Creamy Avocado and Tuna Spread / Dip

I have half an avocado left when I used the other half for maki sushi (avocado with smoked salmon - they looked horrendous but thankfully still tasted delicious), so the next day I started looking for a recipe to use it up. I have an avocado cookbook which includes recipes from smoothies to kimchi (yes avocado kimchi) to cakes, and one particular avocado salad recipe caught my eye - which I converted it into an avocado and tuna spread!

The original recipe is an avocado tuna salad - the avocado is first whizzed with lemon juice, mustard, avocado oil into a mayonnaise-like consistency, then mixed with canned tuna, onion, pickle and a little seasoning. However, I didn't want to go through the trouble of washing an additional electronic appliance, so I simply mashed the avocado, mixed it with canned tuna, mayonnaise, lemon juice and mustard. I also threw in some cucumber (leftover from the sushi-making the previous night as well).

The resulting consistency is like a spread / dip, one that I can easily spread on toast or scoop with a tortilla chip. I spread the avocado and tuna spread and some caramelised onions on top of buttered and toasted homemade bread and ate them for brunch - and it was so, so good! The combination of the sweetness of the caramelised onions and the creaminess of the spread is so good that I started eating straight from the bowl after I finished all my bread. 😳

No step-by-step recipes for this recipe today because it's just a mix-and-you-are-ready kind of recipe - I think the hardest part is to determine whether the avocado has ripened! I've included a few tips below - if you are new to avocados you may want to check them out! If you are already the expert, head straight to the recipe!

How Do I Tell if an Avocado is Ripe?

I don't use the "skin turns black" technique to determine an avocado's ripeness, instead, I use the "gentle press" technique - when the avocado yield to gentle pressure when you press it gently, it means it's ripe!

How Do I Store Avocados?

After buying the avocados, I place them in a paper bag and store them at room temperature, and check on them every day. When they are ripe, I simply transfer the avocados into the refrigerator and use it as soon as I can (best within 2 days). If I don't want them to ripen at the same time, I will place some out of the paper bag, only transferring them into a paper bag after the first avocado has ripened.

How Do I Keep Cut Avocados?

Once the avocados are cut up into pieces (cubes or slices etc), they should be used and consumed on that day itself - I don't like the colour of the avocados the next day (due to oxidation), they are really ugly! Mashed avocados can be mixed with a little acid (like lemon juice or apple cider vinegar) which will slow down the oxidation process. They can then be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. Avocado halves that are still in the skin can be wrapped tightly with plastic wrap (the plastic wrap must be in contact with the flesh of the avocado), then stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. The deprivation of oxygen with the help of plastic wrap slows down the oxidation process.

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Creamy Avocado and Tuna Spread / Dip

Prep Time15 mins

Total Time15 mins

0.511.523

INGREDIENTS

 

• ▢ ½ large avocado, or 1 small avocado
• ▢ 1 can tuna in water, drained (about 100 grams drained weight)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• ▢ 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice / apple cider vinegar
• ▢ 1 to 2 teaspoons mustard
• ▢ Freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ ½ Japanese cucumber, diced (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

• Scoop out the avocado and dice into small cubes. Place into a mixing bowl and mash with a fork slightly.
• Add in drained tuna, mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon lemon juice/apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon mustard and black pepper. Mix well, mashing the avocado more if desired. Taste and add more acid/mustard if desired. Stir in the diced Japanese cucumber if using.
• Spread on top of toasts (with caramelised onion!), wrap up in warmed tortillas, top on salad greens, or serve in a large bowl with tortilla chips on the side. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.

NOTES

- Recipe adapted from Avocado Tuna Salad in An Avocado A Day by Lara Ferroni

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