​'California Avocado & Shrimp Pizza' For National Avocado Day

CALIFORNIA — June is recognized as Avocado Month in the Golden State, but July 31 is — drum roll — National Avocado Day!

To help you celebrate, the California Avocado Commission is sharing the recipe to its 2021 statewide contest winner — the "California Avocado & Shrimp Pizza," from Mary Beth Porucznik of El Cajon.

For her win, Porucznik brought home a $1,000 grand prize, plus a $400 restaurant gift card and a California avocado prize pack.

Her pizza is a masterpiece of flavors and textures, with grilled shrimp, pickled onions and jalapeños, ricotta cheese and, of course, creamy California avocados.

Contest runners-up included: Deborah Kosareff from Whittier with a Pan Fried Street Corn & California Avocado recipe; Yoshiharu Sogi, of Sonoma, with California Avocado Wellington; and Nicole Ruiz Hudson, Oakland, with Southwest Chicken & California Avocado Tartines.

And for those who love freebies, Rubio's shops statewide are celebrating National Avocado Day Saturday with free chips and guacamole, and El Pollo Loco is running a contest for free guac for the month of August to lucky winners. ( Details on both here.)

Check out Porucznik's wining dish below ... And Happy National Avocado Day, from Patch!

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California Avocado & Shrimp Pizza

Recipe created by Mary Beth Porucznik for the California Avocado Commission Recipe Contest

• Serves: 4
• Prep Time: 4 hours 25 minutes (includes 4 hours refrigeration of pickled onions)
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Active Time: 1 hour 35 minutes

Avocado & Shrimp Pizza Ingredients:

• 1 clove garlic
• 1 to 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, reserve adobo
• 2 ½ limes
• 3/4 cup olive oil, divided
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 Tbsp. agave nectar
• 1 tsp. chipotle pepper adobo
• 2 ripe, Fresh California Avocados, seeded, peeled and thinly sliced just before using
• 2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro, plus additional for garnish
• 1 lb. prepared pizza crust or Pizza Dough (see make-ahead recipe below)
• 1 cup Ricotta Pizza Sauce (see make-ahead recipe below)
• 1/2 cup Quick Pickled Onions and Jalapeños (see make-ahead recipe below), drained

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Avocado & Shrimp Pizza Instructions:

1. Preheat oven and pizza stone at 425 degrees F for at least 1 hour.

2. While oven is preheating, combine garlic, chipotle peppers, juice from 1 lime, ½ cup olive oil, sugar and salt in a food processor or blender and blend to combine.

3. Once combined, place this marinade and the shrimp in a bag and marinate for about 30 minutes, or overnight.

4. Remove shrimp from marinade and grill over medium heat for about 4 minutes, turning halfway until cooked through. Set aside.

5. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining olive oil, agave nectar, juice from 1/2 lime, reserved chipotle pepper adobo and half of the cilantro until combined. Set aside.

6. On a sheet of parchment paper, stretch pizza dough ball to the size of the pizza stone (approx. 16 inch). Pierce with a fork throughout.

7. Bake on pizza stone for about 8 to 10 minutes until lightly browned. Remove crust from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes. If you don’t have a pizza stone, bake on a baking sheet for 15 minutes.

8. Once cooled, top the crust with ricotta sauce, followed by sliced avocados (fanning them out), grilled shrimp, pickled onion and jalapeño slices and a sprinkle of cilantro to cover the pizza.

9. Lightly drizzle with the reserved agave and chipotle oil mixture over the pizza, to taste.

10. Cut remaining lime into wedges and serve with pizza slices.

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Ricotta Pizza Sauce Ingredients:

• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 jalapeño, minced (remove seeds for less heat if desired)
• 1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
• 1/8 tsp. sea salt, or to taste
• 1/8 tsp. pepper, or to taste

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Ricotta Pizza Sauce Instructions:

1. Whisk together all ingredients until combined and set aside.

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Pizza Dough Ingredients:

• 2 ¼ cups unbleached, high-gluten bread flour
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. instant yeast
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
• 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. ice cold water
• 1/2 tsp. cornmeal, for dusting

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Pizza Dough Instructions:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together flour, salt and yeast until combined.

2. Add the oil, sugar and water and mix until it forms a ball.

3. On a clean surface, take out the dough and knead for about 5 minutes or until the dough is smooth.

4. Shape the dough into a ball, flour lightly and place on a jelly roll pan or baking sheet that has been lined with lightly oiled parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, or up to three days.

5. Remove the dough from the refrigerator two hours prior to use.

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Quick Pickled Onions and Jalapeños Ingredients:

• 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
• 1/4 large red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper, or to taste

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Quick Pickled Onions and Jalapeños Instructions:

1. Layer jalapeños and onions in a 16 oz. container.

2. In a saucepan, heat the rice wine vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper over medium heat until sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes, and pour over jalapeños and onions.

3. Cover and refrigerate for four hours or overnight.

*Large avocados are recommended for these recipes. A large avocado averages about 8 ounces. If using smaller or larger size avocados adjust the quantity accordingly.

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ALSO SEE: Avocado's Time To Shine: New Recipes From CA Chef Brian Malarkey