Guacamole - Recipe

Hello my friends! How are you? I've been meaning to write something lately but the nausea hasn't allowed me to! I am actually taking a brave step at this very moment, trying to write about food... when I don't really feel like it... But I want to keep my promises and share with you a recipe....So, I chose an easy and delicious one (very healthy too!): Guacamole!

I know there are many versions "out there" and some are authentically Mexican, although, with Guacamole I like to keep it simple, fresh and really really natural... I can tell you that if a guacamole recipe calls for "Taco Mix" is not authentically Mexican then... and you should discard it immediately

The way I make guacamole is really simple and here are the ingredients you need:

(serves about 5 people)
2 Avocados (Hass) - (See the final note to know how to pick a good avocado)
2 Red Tomatoes (they can be roma tomatoes)
1/2 white onion (if it's too big use a little less)
1/2 lime (juice, always use fresh juice) - you can add more to taste
1 cup of chopped cilantro (fresh cilantro only)
salt to taste
(optional serrano pepper) I usually do not add the pepper because my daughter loves guacamole, so that's why it's optional, it depends if children or people who can't tolerate any heat will eat it too, if you are going to go for it then start with 1/2 a serrano pepper and experiment with that, add more if you think you can handle it.

What you need to do is chop all the ingredients (except the avocado and lime of course), mix them and set them aside, mash the avocados, you can make guacamole as clumpy or smooth as you like, do not blend it in the blender though, just use a fork, add the lime and salt and mix it all together with the tomatoes, onions and cilantro you set aside.

I leave the avocado last because it tends to get dark (oxidation), the lime will help prevent that oxidation, some people leave the seeds of the avocados in the guacamole believing this will keep it from darkening, the truth is that it doesn't, what happens is that guacamole gets dark from being in contact with oxygen, and the seeds kind of help the avocado around it (the one that touches it) to be in contact with oxygen, there is nothing special or magic about the seed, it could really be anything (even a light bulb LOL!) So, what would work better is some "Saran Wrap", place the guacamole in the container that you will serve it and cover it tightly with Saran Wrap, so the lime and the wrap will really help you keep a nice looking guacamole.

 Note: The "bump" on top of the pic is the "lime squeezer". By the way, get one of those if you don't have it.

There you have it, I hope you make it and enjoy it! you can have some tortilla chips to eat it as a snack or put it in your next "Real Tacos"

Note: To know how to pick ripe avocados click here 

Step 2

Pick that avocado up and examine the stem end. If the avocado is ripe, you will be able to pull the stem out very easily. If the stem is already missing, or your not sure how easy it was for you to pull out the stem, read on.

Step 3

Hold the avocado in your hand and gently squeeze it. An unripe avocado will feel like a stone. An over-ripe avocado will feel loose under the skin. A ripe avocado will feel the same as if you were to squeeze the palms of your hands.

Step 4

Know when the varieties of avocados are in season. Haas avocados are available year-round but at their peak from April to November. Fuerte are available from November to July. Reed are available from March to September. Booth, Lula and Taylor are available from the end of June through February. Zutano are available from October to May. Bacon are available from November through July.

Read more: How to Pick Ripe Avocados | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2300768_pick-ripe-avocados.html#ixzz0toOb1ohR

Provecho!

Paloma.

Carne Asada

Good morning everyone! As I promised, I will share with you our "Sunday Dinner".... It was "Carne Asada" (Grilled meat).

For us, Mexicans, Grilling or BBQing is a WHOLE experience, it has to do with the open flames, the flavors and the aromas, forget about GAS GRILLS! (Gas is for our stoves), to grill we use charcoal or MESQUITE wood (among other types of wood) but never gas... In Mexico we can grill pretty much everything. Grilling takes us back to our very origins; actually, even when Mexico has very modern cities, like Monterrey, (which by the way got hit really badly by Hurricane Alex) many places are proud to offer really "old fashioned" and GOOD cooking, and it's all done over the open flame, Monterrey is actually known for its famous "Cabrito" (baby goat), usually cooked on a stick, directly over the fire, it is just DELICIOUS!

So, as Mexicans, we basically grill whatever we have available, from vegetables, tortillas, cheese, beans, fish or any other meats, the specialties vary from State to State (and sometimes from city to city)

So, on Sunday, hubby and I had friends over (a wonderful couple with beautiful kids!) and we decided to grill out, whenever I say "let's grill out", hubby still thinks of hamburgers and brats, but he is getting used to my grilling... Our grill isn't as big as I'd like it to be, so we are kind of limited by the space and time, but hopefully we will get one big (never gas) grill soon!

This was our menu

Guacamole
Grilled banana peppers stuffed with queso fresco (Mexican style cheese)
Chicken
Thinly sliced sirloin steaks
Mexican Chorizo
Salsa verde, pico de gallo
Grilled onions
Tortillas
and glass bottled coke (imported from Mexico)

Forgive my "fine china" I am using mostly disposable stuff to avoid the load of dishes, I don't feel like washing much stuff lately

All the ingredients we needed we got at "El Rey" a Mexican Supermarket close to our house, you can find the "Mexican coke" there too... it's not expensive and it does taste different (way better) than the American Coke (which I wonder why).

For dessert we had a very American Apple Pie (baked in a bag) we got at wonderful store The Elegant Farmer about 30 mins. away from home, they are the proud holders of the title of the "Best Pie in America" and some coffee (which I didn't drink, I just can't drink coffee yet...)

Please stay connected... I will be sharing in the following days the recipes so you can have this same menu the next time you grill.... and you will have a very authentic and really Mexican GUACAMOLE (no taco mix, no sour cream, no garlic powder!)

Provecho!

Paloma.