Avocados...Perfect for Meatless Monday

I love avocado! I enjoy eating them raw with a splash of lemon juice for a quick snack.  A grilled avocado is elegant in its simplicity – simply brush with lime juice and place on the grill to infuse the earthy fruit with savory smoke. The grill marks make for a delightful presentation and you can really up the ante in serving the salsa smack dab in the middle, replacing the pit.  Remember to use organic when possible.

 

Grilled Avocado with Salsa

Serves 12
For the salsa:

• 1 15 ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes
  ¼ cup diced onion
  3 cloves garlic
  ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper
• ½ teaspoon salt
  4 sprigs cilantro
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• or
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 jalapeño*, stemmed and seeded

For the grilled avocados:

• 3 avocados, halved
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• salt, to taste
• low-fat sour cream, for garnish*
• or
• low-fat Greek yogurt, for garnish*

*optional 
 

To make the salsa:
Combine the tomatoes, diced onion, garlic, pepper, salt, cilantro, vinegar or lime juice and jalapeño, if using. Pulse in a food processor or blender until the salsa is chopped and blended to preference.

To complete the grilled avocados with salsa:
Preheat a grill to medium-high heat.
Remove the pit of each avocado by cutting into the pit with a large sharp knife and turning the knife counter-clockwise. Once the knife is properly wedged into the avocado pit, it should be easy to remove the pit from the flesh of the avocado, as you twist and remove the knife.
Whisk together the lime juice and olive oil in a small bowl. Brush each avocado half with the lime juice marinade.
Place each prepared avocado half, flesh side down, over the hot grill. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until grill marks appear and the avocado is warm, but not overly mushy.
Remove the avocado halves from the grill and fill the hole, left by the pits, with salsa. You will have salsa left over after all the holes are filled. Reserve the leftover salsa in the fridge for a future snack or entrée topping.
Squeeze the wedge of lime over the avocado halves and sprinkle lightly with salt. Top the salsa with a dollop sour cream or Greek yogurt, if using.
Consume with a fork or use baked pita chips as your utensil.

Spicy Cucumber-Avocado Soup

Ingredients

• 1/2 firm-ripe California avocado
• 1 3/4 English cucumbers (1 1/2 pounds), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 (8-ounce) container plain low-fat yogurt (1 cup)
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh jalapeño chile with seeds
• 1 cup small ice cubes

  Garnish: diced avocado and chopped chives

 

Preparation

Peel and pit avocado. Blend all ingredients in a blender until very smooth, about 1 minute.