Guacamole

Guacamole is one of my favorite dips, right behind Galliker's french onion chip dip. It's super easy to make and just has such a great, fresh flavor...and people tend to love it so it usually goes over well. This recipe is very traditional and honestly, I don't believe guacamole should ever be over complicated....don't mess with it! This entry is a two-parter. I made a big batch of guacamole to make homemade burrito bowls one night. So my next recipe will be the burrito bowls. I figured this guacamole recipe deserved it's own post...it's that dang good! 

When beginning to write this entry, my mind started thinking, where did guacamole come from? Thank god for Google, I got a pretty quick answer that I thought was intriguing. 

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“When you’re eating guacamole, you’re eating history that dates back to the 1500s. The Aztec empire created this spread with the same exact ingredients that local restuarants use today. The Aztecs called this saucy spread “ahuaca-mulli” which translates to avocado-mixture or avocado-sauce. Pretty creative, eh? Of course, the secret didn’t stay with the Aztecs for long.

The Spaniards encountered the Aztec people and their ahuaca-mulli while exploring the New World and knew it would be a hit back home. Unfortunately, avocados are not native to Europe so there was a problem when trying to recreate the dish for friends and family when they returned to Spain. Over the course of time, guacamole has stayed in North and South America, while back in Europe the Spanish tried to duplicate the tasty treat with substitutions for the avocado. Of course nothing could live up to the guacamole they had in their travels.

The word guacamole is derived from Nahuatl, a language from Central Mexico. Years ago “waka’mole” and “huaka’mole” were were a few different ways to pronounce gucamole. Our society and fast-paced culture has even gone so far as to shorten this word with the abbreviation “guac” written on menus and featured on signs at local restaurants.

Guacamole has always been a table pleaser, as we can see. The Aztecs believed it to be a natural aphrodisiac and with more natural monosaturated fat and protein than other fruits available, it was vital to their diet. Avocados have almost 20 vitamins and minerals and have been found to help manage heart problems and cholesterol for some people.”

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Guacamole

Prep time: 15m | Cook time: 0min | Total time: 15min | Yield: 3 cups

Ingredients

2 rip Hass avocados
2 tsp lime juice
2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/2 jalapeno, including seeds, finely chopped
1/4 tsp kosher salt

Cooking Directions

1. Cut the avocado in half and then remove the pit. Scoop the avocado flesh out and place in a medium bowl. Toss and coat with lime juice.
2. Add the salt and using a fork or potato masher, mash until a smooth consistency is achieved
3. Fold in the remaining ingredients and mix well. Taste the guacamole and adjust seasoning if necessary.

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Coleslaw

With every passing day we are getting closer and closer to warm weather, which only means one thing...barbecue season! One of my favorite sides to have at a barbecue is coleslaw...actually one of my favorite sides in general is coleslaw. Whenever I go to a restaurant and I see coleslaw on the menu, I usually at least ask for a small side of it just to give it a try. All coleslaw is definitely NOT created equal, as I have tasted some pretty nasty coleslaw in my day.

Given my refined taste in the art of coleslaw I feel quite confident in my ability to make it and absolutely LOVE this recipe. It is definitely my go to recipe when making my favorite side. The key to me is a good balance of cream, crunchy,sour, sweat, salty. If you add to much mayo it gets overly creamy and all you taste is mayo. If you let it sit to long the salt and vinegar will break down the veggies leading it to be too mushy. But, if you don't let it sit long enough the flavors don't have enough time to meld together.

This recipe I feel does a great job of balancing the flavors and textures. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Coleslaw

Ingredients

• 1 Large head green cabbage, about 3.5 lbs, finely shredded
• 1 Large red onion, finely sliced
• 1 Large carrot, peeled and grated
• 1/4 cup Roughly chopped parsley leaves
• 1 cup White sugar
• 1/2 cup Kosher salt
• 3/4 cup Mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup Apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 Tbsp Sugar

Cooking Directions

1. Combine cabbage, onion, carrot, and parsley in a large bowl, leaving plenty of room to toss (you may have to use two large bowls if your bowls are not large enough). Sprinkle with sugar and salt and toss to combine. Let rest five minutes, then transfer to a large colander and rinse thoroughly under cold running water.
2. Transfer rinsed mixture to a salad spinner and spin dry. Alternatively, transfer to a large rimmed baking sheet lined with a triple layer of paper towels or a clean kitchen towel and blot mixture dry with more paper towels. Return to large bowl and set aside.
3. Combine mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, black pepper, and sugar in a medium bowl and whisk until homogeneous.
4. Pour dressing over cabbage mixture and toss to coat. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper, sugar, and/or vinegar if desired.

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Roasted Salsa

I was really in the mood for salsa and I figured since tomorrow is the Super Bowl I would make a new salsa. What really makes this salsa special is the fact that most of the veggies area roasted and charred under a broiled given a very intense depth of flavor. I also added in some un-roasted vegetables to bring the salsa freshness and stability. This is definitely a fantastic recipe that has quite a bite to it...I would probably put it at the same heat level as the hot salsa at Chipotle. 

So what do you have going on for the super bowl tomorrow? Are having a party? Are you going to a party? Are you making something special?? Let me know in the comments below! Me?? The wife and I are probably going to bunker down tomorrow since we are expecting quite the snow storm tomorrow. I will probably watch some of the game, but really once the Steelers are out of the mix, I pretty much move on to Hockey season (Lets go Pens!). 

All I have to say is no pressure Tom Brady...If you win don't let it inflate your ego...if you lose don't let it deflate your spirit.....#deflategate #punintended

Roasted Salsa

Ingredients

• 5 Jalapeno peppers, halved and seeded
• 6 Roma tomatoes, halved horizontally
• 4 Garlic cloves
• 1 Red bell peppers, seeded and quartered
• 1/2 Red onion, roughly chopped
• 1 Tbsp Olive oil
• 1 Lime, juiced
• 2 Chipotles in Adobo
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 1 tsp Chili powder
• 1/4 tsp Cumin
• 1/4 cup Fresh cilantro

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat the broiler and place rack on top position.
2. Squeeze the tomato halves, reserving the juice and seeds.
3. Set aside 2 of the tomatoes and one of the jalapenos and toss the rest of the produce in a large bowl with the olive oil then spread onto a foil lined baking sheet.
4. Broil for 20 min, stirring often for even browning.
5. Move to a work bowl of a food processor and add the reserved tomatoes, jalapeno and lime juice. Pulse several times until mixture reaches salsa consistency. If mixture is too dry, add part or all of the reserved tomato liquid.
6. Stir in cilantro and refrigerate 2 hours before serving.

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