaller basil leaves and eat with teaspoons.
l The crab filling can be made the day before. For a cheaper version, mix the same ingredients with some flaked tinned tuna rather than crab.
Cajun Chicken Burgers
Serves 4
4 skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp olive oil
4 rashers smoked bacon
2 avocados
4 ciabatta rolls, split
4 thin slices of your favourite cheese
4 small handfuls baby spinach leaves
Mayonnaise, to serve, optional
For the Cajun seasoning
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp paprika
l Mix the seasoning ingredients together with a good grinding of black pepper and a sprinkling of salt, set aside in a large dish. Heat grill to high. On a board, flatten out the chicken slightly, then drizzle half the oil over and toss in the seasoning until completely coated. Heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan, sizzle the chicken for 5 minutes on each side until firm, push to one side of the pan and fry the bacon for a few minutes until cooked.
l While the chicken is cooking, halve, stone, peel and slice the avocados. Toast the cut sides of the buns. Cover the tops of the buns with cheese and grill until melted.
l To assemble the burgers, spread the buns with mayonnaise if using, top with a handful of spinach leaves, then a rasher of bacon. To keep the avocado in place, slice the chicken, then alternate between a slice of chicken and avocado. Top with the bun, press down lightly and serve.
