Apr 7 2011

70.5 Million Pounds of Avocados to be Consumed During Cinco de Mayo Festivities
IRVINE, Calif. (April 7, 2011) – Latin-inspired dishes are always a favorite component of Cinco de Mayo gatherings, from tacos to enchiladas to the traditional guacamole. With avocados serving as the star ingredient in many traditional Cinco de Mayo dishes, it comes as no surprise that the holiday is one of the largest consumption days of the year for the fruit. In fact, an estimated 70.5 million pounds of avocados will be consumed during this year’s celebrations – that’s 141 million individual avocados.

To help Cinco de Mayo revelers create mouth-watering offerings for their get-togethers, Executive Chef Ivy Stark of the famous Dos Caminos restaurants has teamed up with the California Avocado Commission to create two fun and delicious avocado recipes that are perfect for Cinco de Mayo.

“Avocados provide the perfect complement to the bold flavors of many Cinco de Mayo dishes,” said Stark. “With California avocados currently in season, now is the time to incorporate the fruit’s creamy, mild taste into the dishes being prepared for Cinco de Mayo festivities.”

While California-grown avocados are widely acknowledged for their exceptional flavor, the fruit also contributes nutritional benefits. California avocados contribute “good fats” (poly and monounsaturated fats) to one’s diet. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010 recommends that Americans consume less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fat by replacing them with sources of unsaturated fat. Seventy-five percent of the fat in a California avocado is unsaturated fat (3.5 grams per 1 ounce serving) making it a great substitute for foods high in saturated fat.

Furthermore, California avocados contribute nearly 20 vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. The greatest concentration of these beneficial phytonutrients is in the dark green fruit of the avocado closest to the peel. To get to the nutrient-rich fruit directly under the peel, one should nick and peel the skin from the avocado. 

Stark is the executive chef of the four Dos Caminos locations in New York City, where customers flock to experience her bold, flavorful cooking style that can be tasted in all of her restaurants creations, including her popular guacamole made tableside.

Special for Cinco de Mayo celebrations at home, Stark created two new delicious recipes. For a twist on the traditional milanesa torta, Stark made a delectable appetizer version, “California Avocado Milanesa Torta Sliders,” which features California avocado as the “milanesa.” Stark’s scrumptious take on traditional enchiladas, “California Avocado and Shrimp Enchiladas,” features sautéed shrimp, paired with creamy California avocado. 

California Avocado Milanesa Torta Sliders
Recipe created by chef Ivy Stark for the California Avocado Commission.

Serves: 8

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 cups panko breadcrumbs,
• 1 tsp. salt
• 4 ripe, fresh California avocados, seeded, peeled and quartered
• 3 ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• Salt, to taste
• Vegetable oil (for frying)
• 8 smoked bacon slices, cooked until crisp and cut in half
• 8 slider rolls
• 1 cup refried beans, warmed
• 1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
• 1 cup shredded Queso Oaxaca
• 3 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 small white onion, thinly sliced into rings
• 16 toothpicks
• 16 slices pickled jalapeño

Instructions

1. Place flour, eggs and breadcrumbs in separate bowls. Season breadcrumbs with salt.
2. Dredge avocado quarters first in flour, then egg and then breadcrumbs, set aside.
3. Toast chiles in a hot, dry skillet until they become flexible and slightly translucent; about 30 seconds. Place chiles into a bowl of boiling water and weight down with a plate to keep them submerged. Allow to sit for 15 minutes.
4. Strain chiles and reserve the soaking liquid. Place chiles in a blender, along with the mayonnaise. Puree on high speed, using a little of the soaking liquid as needed to move the blades. Season with salt to taste.
5. Heat about 1/2-inch of oil in a large skillet to 350°F.
6. Fry avocados, a few at a time, about 3 minutes or so on each side until they are golden brown.
7. Place avocados, along with the bacon, on a baking sheet and put into a 200ºF oven, to keep warm while continuing with the next steps.
8. Split open the rolls and scoop out excess bread. Toast under a broiler until golden.
9. For each slider, spread the top half with the mayonnaise mixture.
10. Spread the bottom half with the refried beans.
11. Lay a bacon strip on the bottom half of the roll.
12. Place an avocado quarter on top of the bacon.
13. Top with lettuce, cheese and slices of tomato and onion. Add the top half of the roll.
14. Secure top of the roll with a toothpick speared with a pickled jalapeño slice and serve warm.

Nutrition Information Per Serving: Calories 450; Total Fat 23 g (Sat 6 g, Trans 0 g, Poly 2.5 g, Mono 11 g); Cholesterol 75 mg; Sodium 900 mg; Total Carbohydrates 51 g; Dietary Fiber 10 g; Protein 15 g

California Avocado and Shrimp Enchiladas
Recipe created by chef Ivy Stark for the California Avocado Commission.

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 1 hour
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

California Avocado and Shrimp Enchiladas

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 1/4 cups diced red onion,
• 24 uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 2 jalapeño peppers, stemmed, seeded and minced
• 1 ripe, fresh California avocado, peeled, seeded and diced
• Enchilada Sauce (see make-ahead recipe below)
• Vegetable oil (for cooking)
• 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 1/2 cup crumbled cotija cheese
• 1/4 cup Mexican crema
• 8 thin red onion slices, for garnish
• 1/4 ripe, fresh California avocado, peeled, seeded and sliced for garnish

Instructions

1. Heat 2/3 of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add diced red onion and sauté until slightly softened, about 2 minutes.
3. Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Add shrimp, oregano, cumin and jalapeños to skillet. Sauté just until shrimp are almost opaque but not completely cooked through, tossing often, about 4 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and stir in diced avocados.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush 15x10x2-inch glass baking dish with remaining olive oil. Pour enough Enchilada Sauce in the dish to line the bottom.
5. Fill a shallow skillet with 1/4-inch of oil and warm over medium heat. Once oil is hot, dip tortillas, one at a time, about 15 seconds per side until soft and pliable. Drain well on paper towels.
6. One at a time, dip each soft tortilla in the Enchilada Sauce, turning to coat both sides evenly. Transfer the coated tortilla to prepared baking dish.
7. Spoon equal amounts of shrimp and avocado mixture down center of each coated tortilla and top with some of the cheese. As each enchilada is assembled, roll up tortilla seam side down and place side by side in dish.
8. Top each enchilada with a few spoonfuls of Enchilada Sauce. Bake just until heated through and cheese melts, about 20 minutes.
9. Using spatula, transfer enchiladas to warm plates. Spoon remaining Enchilada Sauce over.
10. Drizzle with crema, sprinkle with remaining cheese and garnish with red onion slices and avocado slices.

Enchilada Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 cloves garlic
• 6 large dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• Salt, to taste
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. sugar

Instructions

1. On a griddle over medium heat, roast the garlic, turning occasionally, until blackened in spots and soft, about 15 minutes. Cool, and roughly chop.
2. Toast chiles on the griddle until they become flexible and slightly translucent; about 30 seconds. Place chiles into a bowl of boiling water and weight down with a plate to keep them submerged. Allow to rehydrate for 15 minutes. Strain off the water and discard.
3. Place oregano, pepper and cumin in a blender, along with the rehydrated chiles, garlic and half of the broth. Process to a smooth purée, scraping and stirring every few seconds.
4. With a rubber spatula work the purée through a fine strainer into a bowl. Taste and season with salt as necessary.
5. Heat the oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Carefully add the purée.
6. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 10 minutes, or until the sauce darkens and thickens.
7. Stir in the remaining broth, partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Add more broth or water if it becomes too thick.
8. Taste and season with salt and sugar.

Nutrition Information Per Serving: Calories 540; Total Fat 29 g (Sat 6 g, Trans 0 g, Poly 3 g, Mono 17 g); Cholesterol 80 mg; Sodium 1520 mg; Total Carbohydrates 51 g; Dietary Fiber 9 g; Protein 19 g

*Large avocados are recommended for these recipes. A large avocado averages about 8 ounces. If using smaller or larger size avocados adjust the quantity accordingly.

Copyright © Ivy Stark/Dos Caminos

For more recipes that feature fresh California avocados, visit the California Avocado Commission website at CaliforniaAvocado.com.

About the California Avocado Commission
Created in 1978, the California Avocado Commission strives to increase demand for California avocados through advertising, promotion and public relations, and engages in related industry activities that benefit the state’s nearly 5,000 avocado growers. The California Avocado Commission serves as the official information source for California avocados and the California avocado industry. For information about California avocados, visit CaliforniaAvocado.com, become a fan at Facebook.com/CaliforniaAvocados and follow the California Avocado Commission on Twitter at Twitter.com/CA_Avocados.

Editor's note: High-resolution images of these California avocado growers and their recipes are available for download at CaliforniaAvocado.com/PressRoom.