Curried Shrimp Salad with Avocado and Orange

Growing up, I wasn't a big fan of mayonnaise, so the idea of a salad like this would've just made me turn up my nose. I blame the french fries in Montreal (and perhaps discovering that Miracle Whip wasn't really mayonnaise?) for helping me overcome my aversion. The first time I saw them, I couldn't think of a worse thing to do to french fries. A year or so later? I caught myself asking for mayonnaise when I was served fries in the US. I'm glad I've moved on because it's opened up some delicious dishes to me. This one in particular caught my eye while trying to avoid heating up the house during a heat wave (I realize that those of you heading into winter may not appreciate this as much ... or maybe you will!). Of course, the heat wave broke an hour or so before dinner (Melbourne seems to be fond of extreme temperature shifts), so my efforts were for naught, but this fresh salad hit the spot with plenty of fruit and vegetables to balance out the creamy shrimp.

She calls for boiling and chilling the shrimp yourself to add more flavour. You certainly can (and I did), but it does take this dish from super quick and easy to a bit more planning required. You first need to simmer a quick stock with 1 carrot, 1 celery stick, 1 lemon, 1/2 sweet onion, 2 bay leaves, and some salt for 10 minutes. You take some of the stock out and chill it so it can serve as the ice bath for the shrimp (using ice in ziplock bags so you don't dilute it). The rest of the stock you use to boil the shell on shrimp in for 1 minute, before you chill them, then peel and devein. I'm sure it added flavour, it's just a little bit fussy for a weeknight. So the quick and easy version below? Just buy some cooked shrimp.

Two years ago: Summer King Salmon Kebabs
Three years ago: Indonesian Spice Cake
Four years ago: Sweet and Sour Napa Cabbage
Five years ago: Beef Rendang
Six years ago: Mint Brownies

Curried Shrimp Salad with Avocado and Orange (from Lighten Up Y'all)

Ingredients
1 tbsp finely chopped sweet onion
1/4 cup mayonnaise (she calls for light because it is a "light" cookbook, but you know I can't endorse that)
2 tbsp finely chopped celery
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
1 lb cooked and chilled shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp chopped mint
grated zest of 2 oranges, with fruit set aside
1 avocado, seeded and chopped
5 oz arugula
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
kosher salt and pepper

1. Place onion in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high until just tender, 25 seconds. (You can also sweat in a skillet, but why not save a dish?)
2. Let onion cool slightly, then add mayo, celery, and curry powder. Stir to combine.
3. Add shrimp, parsley, mint, and grated orange zest to mayo and season with salt and pepper.
4. Separate orange into segments. You can use the knife to slice off the top and bottom and then cut around or if yours is easy enough to peel, you can do it by hand.
5. Combine avocado, orange segments, and arugula in medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper and toss.
6. Pile salad among 6 plates, top with spoonful of shrimp, and serve.

Tuna Sashimi Salad with Wasabi Vinaigrette

Think of this dish as a deconstructed sushi roll. It combines all of your favorites - tuna, avocado, soy, and wasabi - without the effort of rolling things up into a roll and making sushi rice. The original calls for seared tuna which you could obviously do still, but we just found it didn't add enough to justify the extra work. The original also doesn't call for avocado, but we had one sitting around and I appreciated the creamy texture in there and tuna sushi always makes me think of avocado.

One year ago: Panfried Sea Bass with Harissa and Rose
Two years ago: Crumbled Cheese with Scallions and Tomatoes
Three years ago: Pork in Green Peanut Sauce
Four years ago: Cauliflower Gratin
Five years ago: Basic Risotto Recipe

Tuna Sashimi Salad with Wasabi Vinaigrette (adapted from Avec Eric)

Ingredients
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp wasabi sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup radish sprouts (or other small greens)
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1 avocado, pitted and chopped
2 tuna steaks (approximately 6 ounces each), sliced into 1/4" pieces
3 tbsp canola oil

1. Whisk lime juice, soy sauce, and wasabi in a bowl to blend.
2. Whisking constantly, drizzle olive oil into lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Gently combine radish sprouts, cilantro, green onion, and avocado in another bowl.
4. Fan tuna slices in a pinwheel pattern on 4 plates.
5. Lightly dress salad with vinaigrette and place a small mound of salad in the center of each plate.
6. Drizzle more vinaigrette on tuna and salad. Serve.

Avocado and Citrus Salad with Green Olives

The combination on grapefruit, avocado, and olives seemed like an odd choice, but I had faith and my faith was rewarded with a refreshing side salad. It was a little surprising how well the avocados and olives fit into everything. The full recipe below makes a lot of salad. Goin says you should aim for about 1/2 cup of citrus per person. For us, 1 grapefruit and 1 orange seemed the right amount for two people with about 1/2 of an avocado and other pieces scaled haphazardly. The original also calls for a mix of watercress and frisee, but I needed baby spinach for something else, so I decided to just keep things simple. I think it's fair to say this could work with any tender greens of your choice.

Two years ago: Bulgur Salad with Apricot, Radicchio, and Parsley
Three years ago: Dan Dan Noodles
Four years ago: Bolognese Meat Sauce

Avocado and Citrus Salad with Green Olives (adapted from Sunday Suppers at Lucques)

Ingredients
4 lbs mixed citrus fruit (grapefruit, oranges, clementines, tangerines, etc.)
2 tbsp finely chopped shallot
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 ripe avocados
1/2 cup pitted green olives
1 bunch watercress, cleaned and tough stems removed
1 bunch frisee, cleaned

1. Zest citrus to get 1 tsp of zest.
2. Cut stem and blossom ends from fruit. Peel fruit and slice into segments, discarding seeds. Retain juice if possible. If not, that's okay too.
3. Combine shallots, 1/4 cup citrus juice from slicing (or just increase other acidic components), vinegar, lemon juice, and 1/2 tsp salt in small bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes.
4. Whisk in olive oil and zest to shallot mixture.
5. Place citrus segments and olives in a large bowl. Spoon 3/4 of vinaigrette over top and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt. Toss in watercress and frisee [or other greens of your choice].
6. For plating, you can plate on a platter gently adding in the avocado slices in between a salad sandwich or you can just gently fold the avocado into your salad bowl and serve as I did.

Catfish with a Chunky Avocado-Tomato Sauce

One of the things I will never grow tired of living in California is the availability of perfect avocados. One of the vendors at the Saturday farmer's market sells bags of small avocados which are the perfect size for snacking on. Occasionally, I realize that I should maybe try to do something with the avocado abundance rather than just eating them. This recipe pairs creamy avocados with Indian spices for a refreshingly different (and spicy!) dinner.

I was using very thin sole for this dish instead of catfish, so I skipped the initial browning step entirely to avoid overcooking the fish and left the fish in filet strips.

Two years ago: Creme Brulee French Toast
Three years ago: Creamy, Lemony Eggs with Prosciutto
Four years ago: Corn and Tomato Gratin

Catfish with a Chunky Avocado-Tomato Sauce (from 660 Curries)

Ingredients
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 lb skinless catfish fillets, cut into 2" pieces
2 tbsp canola oil
1 tsp black or yellow mustard seeds
1 large ripe Haas avocado, seeded, peeled, and cut into 1" cubes
1/2 cup canned (or fresh) diced tomatoes
12 medium to large curry leaves
4 fresh green chiles, stems removed and cut in half
3 lengthwise slices fresh ginger (1.5"x1"x1/8"), cut into matchsticks
1 tsp coarse salt

1. Sprinkle turmeric over catfish and rub in. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes - overnight.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mustard seeds, cover, and let pop like popcorn, ~ 30 seconds.
3. Add fish and cook until each side is lightly browned, ~ 15 seconds each. Transfer to a plate.
4. Add avocado, tomatoes, curry leaves, chiles, ginger, salt, and 1/2 cup water to skillet. Heat to a boil.
5. Return fish to skillet and spoon sauce over them. Cover and poach until fish is cooked. (You may need to reduce the heat a bit.)
6. Using a slotted spatula, transfer the fish to a serving platter.
7. Simmer sauce uncovered for 1 - 2 minutes until it starts to thicken. Spoon over fish and serve.

Avocado Macaroni and Cheese

This recipe takes mac & cheese and makes it even more decadent with creamy avocado. The jalapeno, lime, and herbs give it a little bite and brightness to cut the richness just enough. For the cheese, any high quality cheddar works as a good substitute. I was able to find Jasper Hill Cabot Clothbound Cheddar which the author recommends as a substitute. My only caution with this recipe? The leftovers will discolor when exposed to air, so it's most appetizing the day of!

One year ago: Sweet-and-Sour Fish tiles
Two years ago: Chili and Basil Scallops
Three years ago: Egg Drop Soup
Four years ago: Rosemary Parmesan Popovers

Beecher's Flagship Cheddar with Avocado, Lime, and Shell Pasta (from Melt: The Art of Macaroni and Cheese)

Ingredients
1 jalapeno, stemmed and cut in half
zest and juice of 1 lime
2 green onions, green parts only, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 ripe avocados, divided
10 ounces shell pasta
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
10 ounces Beecher's flagship cheddar, shredded
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1. In a food processor, combine jalapeno, lime zest, lime juice, green onions, garlic, and flesh of 2 avocados. Process until smooth.
2. Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, heat milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until tiny bubbles form. Turn off heat.
4. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and stir until light brown, ~ 3 minutes.
5. Slowly add milk to flour and butter and stir until sauce thickens. Remove from heat.
6. Stir in salt, pepper, and cheese into milk until completely melted.
7. Add avocado-onion paste to cheese sauce and stir until well-blended.
8. Add pasta and cilantro to sauce.
9. Dice remaining avocado, toss with mac and cheese, and serve.

Avocado and Sumac Whip

This of this as a cross between guacamole and hummus ... in other words, the perfect snack. This works great as a dip with bread or as a side dish to some fish that's been crusted with toasted cumin and a bit of sumac.

One year ago: Chile-Smothered Pork with Vinegar
Two years ago: Hare and Chocolate Sauce
Four years ago: Lemon Sugar Cookies

Avocado and Sumac Whip (from Purple Citrus and Sweet Perfume)

Ingredients
2 ripe avocados
juice of 1 small lemon
1/4 cup tahini
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp crushed sumac
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cumin
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp black sesame seeds

1. Peel and cube the avocados, discarding the pits.
2. In a food processor, blend avocado with lemon juice until smooth.
3. Add tahini, olive oil, sumac, cinnamon, cumin, and garlic and mix until the consistency of mayo.
4. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

Albacore Crudo with Avocado, Cucumber, and Ruby Grapefruit

I've been swooning over the new AOC Cookbook, but I haven't posted much from it because most of the recipes are a bit involved. This one was too good not to share though and despite it having a few components, no cooking is required and it's quick enough for a weeknight meal. I was a little worried the grapefruit salsa would be too sour, but paired with the creamy avocado puree, it was perfect. Hopefully our fish box sends us more sushi quality tuna, because I'm almost out.

One year ago: Changde Rice Noodles with Red-Braised Beef
Two years ago: Cabbage with Coconut Milk
Three years ago: Whole Wheat Goldfish Crackers
Four years ago: Simple Tomato Sauce

Albacore Crudo with Avocado, Cucumber, and Ruby Grapefruit (from The AOC Cookbook)

Ingredients
2 ruby grapefruits
2 tbsp finely diced shallots
1/4 cup fresh lime juice, divided (zest one of them first)
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
2 tbsp seeded, diced jalapenos
1 medium-sized Persian cucumber, diced to 1/4 cup
2 ripe medium avocados
12 ounces sushi-grade albacore or hamachi
1 bunch watercress, stemmed, cleaned, and dried (or arugula)
1 tsp lime zest
2 tbsp sliced cilantro

1. Cut stem and blossom ends from grapefruits. Following contour of fruit, remove peel and white pith. Slice between membranes and remove segments. Cut each segment into 4 pieces and place in medium bowl.
2. Add shallots, 3 tbsp lime juice, and 1/2 tsp salt to grapefruit and let sit for 5 minutes.
3. Whisk in 6 tbsp olive oil and stir in jalapenos and cucumber.
4. Cut avocados into quarters lengthwise. Remove pit and peel, cut into chunks. In food processor, puree with 1 tbsp lime juice, 2 tbsp olive oil, and 1 tsp salt.
5. Cut fish into 1/4" thick slices against grain. Season fish with lime zest, salt, and pepper.
6. Spoon avocado puree onto plates. Scatter watercress over puree. Arrange fish on puree. Spoon cucumber-grapefruit salsa over and around fish. Sprinkle cilantro on top and serve.

Avocado, Quinoa, and Fava Bean Salad

I had plans to make this with the beans, but that plan fell through. Even without the beans though, this was a lovely side. The one thing I might change is considering cutting back on the cumin. It didn't work for me quite as well in the mix. I served this as a side to the chicken and haloumi, but it could easily stand on its own.

One year ago: Chicken with Chiles
Two years ago: Fettucine, Pine Nuts, and Cilantro
Three years ago: Fettucine Alfredo
Four years ago: Spinach Pomegranate Salad

Avocado, Quinoa, and Fava Bean Salad (from Plenty)

Ingredients
200g quinoa
500g shelled fava beans
2 medium lemons
2 small ripe avocados
2 garlic cloves, crushed
200g breakfast radishes, halved lengthwise
50g purple radish cress (or small purple basil leaves or watercress)
1 tbsp ground cumin
75 ml olive oil
1/4 tsp chili flakes
salt and pepper

1. Place quinoa in saucepan with plenty of water, bring to boil and simmer for 9 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, and leave to dry.
2. Bring pot of water to boil, add fava beans, bring back to boil, drain, refresh with cold water, and leave to dry. Discard skins.
3. Remove skin from lemons and place in bowl. Juice lemons into bowl.
4. Peel, stone, and thinly slice avocado, adding it to the lemon juice.
5. Add dry quinoa to the bowl along with fava beans, garlic, radishes, cress, cumin, olive oil, chili flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss and serve.

Corn Salad with Tomatoes, Avocados, and Lime Cilantro Dressing

It's hard to get much cooking done in the summer. The warm weather outside beckons with far too many distractions. Living without air conditioning also means I have to be careful not to overheat my apartment by running the stove or oven too long. Fortunately, with fresh fruits and vegetables in season, there are delicious alternatives that require very little cooking. This dish is quick and easy. The avocado gives it a bit of something extra and makes it more filling if you're looking for a nice summery lunch. I used grape tomatoes in place of diced tomatoes.

One year ago: Turmeric Rice
Two years ago: Pasta Pesto Salad

Corn Salad with Tomatoes, Avocados, and Lime Cilantro Dressing (from Cook This Now)

Ingredients
3 ears corn, kernels sliced from cob
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large tomato, diced
2 ripe avocados, diced
2 scallions, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Cook corn until tender, 2 minutes. Drain.
2. In a bowl, whisk together lime juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Whisk in oil.
3. In a large bowl, combine corn, tomato, avocados, scallions, and cilantro. Add dressing, toss to coat, and serve.