IRVINE, CALIF. - With June being California Avocado Month, the California Avocado Commission set out to discover Californians’ favorite avocado recipes. Partnering with Modern Luxury, CAC hosted a recipe contest, asking California-based fans to submit their must-eat avocado dishes. 

El Cajon-resident Mary Beth Porucznik brought home the grand prize of $1,000 plus a $400 restaurant gift card and a California avocado prize pack with her California Avocado & Shrimp Pizza recipe. Porucznik’s winning recipe was prepared by a Modern Luxury chef and professionally photographed to be featured on CaliforniaAvocado.com along with other finalist recipes. 

“California Avocado Month is the perfect opportunity for home chefs to step up their recipes with delicious, fresh California avocados, which is why we hosted the California Avocado Recipe Contest,” said Jan DeLyser, CAC’s vice president of marketing. “It’s been exciting to see the enthusiasm from our fans with the variety of dishes shared and we hope to inspire consumers to create their own dish at home.” 

Porucznik’s California Avocado & Shrimp Pizza features fresh ingredients that combine to create a masterpiece of flavors and textures, including grilled shrimp, pickled onions and jalapeños, ricotta cheese and creamy California avocados. 

Three runners-up also received prize packs: Deborah Kosareff from Whittier with a Pan-Fried Street Corn & California Avocado recipe, Yoshiharu Sogi from Sonoma with a California Avocado Wellington dish and Nicole Ruiz Hudson from Oakland with Southwest Chicken & California Avocado Tartines. All recipes were evaluated based on several key elements, including overall taste, presentation and creativity. 

Currently, in the peak of their season, California avocados are a heart-healthy fruit that are naturally sodium-, cholesterol and trans-fat-free. One-third of a medium avocado (50 grams) has 80 calories and contributes nearly 20 vitamins and minerals, making it a nutrient-dense choice. 

California avocado enthusiasts can access the winning recipes, seasonal recipes and more at CaliforniaAvocado.com.