Showing posts with label mexican. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mexican. Show all posts

Sunday, January 12, 2014

Pico and Guac



With playoffs here and Super Bowl around the corner, you may be on the lookout for great dips and snacks.  Well, I'm here to share my recipes for 2 dips that no game day should be without: Pico De Gallo and Guacamole.  

There are thousands of recipes out there for Guacamole but I happen to like mine nice and chunky which is why I add fresh pico de gallo to it.  Sure you can grab store bought pico and use it in this guac recipe, but I actually like to make both.  Some people don't like guacamole and even thought that makes them crazy, I like to give another option so I make the pico, use some in the guac and it's a win/win.

Even though I give measurements here, when it comes to the seasonings, just do it by taste.  I like to use alot of cilantro and lime and I also enjoy garlic in my guac.  But you can adjust the seasonings to your own taste.  AND if you really want to kick your guacamole up a notch, check out my Seafood Version.

Pico and Guac use pretty much the same ingredients!
Pico de Gallo

Ingredients: (Makes about 2 Cups)
5 plum tomatoes, seeded, diced
½ cup red or white onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
Juice of ½ a Lime
Salt & Fresh Black Pepper, to taste

Directions:
After you have removed the seeds and diced your tomatoes, add them to a bowl.  Then add the finely chopped onion and cilantro and stir to combine.  Next squeeze half a lime over tomatoes and season liberally with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.  Give mixture a final stir, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until ready to serve.  Serve with tortilla chips or as a topping for tacos, quesadillas, burritos, eggs, you name it!

Guacamole 

Ingredients:
3 Ripe* Hass Avocados
2 Limes, juiced
1/2 cup Store Bought or Fresh Pico Gallo (see above) 
1-2 cloves garlic, grated using a micro-plane
Salt & Fresh Black Pepper, to taste

*A ripe avocado is dark green and soft to the touch when you squeeze it gently. If your avocados are bright green and hard, they will need 2-3 days to ripen by simply leaving them out on the kitchen counter.

Directions:
Grip the avocado gently on one side with one hand. With a large, sharp knife in the other hand, cut the avocado lengthwise around the seed. Open the two halves to expose the pit.  Remove the seed by scooping it out with spoon or using a knife to cut into the seed and twisting it out. Then, using a spoon, scoop the flesh of the avocado out into a small bowl. Roll the limes on the kitchen counter to release their juices, cut the lime in half and squeeze all of the juice onto the avocados. Next, mash the avocado using the spoon until to combine with the lime juice (this will keep it from browning). Lastly, add the salsa, garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Give it a final mix and serve immediately with chips.

Friday, May 3, 2013

Recipes Perfect for Cinco De Mayo!





Cinco De Mayo is Sunday and I just wanted to share a few recipes for anyone who may be entertaining or simply trying to be festive.  I, like most people, happen to love Mexican food so these recipes weren't written with May 5th in mind.  But they're perfect for the holiday and if I was entertaining this Cinco De Mayo, I would definitely make one, if not all of these!

Why am I not hosting a taco and tequila filled fiesta this Sunday?  Well, I've discovered that all of my entertaining has put a slight strain on my budget so I need to chill for a bit.  AND one of my friends invited me out to a party. And I need some fun!  So YES I will be partying but NO I won't be cooking. Which is why I'm posting some recipes in the hopes that YOU will do the cooking. ;-)

However, I only have a handful of Mexican recipes (all amazing though).  First is my Healthy Fish Tacos that I wrote recently for Ebony.com.  The beauty of this one is that inside that recipe is a Pico De Gallo recipe and a Cilantro-Lime Cole Slaw recipe in addition to the tacos. So you get 3 Mexican inspired dishes in one!

Then there's my Seafood Guacamole w/ Baked Tortilla Chips.  The tortilla chips are a fun snack to make, especially with little ones! And the seafood guac is so good, that is becoming my signature dish among my family and friends.  It is TO DIE FOR.  Especially if you love seafood.  But if you don't, I've included a classic "semi-homemade" Guacamole recipe as well.

Make one or make them all!

Healthy Fish Tacos w/ Cilantro-Lime Slaw & Pico De Gallo

Seafood Guacamole w/ Baked Tortilla Chips

Guacamole