Coconut Shrimp Salad
with Hawaiian Avocado & Cucumber
This is a beautiful salad to present and is very easy to make.
Ingredients:
2 large Hawaiian avocados, ripe but still a little firm,
halved, stone removed, peeled, thickly sliced
24 large cooked Kaua'i shrimp, peeled leaving tails on, deveined
1 Japanese cucumber, cut in half lengthwise & thinly sliced into ribbons
3 tablespoons fresh Tahitian lime juice
3 teaspoons honey
3 teaspoons fish sauce, found in the Asian section of your grocery store
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup sweetened, shredded coconut, lightly toasted
Procedure:
To cook shrimp, simply steam or boil in salted water for about three minutes until they turn pink. Allow the shrimp to cool. Meanwhile, spread the shredded coconut in a small skillet and toast for a few minutes, on medium heat, being careful not to burn it. Remove to a plate to cool.
Divide the avocado, shrimp and cucumber among 4 Asian serving bowls.
Combine the lime juice, honey and fish sauce in a small bowl. Stir until well mixed. Drizzle the lime mixture over the salad. Top with minced cilantro and season with pepper.
Top with toasted coconut and serve cold.
Makes 4 servings.
Spicy Hawaiian Avocado Stuffed with Tuna
This spicy salad uses the avocado skin for its bowl.
Ingredients:
1 (12 oz) can solid white albacore tuna, drained
2 avocados, halved and pitted
2 limes, juiced
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons Sriracha hot chili sauce (optional)
Procedure:
Use a spoon to remove the avocado flesh, being careful not to damage the outer skin, leaving plenty of avocado to form edible bowl walls. Place scooped avocado into a mixing bowl and mash with a fork. Drain tuna and place into mixing bowl with avocado. Add in lime juice, soy sauce, garlic, cilantro, green onions, peanuts, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine.
Stuff into prepared avocado bowls.
Drizzle in a criss-cross fashion with Sriracha hot chili sauce and serve.
Makes 4 servings.
Hawaiian Avocado-Surimi Salad
with Sweet Ginger Dressing
Imitation crab sticks are a form of kamaboko, a processed seafood made of starch and finely pulverized white fish, shaped and cured to resemble the leg meat of snow crab or Japanese spider crab. These crab sticks, called surimi here in Hawaii, are delicious, and they shred into long threads quite easily for this delicious salad.
Ingredients:
2 avocados, halved and pitted
8 pieces of imitation crab sticks shredded into strips
by pulling them apart from top to bottom
1 small head of leafy lettuce, cut into thin strips, about 2 cups
1 medium Japanese cucumber, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
1 sheet of nori (dried seaweed) cut into thin strips 2 1/2" long for garnish
Ingredients for sweet ginger dressing:
Ingredients:
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup minced fresh ginger root
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
3 teaspoons sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Procedure for dressing:
In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, honey, vinegar, sesame seeds, ginger, garlic, sesame oil and red pepper flakes. Serve over your favorite salad greens with fresh fruit, like sliced fresh pears.
Procedure for salad:
Slice avocados in half lengthwise. Remove and discard the pit. Use a spoon to remove the avocado flesh. Cut scooped avocado into cubes and squeeze one lime over the cubes to keep the avocado from turning dark.
Shred the imitation crab sticks into strips by pulling them apart from top to bottom. Set aside.
Mix the salad dressing ingredients and refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap.
Wash, peel, and cut the cucumber and carrots into thin matchstick pieces.
Toss the lettuce, cucumber and carrots in a bowl with the sweet ginger salad dressing.
Place the mixture into 4 chilled salad bowls or plates, and top with shredded imitation crab strips. Serve garnished with 5 or 6 thin nori strips on top of each bowl or plate.
Makes 4 servings.
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Avocado-Tomato Salad with Anchovies, Eggs, and Capers
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Avocado-Tomato Salad with Anchovies, Egg and Capers
Many chefs have fallen passionately in love with anchovies, which is a core reason you now come across them on so many menus across America. The combination of salty and tart anchovies and capers with hard cooked egg and creamy Hawaiian avocado is a winner... and easy to make!
Ingredients:
2 ripe avocados, cut in half, pit removed
1 head of butter lettuce
4 ripe plum tomatoes, diced
4 hard-boiled egg, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
capers
1-2 ounce can anchovies in olive oil
1/2 cup Italian flat-leaf parsley leaves
extra virgin olive oil
red wine vinegar
lemon juice
sliced baguette, toasted
Procedure:
Place each avocado half on a bed of butter lettuce in the middle of a salad plate. Gently mix diced tomatoes with chopped hard-boiled eggs, salt and pepper, and capers. Fill each avocado with the mixture, then drape each with 3 anchovy fillets. Top with some chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves. Drizzle with a good quality extra virgin olive oil and a splash of red wine vinegar and fresh lemon juice. Serve with sliced toasted crusty bread or crackers.
Makes 4 servings.
Hearts of Romaine with Cream of Avocado Salad Dressing
This is one of my favorite salad dressings poured over romaine hearts.
Ingredients:
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup fat-free plain yogurt
1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and sliced
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1/4 teaspoon dill weed
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 heads romaine lettuce, outer leaves removed and the hearts cut in half lengthwise
Procedure:
In a food processor, combine the first nine ingredients; cover and process until smooth. Serve over romaine hearts. Store in the refrigerator.
Makes 2 cups, plenty for 4 servings.
Avocado/Cucumber Salad with Celery
Ingredients:
2 Japanese cucumbers, thinly sliced
1/4 cup finely chopped ginger
6 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly smashed
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup fresh lime juice, from about 4 limes
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 celery stalks, thinly sliced on a sharp bias
1/4 cup fresh chopped basil leaves
2 avocados, halved, pitted and sliced
Procedure:
Combine cucumbers, ginger, garlic, jalapeño (if using), salt, sugar, cilantro, lime juice and olive oil in a large bowl. Let sit at room temperature, stirring every so often, until flavors are combined and mellowed, about 40 minutes.
Fish out the garlic cloves and discard. Add celery and basil and toss well. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, sugar and lime juice if desired.
Arrange avocado slices on plates and spoon salad and dressing over top.
Makes 4 servings.
For more Hawaiian avocado recipes and nutrition information, click here.
