Guacamole

|
By
|
8 comments

In my noobular years, I disliked avocado.  I know, I know. Shame on me! Thank Heavens I came around. Like most people, it was guacamole that brought me around. Rich, creamy, and cool – it’s pretty much the perfect condiment. Lots of people have their own spin on guacamole, and mine is no exception. It’s similar to most guac recipes, but, I like to add a little bit of sour cream. It gives it a nice tangyness, and lightens it up a bit. I’m sure you could also use Greek yogurt, and get the same effect. We put it on everything; enchiladas, tacos, even scrambled eggs. Which, incidentally, I also add a bit of sour cream to. That’s a tip I picked up from Ralph Cifaretto in “The Sopranos”, right before he got whacked (one of my favorite episodes, btw, for all you Sopranos fans out there). Ahh, I miss that show!

I digress. The guacamole. With all the football game goodness we have to look forward to in the coming weeks (Go 9ers!), save room on your table for a big bowl of guacamole and tortilla chips. It’s always one of the first things to go! I’ve also got another great munchie coming up tomorrow that’s perfect for football snacking. Stay tuned!

Guacamole

3 ripe Haas avocados, seeded and meat removed (see here for a great rundown)
juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons sour cream (reduced fat is fine)
1/2 cup pico de gallo
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Mash avocados and lemon juice well with a potato masher. Add in remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Add additional salt to taste.

Place in serving bowl, and cover the surface of the guacamole with plastic wrap to prevent oxidation. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Fresh Flour Tortillas

|
By
|
7 comments

We blow through A LOT of tortillas in this house. Flour, whole wheat, corn – we love them all! I’ve heard stories of how much better fresh tortillas are, versus the ones you buy pre-packaged in the store. Big surprise there, right? Unfortunately, we don’t live anywhere in the vicinity of one of those big, fancy-pants grocery stores that sell tortillas made in house. I have found one brand that I adore, but it’s only available at our local restaurant supply store. However, they are HUGE. Like 14″ tortillas. Great for burritos, for everything else – not so much. Leave it to my homegirl Annie, to provide the inspiration to try my hand making them at home.

They turned out wonderful! The dough was a breeze to bring together in the food processor, and a dream to work with when rolling out. My rolling skills aren’t the best, so I was nervous about rolling something as thin as a tortilla. I had no problem whatsoever. Also, they were quick to make! From start to finish, it was about 40 minutes. Super easy! Next time I’ll probably do a double batch, and freeze half to have on hand. They are heartier, yet fluffier than the ones you buy at the mega mart. Not to mention the fact that they actually taste like something. They’re wonderful. Make these!

Flour Tortillas

Yields 12 (8-inch) tortillas

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 heaping tsp salt
5 tablespoons shortening, lard, or softened butter
3/4 – 1 cup warm water

Pulse the flour, baking powder, and salt a few times in your food processor fitted with the dough blade. Add the fat and process until the mixture is uniformly crumbly.

With the food processor on, slowly stream in the water, just until the dry ingredients form a ball and starts traveling around the bowl (you might not use all of the water or you might need a little more).

Let the dough knead for ~30 seconds. The dough should clean the sides of the bowl, be soft and not overly sticky. (You can most certainly do this by hand with a pastry cutter, a wooden spoon, and your hands.)

Turn out onto a flour-dusted surface and divide dough into golf-ball sized portions (I weighed mine out to 2 oz each). Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for 10 minutes.

Heat a large, dry frying pan over medium high heat. With a rolling pin, roll the dough balls into thin rounds, dusting the top with just enough flour to keep the tortilla from sticking to the rolling pin. Lay tortilla flat in the heated pan and cook on each side for ~20 seconds, until the bubbled areas brown. Keep covered with a kitchen towel to keep warm and pliable. Serve warm.

Source: Confections of a Foodie Bride, via Annie’s Eats and Pennies on a Platter

Pico de Gallo

|
By
|
4 comments

I hate to admit it, but I used to dislike cilantro. I thought it tasted like soap. Thankfully, I’ve since come around and now I can’t get enough of the stuff. One of my favorite uses for it, which I find myself making often around here, is pico de gallo. Obviously, it’s a great condiment for any Mexican dish. But, it is also a wonderful accompaniment to serve on top of broiled fish or grilled chicken. Not to mention it’s totally figure friendly.

I’ve found that I get pretty decent results year-round with Roma tomatoes. Of course this summer is at it’s prime with summer tomatoes, but it’s nice to be able to have a fresh tomato salsa in these dreary winter months that is edible! I like a more predominant onion flavor in my salsa, so I use white onions. If you like a milder onion flavor, try using red onion or scallions instead. If you don’t like things spicy, remove the “ribs” and seeds from the jalapeno before chopping. Or, if you want to kick the heat up a notch, try using a serrano or habenero pepper in place of the jalapeno.

Pico de Gallo

5 Roma or plum tomatoes, diced
1/2 white onion, diced
1/2 cup cilantro, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced
1 lime, juiced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Let sit 20 minutes to let flavors meld before serving.

Chipotle Bean Burritos

|
By
|
4 comments

We’re usually not vegetarian meal people. I hate to say that, because I’d like for us to be more often. I have a few dishes that are meatless that go on the menu, usually about twice a month or so, that I don’t hear griping about. When I told my husband I was putting bean burritos on the menu for last week, I was greeted with a bit of hostility. I’ve got a great chicken recipe for burritos that we love (need to share it!), not to mention all the other awesome filling possibilities for burritos (barbacoa, carnitas, etc.). He wasn’t a happy camper at the thought of beans being the primary filling for a burrito. They’re always an “add in”, and never the star!

Let me tell you, they were so good! I loved them more than my chicken  burritos that I’ve been making for years. The beans are so flavorful and spicy. You can of course add less chipotle, or more, depending on your tastes. Ours was moderately spicy, but Andrew had no problem chowing down. The sour cream certainly helps to quell the spiciness. You could also substitute greek yogurt to shave some calories. I think the extra tang would be great! It fed the three of us for dinner one evening, and then I had leftovers for lunch the next day. Going to make up another batch of the bean filling this week to have in the fridge for lunches for Andrew and I . Make these, you won’t be sorry!

Chipotle Bean Burritos

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chile powder
2 teaspoons minced chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup water, chicken broth, or vegetable broth
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
6 tablespoons fresh salsa
6 12-inch flour tortillas, warmed in microwave for 10-15 seconds
1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, pepperjack, monterey jack, or a mixture)
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 1/2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
6 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions
6 tablespoons sour cream

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add the garlic, chile powder, chipotle chile, cumin, and salt, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add the beans and broth, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low, and allow to simmer 10 minutes.  Remove from heat, stir in salsa, and mash lightly with a slotted spoon or fork.

Spoon about 1/3 cup of the bean mixture down the center of each tortilla.  Top each serving with about 2 1/2 Tablespoons shredded cheese, 1/4 cup tomatoes, 1/4 cup lettuce, 1 tablespoon green onion, and 1 tablespoon sour cream.  Roll tightly and serve immediately.

Source: adapted from Pink Parsley, originally from Cooking Light