Celebrity Chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger Offer Recipes to Inspire Revelers on Ways to use the 81 Million Pounds of Avocados Expected to be Consumed Around May 5  

IRVINE, Calif. (April 11, 2012) – Americans celebrate Cinco de Mayo with events and parties across the nation. Whether it’s to applaud the Mexican stand against the French at the Battle of Puebla or just to celebrate the culture of their neighbors to the south, one thing is certain – they will enjoy the occasion with a festive spread of California avocado-inspired cuisine. This year, Americans will use 81 million pounds of avocados in their Cinco de Mayo meals – that is 162 million individual pieces of this delicious green fruit. With California avocados in season, Cinco de Mayo provides an excellent opportunity to enjoy a tasty dish featuring California avocados.

While guacamole is a popular dish enjoyed on Cinco de Mayo, chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, known as the “Too Hot Tamales,” have teamed up with the California Avocado Commission to provide unique Cinco de Mayo recipes featuring California avocados that are perfect for any celebration.

“There’s so much more you can do with avocados than guacamole!” said Feniger. “I’m a huge guacamole fan, and I encourage chefs of all levels to experiment with the rich, creamy taste of California avocados.”

Milliken and Feniger, both of whom have competed on Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters,” are the co-chef/owners of the popular Border Grill restaurants in Santa Monica, Calif., Downtown Los Angeles and Las Vegas, along with the Border Grill Truck, which brings their modern Latin cuisine to neighborhoods throughout Southern California. Feniger also is the chef/owner of STREET in Los Angeles.

“California avocados have a superior taste and a consistent quality that we can always count on to make our dishes spectacular,” said Milliken. “The fruit’s season runs from spring to fall, so Cinco de Mayo is the perfect time to add this creamy and versatile fruit to your favorite dishes.”

While California-grown avocados are widely acknowledged for their consistent quality and exceptional flavor, the fruit also offers an array of nutritional benefits. California avocados contain nearly 20 vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients with the greatest concentration in the dark green fruit 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.  

Recently, Milliken and Feniger toured a California avocado grove to get a first-hand look at the hand-grown process that goes into producing the delicious fruit. To view or download this behind-the-scenes video, visit CaliforniaAvocado.com/california-avocado-grove-tour.

For this year’s Cinco de Mayo celebrations, the “Too Hot Tamales” have created delicious recipes for “Crunchy California Avocado Fritters” and the “California Avocado Shrimp Tostadas.”

Crunchy California Avocado Fritters

Recipe created by chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger for the California Avocado Commission.

Serves: 8
Yields: About 24 fritters

Prep time: 1 hour (including 30 minutes for chill time)
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup white or black quinoa, rinsed and well drained (if necessary)
• 1 1/3 cups water
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup grated cotija cheese  
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 4 green onions, white and light green parts only, finely chopped
• 1/2 bunch Italian parsley
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 3/4 cup canola or grape seed oil, for frying
• 1 ripe, fresh California avocado, seeded, peeled and cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch dice
• Salt, to taste
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 cup Aji Amarillo Aioli (see make-ahead recipe below), for serving

Instructions

1. Place a small, dry saucepan over high heat. Add quinoa and toast for about 5 minutes, shaking and stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Transfer to a large saucepan and add water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, until water is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2. In a large bowl, combine cooked quinoa, flour, cheese and salt. Add onions, parsley, egg and yolk. Stir thoroughly with a spoon until the mixture has the consistency of soft dough. Chill for 30 minutes.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
4. In a small mixing bowl, season avocado with salt and pepper to taste and toss gently to coat.
5. Using hands, create round fritters about the size of a walnut shell with a piece of avocado in the center of each fritter.
6. Working in batches, gently slide fritters into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes, turning as necessary. Drain on paper towels and serve warm, topped with Aji Amarillo Aioli.

Aji Amarillo Aioli

Ingredients

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. aji amarillo chile paste
• 1 Tbsp. finely chopped Italian parsley

Instructions

1. Combine ingredients in small bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Note: If cotija cheese is not available, parmesan cheese can be substituted

Nutrition Information Per Serving: Calories 480; Total Fat 46 g (Sat 6 g, Trans 0 g, Poly 7 g, Mono 15 g); Cholesterol 60 mg; Sodium 600 mg; Total Carbohydrates 12 g; Dietary Fiber 2 g; Protein 4 g

California Avocado Shrimp Tostadas

Recipe created by chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger for the California Avocado Commission.

Serves: 4

Prep time: 40 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 55 minutes

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup beer
• 3 bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp. celery seeds
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 lb. domestic, wild-caught jumbo shrimp, peeled and cleaned
• 2 ripe, fresh California avocados, seeded, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 Roma tomato, finely diced
• 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
• 1 small carrot, peeled and finely diced
• 1 jalapeño, stem and seeds removed, finely diced
• 1/2 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 limes, juiced
• 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• Salt, to taste
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• Canola oil, for frying
• 4 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 4 romaine lettuce leaves, finely julienned

Instructions

1. Combine beer, bay leaves, celery seeds, cayenne and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add shrimp and cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until just turning pink and cooked through. Remove shrimp from liquid, cool to room temperature, and cut into 1/2-inch dice.
2. In a large bowl, combine cooked shrimp with avocado, tomato, onion, carrot, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Stir gently, taste, and adjust seasonings as necessary. Chill thoroughly.  
3. Meanwhile, pour oil to a depth of ½-inch in a small pan for frying. Fry the tortillas on both sides until crisp and drain on paper towels.
4. To serve, divide julienned lettuce evenly between each crispy corn tortilla. Top with avocado shrimp mixture and serve immediately.

Nutrition Information Per Serving: Calories 420; Total Fat 30 g (Sat 3.5 g, Trans 0 g, Poly 5 g, Mono 20 g); Cholesterol 115 mg; Sodium 550 mg; Potassium 740 mg; Dietary Fiber 6 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 © 2012, Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, www.bordergrill.com

For more recipes that feature fresh California avocados, visit the California Avocado Commission 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.