The Aztecs used to dig on guac before it as fashionable... Oddly enough they referred to the avocado tree as the "testicle tree" - I don't know what the Aztec word for it was but that's what it translated to... The hardest part about making the perfect guacamole is finding the perfect avocado. It's hard these days to find ones that really have that perfect avocado taste. I find that when they are truly in season they taste better. I know you can get them year round but when I was a kid you could only get them around the October to May time frame - tomatoes were generally only available in summer... Food sure has come a long way and it travels a long way so you can eat it all year round. But before I go on a tirade about how much food has become big business around the world let's move back to the guac... I digress, avocados need to give just a bit when you put some pressure on the outside skin. It should bounce back. You can also take off the little stem part and if it's nice and green under there you have a pretty good chance of getting a nice avocado to start with...
I see recipes (and yes I have my own) that give you quantities when making guac and I've come to the conclusion that the best way is to play it by sight. Now a days I look at the mixture and it it seems there is enough to go around - that's what I go with. I want every bite to have some goodness in there.
Avocados Tomatoes Red (or sweet) Onion Jalapeno and or Serrano Peppers Cilantro Garlic
Lime juice Salt
Pepper, fresh cracked please
I start by processing the avocados - slice them in half, remove the seed, and use a spoon to remove from the skin - add to a big bowl. I use two forks to mash them up a bit. I like a chunkier version of guac so I don't turn them into a paste. I dice my tomatoes, onions and add them in - but don't stir until everything is in. Mince the peppers, garlic and chop up the cilantro and add it to the bowl. Squeeze 1 or 2 limes into the bowl add the salt and pepper then mix. You don't want to over mix this so that's why I wait until the end to mix everything in. Taste for seasonings and Eat & Enjoy!
This roll will take some skill to make - mainly in the area of thinly slicing and fanning out the avocado on top of the roll... I love this roll mainly because it looks so dang good - it tastes good too but I just love the look. Now you will see that the photo does not jive up with the recipe - The main reason for this is that Lisa doesn't like BBQd eel so I used tempura shrimp inside. It's really dang good with the tempura shrimp...
You don't quite need a whole sheet of nori for this roll but you will need 3/4ths of one. So sight half the sheet, then half again and cut along that line. Take about a cup ball of sushi rice and spread it over the dull side of the nori. Turn the nori over and put it on a plastic wrap covered rolling mat.
If you didn't know, the second Tuesday of the month is 'Taco Tuesday'. No, it's not a real thing, but why not - it sounds good... My earliest memories of tacos comes from being at "Taco Joe's" up in East Chicago. They had the best soft tacos. Every time we would go up to see my grandmother we would go by there and chow down. I was probably 4 or 5 the first time I had one, and I'll never forget how good it was. They were simple - flour tortilla, luscious port taco meat, a spot of cheese, hot sauce and that was about it. No frills either - oblong white plate stacked with 6 or 8 of the things and there you go... From what I can recall they had a very short menu and you got enough food on your plate to make you hurt if you ate it all. My mom was somehow able to get the recipe from them and one of these days I'll put it up.
Anyhow, back to yesterday's tacos - They were simple but oh so very good. I started out wanting to grill a strip steak tacos but just didn't have the energy to get into all of that so chicken inside it was...
Chicken - I had about a pound of chicken breast that I cut into chunks - a bit smaller than your normal bite size piece. I dusted them with Penzeys Adobo seasoning and sauted them to a yummy goodness. It took about 5 minutes over medium heat. There is a good Mexican spice mixture recipe twards the bottom of the page you can use if you don't have theis spice blend. Tomatillo salsa - was made for chicken - If you haven't tried it I suggest you give it a shot. Jut a tablespoon or so on your taco will do the trick. It's very easy to make but you can find pre-made in the market. It gives a really fresh flavor to just about anything. I made mine last night - roasted a few tomatillos, jalapeno, and garlic cloves, blitzed it with some onion and cilantro - yum! Will be doing a video on making it soon. It's really good with corn chips as well... Cilantro - I hate to admit that there was a time in my life that I didn't like cilantro. I'm not sure what I was thinking but I'm all about it now! I think cilantro adds a nice freshness to tacos... Tomatoes - For the first time this year I was able to use a tomato off one of my mater plants. It seemed to take them forever to produce this year... Anyhoo, they're not a must but I like them on my tacos. Green Onion - Usually I use red onion for my tacos but I didn't have any. I did have some green onion in the fridge and it was a good stand in. It tasted great on the tacos... Queso fresco - If you use a Mexican blend cheese for your tacos (which I'll admit I often do) that you get from Kraft or whomever, queso fresco will take your taco to another level. I've been using it a lot more lately and I have to say it's a really good addition. So good in fact that my usage of the other is dwindling rapidly. Avocado - Really do I need to go into this? Mexicanish food and Avocados go together without saying a word... I love avocados and it's not unusual for me to eat one as a snack with just a pinch of salt. Besides all that they look really great on top of a taco...
1 Lb chicken cut into small bite sized pieces 1 Tb Penzeys Adobo seasoning (or use the recipe below) Tomatoes cut to your liking Cilantro, cut to your liking Tomatillo salsa - 2 Tb per taco or so Queso Fresco - A little goes a long way Avocado - 2 - 3 slices per taco Green onion - 2 -4 stalks finely sliced into rounds
Heat a saute pan to medium. Mix the cut up chicken with the adobo seasoning and add to the pan. Cook chicken until fully cooked. Prepare the tomatoes, cilantro, green onions, and avocado and put into bowls. Heat the tortillas and let everyone have at it. I personally think it's best to let everyone make their own so they get what they want. Plus it's fun to make your own taco...
If you don't have any Penzeys Adobo seasoning I suggest you go get you some (www.penzeys.com)! If that's not an option give this mixture a try...
I use the term Mexican food loosely - I've been to Mexico quite a few times and well lets just say there's a big difference between Tex-Mex and Mexican cuisine. They aint got no nachos and everything they make is NOT smothered in a simple Kraft Mexican blend cheese... I'm working on a nice entry called Mexican vs. Tex-Mex - make sure you read it - that is if there really is anyone actually reading these things...
1 Coriander Paprika Spice Rub mix (see below) 1/2 Lb peeled and deveined cooked shrimp chopped 2 Medium cucumbers seeded and chopped 1 15-oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained 1/4 cup tahini 1/4 cup packed fresh mint leaves 2 Tbsp lemon juice 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 Tbsp honey 2 Cloves garlic minced 1 1/2 Tsp ground coriander 1/4 Tsp cayenne pepper 3 Cups ice cubes 1/2 Cup cherry tomatoes, halved 4 Green onions, thinly sliced
For the Coriander Paprika Spice Rub
1 Tsp ground Coriander 1/2 Tsp paprika 1/4 Tsp salt 1/4 Tsp ground black pepper
1. Prepare the Coriander Paprika Spice Rub. In a medium bowl toss the shrimp with the spice rub; set aside. Thinly slice enough cucumber to measure 1/3 cup; set aside. Peel, seed, and cut up the remaining cucumbers.
2. In a blender combine the cut-up cucumbers, chickpeas, tahini, mint, lemon juice, olive oil, honey, garlic, coriander, cayenne, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and black pepper. Cover and blend until smooth, scraping the sides as needed.
3. Just before serving, with the motor running, add ice cubes, a few at a time, through the lid opening until smooth and thickened (blender should be about full). Pour into bowls. Top soup with the shrimp, sliced cucumber, tomatoes, and green onions.
Avocados and shrimp are a match made in heaven. If you ask me the light creaminess of the avocado goes well with the light taste of the shrimp.
This fresh salsa doesn't take much prep.
1 small red onion 1 or 2 tomatoes 1 large avocado 1 jalapeno 6 boiled shrimp (can be grilled too) lime juice cilantro would be nice if you have it. salt & pepper
Dice everything up and mix it up in a bowl. Let sit i the fridge for 20 min to get happy. Eat & Enjoy!
When it comes to making guacamole, there are thousands of recipes claiming to be the "best". I don't know that I've had an "oh my gosh this is the best guacamole I'll ever eat" moment. As long as it's homemade it's all good to me. I've yet to try a commercial guacamole that I liked right out of the package. Give me a break all you really need is 3 ingredients so why buy guac that was made in some factory?
As long as you have good ripe avocados, tomatoes, and an onion you're on your way. Of course you can add much more than that, and I usually do, but that's all you really need to get the ball rolling. To me you have to keep the guac simple - KIS it - keep it simple...
In this video recipe you will see that all I used is:
2 Avocados 2 Tomatoes 1 Garlic clove minced 1/4 cup of red onion 1 Jalapeno Salt Pepper
If I had cilantro or limes I would have used them - but I didn't, and it wasn't going to stop me from making some guac...
Feel free to add other items such as:
cilantro, lime juice, cumin, hot sauce, tomatillos, red pepper flakes, or any other items you see fit for your guacamole.
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