Guacamole

Just as there are many ways to make pico and salsa, there are many ways to make guacamole! The simplest way is to mash up the avocado and season with salt and pepper with a few squeezes of lime juice. For a creamier guacamole, stir in some sour cream. Both of these versions are great and very easy to prepare. If you are looking for something a little different that has more texture to it, you can try this one that I threw together. Although it tasted good right after mixing, it was way better after sitting in the fridge for a few hours. I was also very impressed with how it tasted and looked the next day. The lime juice is key for keeping the avocado from browning.

Ingredients

3 avocados
1 lime
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup diced onion (I used purple)
3 tbsp chopped cilantro
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1 tsp minced garlic

I think I learned the easy way to cut an avocado from watching Emeril years ago. Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. Hold the half in your hand and use a sharp knife to cut it horizontally and vertically. Then you hold that over a bowl and push on the skin side until the avocado pieces fall into the bowl. It's a super easy trick, but not so easy to describe in words :~)

Another trick for the lime juice is to roll the (uncut) lime between the counter and your palm a few times to release some of the juice. Then cut in half and squeeze.

In a medium bowl, mash the avocado with lime juice and salt.

Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. You can serve this immediately, but refrigerating for at least 1 hour provides the best flavor.

I think this is one of those dishes that just does not photograph well...but the results are definitely yummy!!

ENJOY!

Pico de Gallo

I LOVE salsa and pico de gallo so I knew that I needed to make some to go along with our New Years Eve menu. Pico is another one of those dishes that you really don't need a recipe for, but sometimes it is nice to have a starting point of ingredients. You can adjust any of the ingredients to suit your own tastes. There are so many uses for pico other than just as a dip. You can add it to quesadillas, nachos, tacos, burritos or anything else you like. You do want to plan this one so that you have at least 3 hours to refrigerate before serving to let the flavors really blend.




Ingredients

6 roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 to 3 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
juice from 1/2 lime
1-2 cloves minced garlic
pinch of garlic powder
pinch of ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving.

ENJOY!

Restaraunt Style Salsa Revisited

I know we are having Mexican food tomorrow night, so decided to make some more salsa. I wanted to show you a picture of what it looks like in the blender so that you won't be scared! It will fill the blender to the top, but it does all fit!

I pulsed this one a little less to get a chunkier style. While I liked the added texture, I found it to be a tad too watery. So, if you want a chunkier texture, go ahead and drain the 2 cans of Rotel before processing. If you want a smoother texture, you don't need to drain them (but won't hurt if you do). And while it is good straight out of the blender, it really is much better after sitting in the fridge for at least an hour. (But...I was realllyy hungry!)

I love these new Dipping Strip Tortilla Chips by Tostitos! It's the perfect size chip for dipping!! Another favorite is the Multigrain Tostitos! Great for nachos!

Restaurant Style Salsa

I LOVE Mexican food- well it's technically "Tex Mex", but I love it all the same. I could seriously eat some form of Mexican food every day! That was really the only thing I craved when I was pregnant. However, I'm not sure it could really be classified as a pregnancy craving as I crave it all the time anyway! :-)

A good start to any Mexican meal is the chips and salsa! I love a good salsa and was almost giddy when I saw this recipe for "Restaurant Style Salsa". I knew that I had to give this one a try in my quest for a good salsa. I figure the upside to finding a good recipe is that I get to try a lot of chips and salsa and that's all good!

I am not a huge fan of cilantro and my husband has a strong dislike for the stuff (related to his days in the produce dept in college). So, I was a little concerned that the amount of cilantro was going to be overwhelming,. But to my surprise it gave it a good flavor and wasn't too much. You can however adjust the seasonings to your taste. I love spicy foods so I left the seeds in the peppers to up the heat a little. It definitely gives it a little kick- although I will probably add more peppers next time. I also debated on whether to drain the Rotel, but decided against it in the end. The only thing I will do differently next time is to divide the salsa in 2 batches and leave one batch a little chunkier.

Ingredients

1 can (28 oz) whole tomatoes with juice
2 cans (10 oz) Rotel
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 whole jalapeno, quartered and thinly sliced
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 cup cilantro (more or less to taste)
1/2 whole lime juice


Directions

Combine all ingredients in blender or food processor. Pulse until you get the desired consistency. Adjust seasonings to your taste. Refrigerate for at least one hour. Serve with chips.


Grab some chips and dig in! Enjoy!

Garlic Butter

This is a very yummy garlic butter that can be used in a variety of recipes! It is wonderful on pizza crust with cheese or spread on bread sticks! You can adjust the seasonings to taste.

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground paprika

Directions

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and mix until smooth.