When you step into Farmer Joe’s produce department, it can be a little overwhelming. There are so many high-quality choices that it can be difficult to make a decision. So, we thought we’d make it a little easier for you. Fresh avocados are in season here in Florida, so let’s look at a few things you can do with them.
Taco Stuffed Avocado
Let’s start with avocado as a main dish. This is perfect for lunch or a light dinner. Find the ingredients in the produce department.
Ingredients:
- 4 ripe avocados
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 large tomato, diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 teaspoon cooking oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning, plus more to taste
- 1 cup salsa
- 2 limes, quartered
- 1/2 medium onion, diced small (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup jack cheese, shredded
Preparation:
Preheat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cooking oil to the preheated pan, then add onions and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until caramelized.
Carefully add the ground beef and continue to cook, using a spatula or wooden spoon to break up the ground beef as it cooks completely. Add the taco seasoning and diced tomato, stir and carefully drain any excess fat. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Remove the taco meat from the heat to cool slightly.
Use a kitchen knife to carefully cut each avocado in half, removing the large seed in the middle and continue this process for all 4 avocados. Use half of a lime to squeeze juice over each of the cut avocados. Lightly season each cut avocado with more taco seasoning. Evenly add the same amount of taco meat to each avocado half. Garnish each stuffed avocado with shredded cheese, salsa, fresh cilantro, lime quarters and sour cream.
Panko Crusted Avocado Fingers
These are an easy-to-make dish that can be used as an appetizer or as a side.
Ingredients:
- 2 avocados, peeled, seeded and sliced
- 1/2 lime, juiced
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 2 cups panko
- Nonstick cooking spray
- Olive oil for drizzling
- Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray a cookie sheet with the nonstick cooking spray. In a mixing bowl, add the avocado slices and lime juice, season lightly with salt and pepper. Carefully toss avocados to coat.
Remove seasoned avocado slices from the bowl and coat them completely with the flour. Dip each flour-coated avocado slice into the beaten egg to coat. Coat each egg-dipped avocado slice with panko. Place each evenly coated avocado slice on the cookie sheet. Lightly drizzle olive oil onto the coated avocado slices.
Place avocado slices into the preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce.
Avocado and Egg Bake
What about breakfast? This is an easy-to-prepare dish that can start your day off right.
Ingredients:
- 2 avocados
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup grated cheese (your favorite)
- Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Preparation:
Cut each avocado in half and remove the seed. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut a small slice on the bottom of each avocado half to create a flat surface so they won’t roll. Crack an egg into each avocado half where the seed was. Season the top of the avocado and egg with salt and pepper to taste. Evenly add the shredded cheese to the top of each avocado.
Bake stuffed avocados for 10 to 15 minutes or until the egg reaches the desired doneness. Remove avocados from the oven and serve with toast.
These are just a few things you can do with the avocados fresh from our produce department. If you’d like to see more ideas, visit the Fresh from Florida website.