Saturday, May 4, 2013

Salmon salad with avocado for Cinco de Mayo

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Eight-seven million pounds.

That's how many avocados the California Avocado Commission estimates we'll be eating on Cinco de Mayo this year.

I'd bet most of those 87 million pounds of avocados will be consumed in the form of guacamole, scooped up with tortilla chips and washed down with beer and/or margaritas.

But I'm planning something a little more delicate for Cinco de Mayo this year. Something with protein and some more vegetables. And I'm skipping the deep-fried chips.


A little health scare chased me back to the straight and narrow this week. I'd gotten lazy, let my eating habits slip. Numbers don't lie. It's time to regroup.

California avocados are back in season, and I know they'll be a big part of my healthy eating efforts. Avocados provide more than a dozen essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium, Vitamin E, B vitamins, and folic acid. The monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are heart-healthy. And, of course, they're delicious.

This simple fish salad can be made with any leftover cooked fish, or even with canned salmon. Including the zest of the lemon as well as the juice brightens the flavor considerably, so don't leave it out.

Have a happy and healthy Cinco de Mayo!

More avocado recipes from my kitchen: Truffled avocado mousse on toast * Avocado-cucumber soup * Scrambled eggs with avocado * Avocado tacos with chipotle * Green garlic guacamole * Weston's guacamole * Celebrity chef Robert Irvine talks about avocados (exclusive interview!) 




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Salmon salad with avocado and cucumber
A light chilled salad with heart-healthy ingredients like salmon, avocado and greens. Serve in a scooped-out avocado shell.
Ingredients
  • 6 ounces salmon, cooked (use leftovers, or substitute canned salmon)
  • 1/2 cup cucumber, seeded and cut into small cubes (about 1/2 a large cucumber; measure after cutting)
  • 4 green onions, finely chopped
  • 1/2 lemon, juice and zest
  • 2 avocados, cut in half lengthwise, pit removed, flesh scooped from shells and roughly diced; reserve shells for serving
  • 2 cups mixed salad greens, for serving
Instructions
Put the salmon in a medium-sized bowl and flake it with a fork. Add the cucumber, green onions, lemon juice, and lemon zest; mix gently until combined. Add the avocado chunks and toss gently once more. Divide the salmon salad evenly among the four avocado shells. Divide the salad greens between two plates and nestle the filled avocado shells on top of the greens, allowing two per person. Serve immediately.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 2 servings

4 comments:

Valentina said...

this looks delicious! i love fish/seafood with avocados!

Katie said...

With health food that looks this good, I know you'll be able to stay on track:) Seriously, this looks so good. It seems like a much more fresh, healthy and modern version of the Crab Louie salad my Grandmother used to make. Yum!

Paula said...

Made this today for lunch. Delicious. Light and full of flavor

Erika Kerekes said...

@Paula so glad you enjoyed it - it's one of my favorites!

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