Since going Paleo I’ve discovered that I really like avocado, like really like it. It’s a bit of a revelation for me since I’ve always been kind of luke-warm on them in the past. I don’t exactly dislike them and I think they are fine in guacamole, but have never been a big enough fan to just eat one for the sake of it. Although it has been a looooong time since I was pregnant, I have been blaming a dislike of the texture during that time for my aversion.
Somewhere over the last several months though all that has changed and I’ve begun to enjoy them, almost crave them. Maybe their creamy but firm texture are my substitute for the cheese that I’ve removed from my diet?
Anyway, the other day, while perusing some favourite cookbooks, I came across this recipe for seafood stuffed avocados in an old “Mexican Cooking Class” cookbook from Consumer Guide. I had purchased a big bag of frozen pre-cooked shrimp, thinking they would be useful for Steve, who has been trying to take his lunch to work, as a quick and easy protein. The original recipe called for crab meat, which I did not have, but a can of tuna is pretty much a pantry staple so I was set.
Putting this lunch together was really simple. I defrosted my shrimp, made the dressing and tossed it all together last night so that one serving could be packed then for Steve’s lunch. You only need to marinate it for a few hours but overnight gave the seafood a chance to really soak up the simple dressing flavours.
Steve got just the avocado halves and some cherry tomatoes packed in his lunch, while I went through the extra few minutes to shred some lettuce for my picture. To eat it, I just deconstructed it, peeling the avocado and chopping it up a bit with a knife to turn it into more of a salad.
I love Mexican food, especially the fresh, simple and authentic kind and this quick dish was simply fabulous. Like, I ate both halves and then wanted more fabulous!
Seafood Stuffed Avocados
Ingredients
For Dressing
- 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp grated lime rind
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp crushed dried chill or red pepper flakes
- 1/4 C avocado oil
For Salad
- 1 can tuna in water drained
- 8 oz cooked shrimp chopped if large
- 2 Tbsp fresh coriander chopped
- 2 large ripe avocados
- 1 C shredded romaine lettuce
- 1 handful cherry tomatoes
- lime wedges and extra coriander for garnish if desired
Instructions
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Combine lime juice, vinegar, garlic, lime rind, salt and chilies in a small bowl. Whisk in oil to combine and emulsify.
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In a medium sized bowl break canned tuna into medium sized chunks with a fork. Add shopped shrimp, coriander and dressing, tossing to combine. Put in fridge for a few hours or overnight to marinate.
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When ready to serve place shredded lettuce on a plate. Halve, remove pit, and peel avocados (you can leave the peel on if they will be packed in a lunch to keep the avocado from browning). Stuff cavity with seafood mixture and place on top of shredded lettuce.
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Serve with additional coriander and a lime wedge.
Recipe Notes
Adapted from Mexican Cooking Class