Grilled Avocados with Corn and Tomato Salsa

For many years I believed avocados were good for one thing only; guacamole. Oh, how wrong I was. I discovered this delicious fruit is ripe with potential once I did a little research after my mother (thanks, Mom) pushed me towards eating more than hot pockets in my younger years. The world of hot pockets is now long behind me, thanks in part to the tasty wonders of the grilled avocado.

Grilling an avocado is simple enough, but first I have to make the salsa to stuff inside it. I like a good, chunky pico de gallo type salsa, but if you have a recipe you like better feel free to substitute! For my salsa:

• 2-3 medium sized fresh tomatoes, finely diced
• 1/2 red onion, finely diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced
• 1/2 cup of corn
• 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro
• Juice from one lime
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Oregano to taste, maybe some cumin if I’m in the mood

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, mix, cover and refrigerate for an hour or two so the flavors merge together in harmony. A note on cutting jalapeno peppers; they can be pretty nasty if they get in your eyes or in an open cut, so it’s a good idea to wear gloves, wash your hand thoroughly and clean out all the seeds.

For the avocados, cut four to six in half and take out the seeds, but leave them in the shell! Avocado seeds can be tricky, to cut an avocado, slice around the seed and pop one side off, so get the seed out of the other side just carefully push your knife into the seed and pull out. The seed should come out easily, leaving two intact avocado halves. Rub some olive oil and lime juice on the flat half and place them flat side down on the grill for 2 to 3 minutes. remove from the grill, fill with salsa and enjoy! But don’t  eat the shell, it’s not tasty, we just need the shell to keep the avocado goodness from melting into the grill.

Avocados will oxidize and turn brown, so it’s best to eat them the same day you prepare them, but the salsa can be stored in the fridge for about a week!