I’m big on soups as appetizers when I entertain at home. Which is crazy because I almost NEVER order soup in restaurants. 🤷🏽♀️
But a few nights ago, after my son meh’d my arugula salad (totally not a word)…I got to thinking about something that would be really tasty (cuz obvs) but light and summery (and quick and easy).
And I came up with the best appetizer!
It doesn’t seem like a big deal when I say it, but it was soooooo delicious. I kinda thought I invented it until I searched on Google. 🤦🏽♀️ womp womp. My toxic trait is that I will take credit for even the most basic recipes…
Mango Salsa Stuffed Avocado. 😍
Doesn’t sound that interesting right? Well don’t be fooled. It was perfect. And restaurant quality according to the mister…
I’ve gotten into the habit of keeping frozen mango on hand. Sometimes for my smoothies but also because I can always throw together a quick and easy salsa for tacos, shrimp or fish.
Mango thaws nicely and is easy to cut into smaller pieces while it is still partially frozen. I used about 2 cups.
Added some chopped onion, maybe about a quarter (but you could probably put as much as half).
Half a large red (or orange) bell pepper chopped.
Small bunch of cilantro chopped.
A handful of cherry tomatoes cut into quarters lengthwise (mine were large; cut small ones in half). Also, it probably doesn’t matter if it’s lengthwise or not; I just think it looks better. I salted the cut tomatoes for about a half hour (so that they could release some water) but I sprinkled with The Herbed Turkey instead of salt.
Juice of half a lime. A juicy lime though; you know how limes act sometimes. Use a whole one if necessary.
The piece de resistance. The Hot Mexican. You can almost taste it already right? So good in this dish. I’m biased, I know. Or am I? 😎
Just mix it all together and spoon into an avocado half (skin off). Or quarter. The creaminess of the avocado offsets the sweet, spicy and crunchiness of the salsa nicely.
I didn’t add any additional peppers to this but you easily could.
I think it’s too good not to try, so let me know if you do. You will not regret it!
And you know what else?
I was full. I’m no expert (kidding) but I think it was the fiber. Don’t forget that avocados are high in fiber. And fiber at the beginning of a meal helps to keep your blood sugar balanced, but also helps you to feel full quicker, so that you don’t overeat. I’m sure the fat didn’t hurt either…
We’ve discussed this before, but I was still surprised at how full I felt. I couldn’t even eat my mash potato (and I had made Garlic and Olive Oil Mashed Potato, but that’s a story for another day).
So if you haven’t given up on your summer bawdy goals, I encourage you to start your meals with a salad and see how it works for you. If not, at the very least eat your veggies first! 😉