Guacamole. Either you love it or you hate it. And you probably love it. I have the best recipe for guac ever and I'm totally gonna share it with you. It's more labor intensive than the cheater's "just add salsa" version, but it's so worth it. Let's begin!
Time Needed: 30 minutes
Level of difficulty: intermediate
Materials needed: 1-2 jalapenos, 2 tomatoes, 1/2 red onion, 6 green onions, 5 tablespoons cilantro, 3 tablespoons garlic, juice of 1/2 to 1 lime, 8-10 avocados, salt to taste
Directions: Roast your jalapenos (this is why I gave this recipe an intermediate rating). Put them either in a pan or directly on the burner and rotate them occasionally. You're looking to blister the skin. Because of all the moisture in them, they will wiggle and pop and they are super fun to watch. When you're done roasting them, dice them up very finely. They contain a lot of heat, and no matter how much you like heat, biting into a huge chunk of jalapeno is not fun. The inside of the pepper is where most of the heat comes from. So if you like a lot of heat, chop it with the membranes and seeds and all. If you're like me, and a little goes a long way, take that stuff out and then chop it. Word to the wise: don't touch your nose or eyes for a few hours after chopping your jalapenos. And wash your hands thoroughly like a bazillion times. You do NOT want that stuff in your eyes. Also, with jalapenos, the longer they sit in something, the more of a potent flavor they will lend to the dish. So if you like it spicy, wait a little bit before nomming down on the finished product.
Chop up your onions, tomatoes, garlic, and juice your lime. Add all of that and that jalapeno into your bowl and top with salt. This will bring out some of the juices as you move on to the next step and will help the flavors marry a bit. While this his happening, cut open your avocados and cut into chunks. Depending on how you like the consistency of your guac, you can finely chop them, blend them, mash them with a potato masher, or (my favorite) put them in your food processor. Once you have the desired consistency, chuck it in with the rest of the ingredients and mix away. Taste to make sure you like the flavor combos, and add anything that seems to be lacking. But don't eat all of it before the party. Or do and don't tell anyone. Either way, it'll be delicious.
Ingredients: 1 8 oz pkg softened cream cheese, 1 small container of sour cream, 1/2 c salsa (or to taste), 1 packet of taco seasoning, lettuce, cheese, tomato, olives
Directions: Roast your jalapenos (this is why I gave this recipe an intermediate rating). Put them either in a pan or directly on the burner and rotate them occasionally. You're looking to blister the skin. Because of all the moisture in them, they will wiggle and pop and they are super fun to watch. When you're done roasting them, dice them up very finely. They contain a lot of heat, and no matter how much you like heat, biting into a huge chunk of jalapeno is not fun. The inside of the pepper is where most of the heat comes from. So if you like a lot of heat, chop it with the membranes and seeds and all. If you're like me, and a little goes a long way, take that stuff out and then chop it. Word to the wise: don't touch your nose or eyes for a few hours after chopping your jalapenos. And wash your hands thoroughly like a bazillion times. You do NOT want that stuff in your eyes. Also, with jalapenos, the longer they sit in something, the more of a potent flavor they will lend to the dish. So if you like it spicy, wait a little bit before nomming down on the finished product.
Directions: Dice and mince the crud out of everything. Obviously, the size of chunk will depend on the ingredient. The garlic and jalapeno will be much more finely diced than the tomato and cilantro. All of this is to personal taste, so make it as chunky or as fine as you'd like. And, if you like more or less of something, well, add more or less of it. I like a juicy salsa, so I squeezed my tomato chunks a little after chopping them, but if you like a less juicy option, leave that part out. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil (I used my garlic infused olive oil - zing!) and top with salt. Make sure you have enough chips, though, because you'll want to eat all of this in one setting.
Total Cost: $12.50
Total Cost: $10.50
