Baked Avocado Salsa

I can't really remember exactly how my love of avocados started. What I do know though is that it must have had a lot to do with my mum and her Mexican cooking. On weekends growing up in London my dad would make it a point to take the whole family out, whether locally or in the city. The most well known and only Mexican branch was Chiquitos, and it was here that our love of Mexican food started. Non-alcoholic pina coladas, cheesy nachos, warm tortillas, chicken fajitas, and sizzling vegetables, it wasn't long before my mum soon started making us her own version of Mexican food at home.

What I enjoyed so much about eating those fajitas was the combination of cool Greek yoghurt, the kick of the spicy tomato chicken and the soft dough of the tortillas, all topped of with a nice sprinkling of grated cheese. But what really made those fajitas fajitas for me, was the added smoothness of the guacomole (avocado dip). Put all together it always tasted too good to be true.

And ever since I've been a huge fan of avocados. I'm just as happy eating one completely on its own, as I am adding it in salads with olive oil, a little salt and lemon. However eating an avocado when it is baked and warm is a completely new revelation altogether. If you love avocados as much as I do, its something you have to try! The kick of the lemon and garlic in this tomato salsa complement the creamy avocado perfectly.

Me and my mum relished this as soon as it was out of the oven!

Baked Avocado Salsa

Adapted from Melecotte

1 ripe avocado

Half a tomato, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 tblspn olive oil

1 tblspn lemon juice

2 tblspns bread crumbs

1 tblspn chopped herbs (parsley, basil or coriander)

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl except for the avocado. Cut the avocado in half and remove the seed. Fill both avocado halves with the tomato salsa and bake in the oven for about 7 minutes. Serve immediately.