Baked Avocados

Do you eat avocados? They are a fantastic food to eat, and belong in the top ten healthiest foods, along with blueberries, kiwifruit, apple, etc. Did you know you can eat them baked as well as fresh? Here is a simple yet very tasty recipe. It is one of my favourite avocado recipes, and once you make it I am sure it is a recipe you will want to make over and over. Be sure to select avocados which are ripe yet firm, the flesh will bake better.

I planted two avocado (Hass variety) trees a few years ago*, and while they are only about four feet high, I expect they will be producing fruit within the next three to four years, so expect lots of avocado recipes coming up. See our article on Avocados.

Choose softer more ripe avocados for spreading on bread or guacamole, firmer ones for recipes such as this. Hass avocados are the best in my opinion, I tend to avoid Reed avocados because the seed is too big at the expense of the flesh. Fuerte ripens green, and it can be deceptive when to cut them open. Just feel gently with your thumb and forefinger with a gentle squeeze, you will soon tell if any avocado is ripe or not. Enjoy!

 Ingredients

•     2 Large, firm but ripe Avocados
•     2 tablespoons (40ml) Olive Oil
•     1 teaspoon (5ml) chopped fresh ginger
•     1 cup (250 ml) firm tofu, diced to 1.25 cm (1/2 inch) cubes
•     1 teaspoon (5 ml) Chinese Sesame Oil (I find Yeo’s brand has the best flavour)
•     1 tablespoon (20 ml) Sweet Chilli Sauce (I find Trident brand the best)
•     1 tablespoon (20 ml) Sweet Soy Sauce (I find ABC brand the best)
•     1 match-box size chunk of creamed coconut, chopped (canned is ok, use chunks)
•     1/2 cup (125ml) cooked green peas
•     1 tablespoon (20ml) fresh lemon juice
•     1 teaspoon (5ml) Celtic Sea Salt
•     1 tablespoon (20ml) minced fresh coriander leaves

Method

• Carefully run a knife from the stem end downwards and right around the avocados.  Twist to separate the two halves.  Remove the seeds. Careful how you remove the seeds! You wouldn’t want to end up with “avocado hand”. I’ve seen one or two patients with avocado hands over the years.
• With a spoon, scoop out the avocado flesh leaving a 1.25 cm (1/2 inch border.  Chop the avocado flesh into large rough chunks.
• Heat the olive oil in a heavy non-stick frying pan over medium heat.  Add the asafoetida powder and saute for a few seconds.  Add the ginger and saute for 1 minute.  Add the tofu and stir-fry until the tofu is browned.  Drizzle on the sesame oil, chilli sauce, and soy sauce.  Fold in the creamed coconut, stirring until it melts.
• Add the peas, lemon juice, salt, minced fresh coriander, and stir well.  Finally, add the avocado pieces, stir to mix, and remove from the heat.  Place the avocado halves carefully on  a flame proof gratin dish and add the stuffing.  Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees C/355 F for 10 minutes and serve immediately.