Tuna Cheesemelt Avocado Cups
Avocado or alligator pear was commonly used by the Mayas and Aztecs as early as 500 B.C. The first Europeans that learned about this unusually unsweet creamy fruit were the Spanish conquistadors who invaded the Central and South Americas in the 16th century. They liked avocado for its high protein and oily content and for a pretty battery taste as well.
It took some time, but eventually the fruit was grown in Florida in 1833 for the first time. Though its popularity grew relatively slowly, the avocado has become widespread since the second half of 20th century. As a result the current consumption of the avocado only looking at the US reaches an unbelievable 140 million pounds a day which generally peaks on Super Bowl Sunday and the Chico de Mayo events.
| Prep Time | Cook Time | Total Time |
|---|---|---|
| 10 mins | 20 mins | 30 mins |
- 1 avocado
- 100g/3.5oz canned tuna, drained
- 60g/2oz Mexican cheese blend
- 20g/0.75oz white onions, chopped
- 15g/0.5oz celery, chopped
- ¼ tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- Cut avocado in half and remove the pit.
- Trim both avocado halves to create a stable base.
- Scoop some of the avocado flesh to make room for the stuffing. Reserve scooped avocado flesh for later.
- Brush the flesh of the avocados with lemon juice to keep them from browning.
- In a bowl, mash reserved avocado flesh with a fork.
- Fold in the tuna, onions, paprika, celery, and half of the cheese.
- Stuff mixture into the avocado halves.
- Top avocados with the remaining cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes at 180C/360F.
Recipe Rating: 4 / 5
So let’s explore our baked cheesy guacamole-type recipe that’s accompanied by tuna. Besides the long history, the avocado offers a range of unique nutritional benefits including essential nutrients and important phytochemicals. Avocado is exceptionally rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) which were shown to promote heart health, to increase physical activity and to reduce anger and irritability.
Moreover your heart and liver will benefit from its high potassium and vitamin content. Recent studies suggest that tuna meat provides a unique selenium compound called selenoneine which has been found to possess strong antioxidant activity thus reducing carcinogenesis and aging.