Oh, summer. Specifically, the dog days. That time of year when it’s too hot to cook–even if you’re a person who, like me, enjoys cooking.
This meal falls into a category that gets a lot of play at my house during this time of year: “mostly pre-made meals.” I really don’t like the idea of microwaving a frozen dinner, but assembling a variety of ready-made ingredients in a unique way, thereby creating something new, seems a little bit like cooking. At the very least, I’m willing to call it “creating” dinner.
Tonight, Mike and I enjoyed these Shrimp Stuffed Avocados.
They require very few ingredients, all of which are consumed raw or have been helpfully prepared in advance. To make these stuffed avocados, you will need:
- A large avocado. Or several, if you’re feeding more than two people. This is an excellent, quick recipe for feeding small groups as well as couples.
- A package of cooked cilantro-lime shrimp from Costco, available in the prepared foods section. Like all things at Costco, it’s a large package–but that just means you can nosh on shrimp for the next few days as well. It’s a perfect, cold protein source for late summer.
- A package of salsa fresca, also known as pico de gallo. My local grocery store sells salsa fresca in the produce section; if yours does not, substitute your favorite variety of chunky salsa from a jar. Or, if you’re feeling ambitious, make your own.
- A package of fresh pineapple chunks. My local grocery store sometimes sells fresh pineapple salsa in the produce section, and I would have used that if I’d been able to find it at the store yesterday. Since I couldn’t, I bought fresh pineapple and chopped it up to add to the pico de gallo. Pineapple adds a bit of sweetness that balances out the heat from the jalapenos in the pico de gallo.
- Lime vinaigrette dressing. Use a bottled variety or whip up a batch of your own–vinaigrette is just about the easiest thing in the world to make. I like the recipe you’ll find here. Just substitute lime juice in the lemon variation.
And that’s it. About half an hour before you’re ready to eat dinner, chop your pineapple chunks into smaller pieces and add them to the pico de gallo. Then toss the pico de gallo with enough of the shrimp to stuff two avocado halves–I used about a third of the Costco package. (There are no precise measurements here–just eyeball the balance of ingredients and know that if you’ve made too much, you can always eat the leftovers on their own.) Cover the shrimp mixture with plastic wrap and set it in the refrigerator for about half an hour, so all the flavors can blend together.
When you’re ready to eat, slice an avocado in half. Remove the pit, score the peel lightly in two or three places, and pull off the peel in large pieces. (It’s easier to cut the avocado into quarters and peel those, but I like the look of an intact avocado half–I think it makes a more impressive presentation. Either way, though, they’ll taste delicious.) Pile the shrimp mixture into the center of the avocado. Don’t worry about being too precise; it’s supposed to look like the shrimp mixture is pouring forth. Drizzle a little lime vinaigrette over the top, and you’re ready to dig in. Prepare yourself for the delight that is creamy avocado, followed by spicy pico de gallo, sweet pineapple and cold, delicious shrimp. The lime vinaigrette pulls everything together.
I serve these avocados with a few tortilla chips, which come in handy for eating any filling that falls out of the avocado. They’re also a delightful way to use up any leftovers. Mike and I both went back for seconds on the shrimp after we’d finished our avocados, and we finished dinner feeling pleasantly full, but not stuffed–the best way to wrap up a long, hot summer day.
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