Sushi Stuffed Avocados

I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t make stuffed foods. Michael makes stuffed pizza, but that’s as far as it goes around here. I think I made stuffed manicotti one time and it was not pretty because the pasta tubes kept cracking and spilling the filling out. Too much work, I thought. It’s not that I don’t enjoy stuffed foods, because I love stuffed pastas and tomatoes and will occasionally eat stuffed peppers as long as there isn’t any meat in them, I just find that stuffing requires more time and patience than I have to invest. So when I saw that Cook Sister! was hosting this month’s WTSIM and had chosen stuffed fruits and vegetables as the theme, I figured I would have nothing to contribute and I decided to not participate this time around.

But it bothered me. It kept nagging at me. And the more I thought about stuffed foods the more determined I became to create something stuffed that 1) I would enjoy and 2) wouldn’t require loads of time and patience. I forced myself to envision stuffed vegetables and fruits, trying to decide what would work for me. The inspiration came at the Wegman’s sushi counter. I had picked up my favorite little California Roll plate for lunch, and the boys and I paused to watch some sushi making in progress. As I explained the process of making sushi to my boys, the kernel of an idea formed in my mind. I love sushi, so why not take my favorite sushi ingredients and make some stuffed avocados? The avocados would be appropriate since sliced avocado is one of the main ingredients in California and veggie rolls.

Now I was on a mission, and I decided to make some sushi stuffed avocados to enjoy for lunch today. I sliced open an avocado, removed the pit, and gently removed slices of the delicious fruit. (Yes, avocado is a fruit.) Then without measuring a single thing, I tossed together my chosen ingredients and gently spooned the mixture into the avocado shells.

If you want the taste of sushi without having to roll it, this is a good way to go. I made a lunch out of it, but you could also make these for some light appetizers. I used jasmine rice because that’s what I had on hand, although you could use any type of long grain rice. I think that the traditional glutinous sushi rice is too sticky for this application.

UPDATE: Jeanne has posted the round-up, so be sure to check out the array of beautiful stuffed fruits and vegetables.

Equipment

small bowl

Ingredients

rice, cooked and cooled
avocados, pitted and cut into small chunks, reserving the shells
matchstick carrots
celery, chopped
cooked shrimp or crab meat, chopped (optional)
seasoned rice vinegar

Preparation

1. In the small bowl, stir together the rice, carrots, celery, shrimp or crab (optional). Toss with a few shakes of seasoned rice vinegar.

2. Gently spoon the mixture into the avocado shells and serve immediately.