Avocado

Fresh avocados are a year-round staple, but not long ago they were a seasonal specialty item. How did we come to expect them in the dead of winter?

Fresh celery lightens this guacamole and adds some serious crunch.

Make this salad without plating anxiety: Treat the daikon rounds like a deck of cards and let them fall where they may.

This Mexican-inspired turkey torta recipe is stuffed with turkey, lime, cilantro, and pickled red onion. Great for leftovers!

Cemita Milanesa de Pollo is the sandwich sold—by almost every vendor—at the Mercado in Puebla for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night snacks. Needless to say, the competition over who makes the best is fierce. A generous portion of crispy fried chicken hangs over a sesame seed bun, which also cradles a generous amount of shredded Oaxacan cheese, avocado, and escabeche de verdura, pickled vegetables that take on a spicy, smoky heat from chiles in adobo.

The jalapeño's ribs and seeds are the spiciest parts; be careful not to rub your eyes after handling (or wear gloves)!

Spatchcocking is the speediest, easiest way to grill a whole bird. It cuts down on time and leaves you with crisp, crackly skin. Weighing it down with bricks means more grill-to-bird contact, which ensures super crackling-crisp skin.

These chicken tacos are made with thighs, which are more flavorful than chicken breasts; plus, they're less expensive. Put them to work in any fast weeknight preparation, starting with these spiced tacos.

The secret to this dish is the crunchy and creamy deep-fried avocado.

Both bright from the fresh limes and buttery from the diced avocados, this sauce adds color and flavor to broiled fish, roast chicken, or huevos rancheros. For more heat, leave in the jalapeño seeds.

Poached salmon on its own can get a little boring—which is why this recipe comes with a zippy, creamy avocado sauce to wake things up.