In the Kitchen with Sigona’s featuring Avocados

California avocados are a wonderful ingredient; their creamy richness provides a cooling antidote to chili or salsa and adds richness to salads and shellfish. California roll, anyone?

Simply Served:

• Mashed and spread on a piece of toasted whole wheat bread. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper
• Just after plating, slice a few sliced into a soup or stew. They’re great in tortilla soup, minestrone or even tomato soup
• Mix in finely diced red onion, lime juice and salt and pepper with mashed avocado and use as a dip for sliced turnips, beets, carrots, jicima or other dipping veggies. This is an extremely healthy energy source.
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Endive and Avocado with Tomatillo-Basil Dressing

Drizzle this sauce on more than Belgian Endive and Avocado boats, try it on poached fished, cooked veggies or poultry. Dressing yields 1 cup. Recipe adapted from Uncommon Fruits and Vegetables by Elizabeth Schneider. Serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 2 small shallots, sliced
• 6 large basil leaves, sliced
• 1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, grated
• 1/4 tsp agave nectar
• pinch of salt
• 6 medium tomatillos, roasted and husked
• 1 TBL lemon juice, or to taste
• 1/3 cup corn oil
• 4 medium Belgian endive (about 3/4 lb.)
• 2 medium avocados, halved, pitted and peeled (how-to video)

Directions: combine shallots, basil, ginger, agave and salt in a processor. Whirl to chop fine, but do not puree. Add roasted and peeled tomatillos and 1 TBL lemon juice. Chop in processor to crush slightly. Add oil with motor running and mix well, but do not make a completely smooth puree. Adjust seasoning. Cover and chill if not using at once, but do not keep much more than an hour, or the shallot and basil become dominant and somewhat bitter.

Slice about a half inch off the base of the endive heads and arrange the larger, individual leaves on a serving platter. Thinly slice avocado crosswise over endive. Spoon dressing over the top and enjoy.

Sigona’s Guacamole

Some like it hot, some do not! Add as much chili pepper as you wish. Remember, the white veins and seeds are what pack a punch, so scrape them out to lower the heat.

Ingredients:

• 4 large ripe avocados, removed from skin and coarsely chopped
• 1/3 cup finely diced white onion
• 1/3 cup finely diced red onion
• 2-4 Serrano chilies (or jalapenos), finely chopped (seeds removed or left depending on how hot you like your guac.)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 TBL fresh squeezed lime juice
• Fresh ground black pepper

Directions: Mix onions, Serrano chilies, garlic and salt in a medium-sized glass bowl. Add the avocados and gently stir. Pour in the lime juice and toss. Gently stir in 1/4 cup of the pomegranate seeds if desired. Season with some black pepper to taste and that’s it! Yep – it’s that easy. Serve with chips, veggies or spread on a sandwich!

Whole Wheat Pasta with Avocado, Cherry Tomatoes and Basil

You can assemble this dish in the time it takes to boil water, it is easy, healthy, and deceptively delicious. It is good anytime of year when good avocados are available, the addition of basil makes it even better. Serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. whole wheat or brown rice spaghetti (or you can use brown rice pasta, which we sell)
• 1/4 of a yellow onion, chopped
• 1 pint halved cherry or grape tomatoes
• 1 avocado diced
• 1 TBL red wine vinegar
• 2 sprigs of basil (8-10 leaves) sliced
• Black pepper

Directions: Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to the directions. Meanwhile toss the rest of the ingredients together and let marinate. When the spaghetti is al dente drain quickly reserving a little of the pasta cooking water and toss the hot pasta with the rest. Add a tablespoon or two of the pasta water if the sauce seems a little dry. Add plenty of black pepper.

California Avocado Ceviche

This recipe, adapted from the California Avocado Commission’s website, is a favorite among two avocado growers from Southern California. The combination of rich & creamy avocados with other fresh, California grown produce is irresistible! Note that part of the prep requires that the mix be refrigerated for at least 8 hours.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lb. fish fillets, scallops or other shellfish cleaned, diced
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 2 canned green chilies, diced into 1-inch cubes
• 2 TBL cilantro, chopped
• 1 cup Sigona’s Fresh Press Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 white or red onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 3-4 large (about 8 oz. ea.) California Hass avocados, peeled and cubed
• 1/2 tsp. basil
• 2 cups lime juice

Directions: Place fish in large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine oil, wine, oregano, basil and lime juice; pour over fish. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours.

About 4 hours before serving, add tomatoes chilies, cilantro, garlic and onion. Return to refrigerator.

Just before serving, add avocado cubes, lift ceviche from marinade with slotted spoon and transfer to a serving dish. Serve immediately with tortilla chips or over cooked brown rice (about 3 cups cooked). Serves 4.

Avocado and Mustard Greens Salad with Sweet-Hot Dressing

Mixing mustard greens with a warm dressing softens the texture and offsets a little of the bitterness, and in this recipe, the avocado is also a good match for doing the same. If you find the green too pungent, mix in a little lettuce or other mild green. Recipe adapted from Uncommon Fruits and Vegetables by Elizabeth Schneider. Serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. small, short-stemmed mustard greens, washed and spun or patted dry
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup cider vinegar
• 2 TBL brown sugar
• 1 TBL Sigona’s Fresh Press extra virgin olive oil
• A scant 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• A scant 1/4 tsp Tabasco
• 1 large avocado, sliced

Directions: Strip the leaves from the washed & dried mustard greens and slice into thin slivers. Combine in a medium bowl with the green onions.

In a small, non-aluminum pot, combine vinegar, sugar, oil, Worcestershire and Tabasco. Bring to a boil while stirring constantly. Pour the hot mixture onto the greens and toss to coat. Add in the avocado, gently toss and serve immediately.

Avocado Quinoa Salad

Recipe courtesy of Taryn Whiteaker, author of the blog Design, Dining + Diapers. Taryn says, “This salad was inspired by my time spent in France. My host mom would make a delicious couscous salad every week that was filled with fresh avocados and other vegetables. It turned out to be one of my favorite meals while I lived there. But now that I’m gluten-free and couscous is out of the picture, I’m

Recipe and photo by Taryn Whiteaker of Design, Dining + Diapers

making it with quinoa instead. I’ve also put the salad inside corn tortillas for and they’re great and still gluten-free.”

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 large avocados diced*
• 1 tomato diced
• 1/2 red onion diced
• 1cucumber diced
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/2 Mung Bean Sprouts
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 TBL lime juice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cumin

Directions: Combine chicken broth and quinoa into a saucepan and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until you can fluff the quinoa with a fork. Set aside to cool.

Dice the avocados, tomato, cucumber, and cilantro. (Note: Keep the avocado seeds in the salad; they will help the avocados from browning.)

For the dressing, combine olive oil, lime juice, cumin and salt.

Lastly, toss together the quinoa, diced vegetables, avocado seeds, bean sprouts, and dressing.

Cook’s Tip: If you save the avocado seeds and place them in the salad it will help them from browning!