Shrimp, Corn and Avocado Tostadas

Everyone is talking about green and yellow and black and yellow for the upcoming game on Sunday.  You know what it is, it is the Super Bowl XLV.   What you eat or nibble during the game is equally important.  Perhaps this shrimp, corn, and avocado tostadas will satisfy the hunger for something crunchy, salty, and spicy.  It sure will be a hit with a huge crowd of rowdy fans!

Shrimp, Corn, and Avocado Tostadas

Serves 4

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3 tablespoons lime juice

3 tablespoons minced cilantro

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

Salt to taste

Hot pepper sauce to taste

1 pound medium shrimp, cooked, peeled, and deveined

1 cup cooked or canned corn kernels

1 cup (4 ounces) grated Monterey Jack or queso fresco

1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and coarsely chopped

2 tomatoes

1/2 cup minced red onion

Salt to taste

Hot pepper sauce to taste

4 corn tortillas, fried

2 cups shredded lettuce

Cilantro sprigs, for garnish

Sliced pickled jalapeno or peperoncini

Combine vegetable oil, lime juice, cilantro, cumin, and coriander in a large bowl.  Season with salt and hot pepper sauce.

Add the shrimps, corn, cheese, avocado, tomatoes, and red onion to the bowl.  Stir, and season again with salt and hot pepper sauce.  This mixture can be refrigerated up to 24 hours.

When ready to serve, pile shredded lettuce on top of each fried tortilla, divide the shrimp mixture evenly and garnish with cilantro sprig.  If you like spicier taste, add some sliced pickled jalapenos or peperoncini.

Source: adapted from The Joy of Cooking

Avocado Chocolate Bits Frozen Yogurt

The first time I saw the recipe, it was on Fine Cooking website, and so it being avocado I've got to try it.  In the US, avocado are used mainly in savory dishes, but you would find around the world that the fruit is often used in sweet dishes.  Philippine, Indonesia, Brazil, and Vietnam share the love of pureed avocado shakes sweetened with sugar and/or sweetened condensed milk, with chocolate syrup sometimes added in Indonesia.

My family loves to drink avocado shakes, sometimes a shot of coffee is added to the drink, along with a pinch of salt to round up the taste.  I wanted to marry the flavor of avocado and chocolate in this frozen yogurt, and what better way than to add chopped bittersweet chocolate in it?

The original recipe asked for lime zest along with the juice to give a tang to the frozen yogurt, but I don't want to do that.  I want my frozen yogurt creamy and sweet.  I then only added half tablespoon of lemon juice to keep the avocado from being discolored.  The top it off, just before serving I drizzle some sweetened condensed milk; now you might think it's a no-no, but not until you try all of those together then you may say, ah, I get it.  Pale green with flecks of chocolate, this frozen yogurt is sure pretty.

Avocado Chocolate Bits Frozen Yogurt

Makes about 1 quart



2 cups whole milk

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 large egg yolks

1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt

2 medium, firm-ripe avocados (6 to 7 oz. each), peeled, pitted

1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

1/3 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate (60-70% cacao)

Sweetened condensed milk for drizzling, optional



Heat milk and sugar over medium heat in a medium saucepan until just comes to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Stir in the vanilla.

Have ready a large bowl filled with ice and set a small metal bowl over the ice with a strainer set over it.

Place egg yolks in a medium bowl, lightly beaten.  Ladle some of the milk into the egg yolk, whisk it to prevent curdling.  Pour this mixture back into the rest of the milk in the saucepan.  Cook over low-medium heat until mixture is thick and can cover the back of a wooden spoon, about 4 to 8 minutes.

Pour the mixture over the strainer into the small bowl; stir in the yogurt.  Whisk the mixture over the ice bath until it cools completely.

Scoop the avocado meat and puree in a blender or food processor along with the lemon juice and some of the cooled custard.  Pour this mixture back to the rest of the custard, blend them together until it is thick and creamy.

Freeze the custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.  Halfway through the freezing process, fold in the chopped bittersweet chocolate.  Transfer the frozen yogurt into a freezer-safe container and freeze until solid, at least 4 hours.