To Be Cooked

Life has been a whirlwind these last few months! I got engaged (wow I’m so excited about this I have to tell the Internet), we went on a few trips and have had several guests, and overall my house looks like a bomb went off in it and time is just flying by. I’ve been going out so much that it’s almost a relief to get back to doing some cooking at home. I made this salad a few months ago but I think it’s going to be a year round staple for us. Avocado is one of my favourite vegetables (fruits?) to eat – it’s so creamy and satisfying that I will buy them in bulk just so that I can justify their price to myself. I put it in everything I can and even things I shouldn’t, which often makes my fiance squint his eyes at me as if I’m crazy. Yes, I’m on that hipster avocado train; no, I don’t regret it one bit.

This recipe is from Alison Roman’s Dining In cookbook, which I confess I primarily bought because of the Instagram craze around her salted chocolate chunk shortbreads (which, to be fair, are pretty darn delicious). However, I’m discovering a lot of new, interesting recipes in here. Alison’s tastebuds are pretty different from my own, which encourages me to branch out and change it up a little – she likes a lot of funk and acid and heat, which I can like but don’t often go to. I loved this particular salad so much I made it twice in a week. The combination of tangy oranges and lime with the creamy avocado is addicting. I could probably eat the whole thing by myself. She recommends blood oranges, but I couldn’t find any in my local supermarket so I used tangelos, which were delicious, but I think you really use any orange here.

Avocado & Orange Salad

From Alison Roman’s Dining In Cookbook. She says it serves 4; two of us have finished it, but I am also an avocado fiend.

• 1/4 small red onion, very thinly sliced into rings
• 4 oranges (blood, tangelo, or normal), peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1 avocado, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• flaky sea salt and pepper
• 1 tsp poppy or black sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, tender stems and leaves
• 2 tbsp olive oil

1. Soak the onion in a medium bowl of ice water for 10 to 20 minutes, which softens the bite and makes it crunchy.
2. Meanwhile, layer the orange and avocado, overlapping slightly, on a plate.
3. Drain the onion and scatter on top. Drizzle with lime juice. Season with flaky sea salt and pepper.
4. Sprinkle with the poppy seeds and cilantro, and drizzle with olive oil.
5. Inhale.