In many parts of the Northern Hemisphere, the arrival of winter means saying goodbye to a wide range of seasonal produce and relying heavily on tubers and root vegetables until spring arrives. But when you just can’t bear to look at another cabbage or carrot, what’s a home cook to do?
While they aren’t as sweet and juicy as their local summertime counterparts, a winter tomato still has its place—as long as you have the right tricks and tools at your disposal.
One of our favorite recipes to transport you to summertime in the dead of winter is our Seared Shrimp with Tomato, Lime, and Avocado. You can watch Ashley Moore make it step-by-step in the newest episode of Today’s Special on YouTube.
Shrimp is one of the fastest-cooking proteins (seriously, it cooks in about 3 minutes), making it the ideal starting point for a mind-blowingly quick weeknight meal. To make a well-rounded meal of these handy crustaceans, we toss them with a flavor-packed tomato and avocado mixture. But as we mentioned before, it’s vital to take a few important steps to create something delicious out of winter supermarket tomatoes. Here’s how we do it:
In just a few minutes, whatever watery texture and dearth of sweetness those tomatoes once had will be converted into a slightly smoky, tender embellishment for perfectly cooked shrimp and creamy avocado.
If you’re looking for a little extra substance, serve this simple dish with tortillas, tortilla chips, or a bowl of steamed rice.
“This recipe is refreshingly light,” Ashley says. “But totally satisfying.”
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