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!

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!

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.

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!