CINCO DE MAYO
Renowned Chefs Mary Sue Milliken And Susan Feniger Spice Up Cinco De Mayo With Tantalizing Avocado Recipes
Nearly 40 Million Pounds of Hass Avocados to be Eaten During the Holiday
(Recipe below)
Cinco de Mayo marks a day of fiestas filled with authentic Latin music, food and drinks. To help revelers looking for dishes that will excite their guests' taste buds, renowned chefs and restaurateurs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger have teamed up with the Hass Avocado Board to create unique, avocado-inspired recipes that are sure to spice up any Cinco de Mayo party.
"Cinco de Mayo is meant to be a festive celebration and the food should be fun and fresh, and of course easy to prepare," said chef Milliken. "We've created some recipes that feature Hass avocados because it's an easy ingredient to work with and it adds a great velvety texture and delicious flavor to foods," said chef Feniger.
While guacamole is always a must-have item at any fiesta, using avocados as a main ingredient in other dishes can transform ordinary snacks into zesty, fiesta-worthy meals. With avocados being such a key component of Cinco de Mayo party foods, it comes as no surprise that the holiday is one of the largest consumption days of the year for the fruit. In fact, partygoers are expected to eat an estimated 39.4 million pounds of Hass avocados during their celebrations.
Milliken and Feniger, two of America's most beloved chefs, have a hip, yet bold cooking style that has guided the signature tastes at their critically acclaimed Border Grill restaurants in Santa Monica, Calif., and Las Vegas, Nev., as well as at Ciudad in Los Angeles.
The collection of recipes that the chefs have developed celebrate the flavors of Cinco de Mayo and includes Milliken and Feniger's newly developed Aji Amarillo Avocado Tostada recipe. The dish features fresh Hass avocados, crunchy jicama and lime-marinated halibut enhanced with South American spicy Aji Amarillo and Jalapeño chiles, cilantro and a touch of fresh ginger. It's served atop a crispy corn tortilla.
RECIPES for Cinco de Mayo
Aji Amarillo Avocado Tostada Recipe
Guacamole Autentico Recipe
AJI AMARILLO AVOCADO TOSTADA
Makes 6 tostadas
Ingredients:
• 1/2 lb. skinless, boneless Pacific halibut, cut in 1/4-inch dice
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 1/2 tsp. Aji Amarillo paste
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 small red onion, finely diced
• 1 Aji Amarillo chile, stem and seeds removed, minced
• 1 red Jalapeño chile, stem and seeds removed, finely diced
• 1 (1/2-inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced or grated
• 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
• 4 firm, ripe Hass avocados, peeled, seeded and cut in 1/2-inch dice
• 1/2 small jicama, peeled and julienned into one-inch strips
• 6 (6-inch) tortillas, fried until crisp
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 head green cabbage, thinly shredded, for serving
Instructions:
In a large bowl, combine halibut and 1/2 cup of lime juice. Allow to marinate for 20 minutes, then drain, discarding the liquid.
In another large bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup of lime juice, Aji Amarillo paste and olive oil.
Stir in onion, chiles, ginger and cilantro; season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add Hass avocado, jicama and halibut; stir gently to combine.
Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
Chill thoroughly then serve on a thin bed of shredded cabbage atop the crispy corn tortillas.
Recipe Variation: Serve in a chilled martini glass, garnished with tortilla chips.
*Consuming raw or uncooked meats, seafood, shellfish or eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness.
Additional Cinco de Mayo recipes created by chefs Milliken and Feniger are available on the Hass Avocado Board's Web site at www.avocadocentral.com
About the Hass Avocado Board
The Hass Avocado Board (HAB) was established in 2002 after approval by producers and importers of Hass avocados in a national referendum. A 12-member Board administers the program. Over 20,000 producers and 100 importers are involved in the HAB, which covers fresh domestic and imported Hass avocados sold in the U.S. market.
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