Holiday Avocado with Pumpkin Seed Salsa

An "out-of-this-world" taste? It's a bit of heaven in a bowl. Underneath this creamy rich pumpkin seed salsa are chucks of lemon-fresh avocado. A delicious blend of cucumber, pineapple, green onion and pungent spices--cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and cayenne - make this nutritious salad as tasty to eat as it is easy to prepare.

You'll need: 1 avocado per person;  1/2 fresh lemon; few grains Himalayan salt

For Salsa: 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds; 1/2 English cucumber; 1/2 cup fresh pineapple; 1 green onion; 1 teaspoon cumin powder; 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder; 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder; 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/2 cup Greek-style or thick soy yoghurt. 

For Garnish: red grape tomatoes, powdered chives




Method: Soak pumpkin seeds in fresh water for 2 hours. Drain, and set aside. Cut avocados in half, and remove pit by slipping the bowl of a small spoon underneath the pit and gently rolling it from its hole.

Peel the avocado halves and spritz the top and bottom surfaces with lemon juice to bring out the avocado's nutty flavour and prevent discoloration.

Place 2 avocado halves in each serving bowl, and sprinkle with a little Himalayan salt. Cover and set aside.

Peel cucumber, and cut in to large pieces. Peel, core and coarsely chop fresh pineapple. Cut root off and remove any damaged stems from the green onion; slice it into 2 -3 pieces. Set 1 tablespoon of pumpkin seeds aside. Put remaining pumpkin seeds in food processor with green onion, and pulse until finely ground. Add cumin, coriander, cayenne and cinnamon. Pulse lightly to mix spices into seeds, then add yoghurt. Blend for a few seconds until smooth.

Uncover serving dishes, and cut the avocado halves into bite size pieces in the bowl. Reserve 1 piece from each serving, cutting it into three thin slices for garnish. This method for cutting the avocado keeps the delicate, buttery pieces whole.

 

Spoon cucumber-pineapple salsa over avocado pieces, covering them completely. Wash grape tomatoes and cut them into halves. Arrange a 10-12 tomato pieces on one side of the dish. Add three thin avocado slices, and a small pile of  pumpkin seeds. Spritz with lemon juice and sprinkle with powdered chives and a little cayenne.

Serve this salad as soon as it is ready. If you want to make it in advance, refrigerate avocado and salsa separately. Stir salsa gently before using to recombine any juice from the cucumber and pineapple juice. Top avocado pieces and garnish. Accompany this tasty dish with fresh crispy rolls or toasted English muffins for an easy to prepare energy-packed lunch.

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