Grilled Avocado with Lemon and Olive Oil

You've never had a grilled avocado? What have you been waiting for?

Truth be told I was not a fan of avocados until quite recently (though I never turned away from a good guac!) and I owe it all to my dear friend Nancy who, several years ago, had my family for an afternoon at her beautiful Northport, NY home. We arrived at lunchtime to a veritable smorgasbord of amazing food that she and her husband had prepared for us. Although there were 8 of us, there was enough food to feed the entire United States Army. Everything was beautifully plated and spread out over the entire length of the table. On a large platter were about a dozen avocado halves beautifully grilled and glistening from olive oil, lemon and garlic. They looked exquisite. But I didn't like avocados. I didn't like anything about them, their taste, consistency... anything!

I was brought up to say please and thank you and to try everything presented to me and not to stick my nose up or down at something. And here was an entire plate of the only food I didn't particularly care for. But my hosts went to a lot of trouble to prepare our meal and so I slid the green fruit onto my plate and reluctantly and with great hesitation took a bite. To my amazement, the avocado was incredible! The smooth texture was made even creamier from the little bit of olive oil that was drizzled over the top add to that some garlic, lemon and salt and a modest dish becomes something simple and yet elegant.

Because it is so easy, this makes a perfect appetizer, accompaniment, snack or lunch when paired with something light like salad or soup.

Grilled Avocado with Lemon and Olive Oil

Ingredients:

Serves 2
1 Avocado, halved, pit removed
1 clove crushed garlic (or 1 /2 tsp garlic powder in a pinch)
Olive oil to drizzle
1 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Place avocado halves face down on grill, grill pan or griddle with heat on high for 3-5 minutes to slightly cook the top and achieve those beautiful grill marks.
Remove from grill, griddle or pan and season with salt, pepper and garlic or garlic powder then drizzle with the olive oil and lemon. Serve warm or room temperature.

In addition to soup, this is a perfect accompaniment to grilled chicken, fish, seafood - especially seafood... all seafood! Serve it with chilled soup in the summer and warm soup in the winter. For those not watching their "carbs" this makes a perfect meal with a large salad, a crusty baguette and cheese.

So what are you waiting for?

Food & Drink, Healthy Summer Series, Health & BeautyJessica Gordon RyanJune 23, 2016Food, Recipes, Healthy Eating, AvocadosComment