guacamole!

(exclamation point necessary)

ryan and i have eaten a lot of guacamole lately. basically because of this recipe. it’s the best homemade guacamole i’ve had. maybe the best guacamole, not just homemade, but that title was previously given to rick bayless’ at his xoco restaurant. this recipe may beat it, but i’ve only had xoco’s twice a long time ago, so before  i hand over the title i need to have it again.

to be honest i don’t even like avocados that much. but when mixed with a few simple ingredients it’s so flavorful. i think the key to this recipe is the paste, which ensures that every bite is jam packed with flavor.

guacamole!
recipe adapted from the bon appetit blog

makes approx. 1 3/4 cups

2 tablespoons finely chopped white onion
1 tablespoon minced jalapeno (or more to taste, seeds optional)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or 1/4 teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 large or 2 small ripe avocados, halved and pitted
a squeeze (or two) of lime, to taste

1. mash the onion, jalapeno, salt (the coarseness of kosher salt helps you make the paste), and cilantro to a paste (use a mortar if you have one, or mince and mash the ingredients together on a cutting board with a large knife or a fork). add to a bowl.

2. score the flesh in the avocado halves in a crosshatch pattern (not through the skin) with a knife and then scoop it with a spoon into the bowl with the paste. mix well and mash with a fork to your desired consistency. season to taste with lime juice and additional salt.

 

my paste isn’t usually too pastey, but i just make sure it’s nice and mashed and juiced. and don’t worry too much about the measurements – everything is pretty much to taste. i’ve only added in one jalapeno (no seeds) the last time i made it, and i just eyeball the other ingredients, adding more at the end if needed. i like the zip of lime juice, so i use the juice of a half to a whole lime, depending on how much guac i’ve made. as long as you taste your own creation and adjust, you can’t go wrong. just grab some chips and enjoy!

{justine}

chicken wontons

chicken wontons. say that around my family or friends, and it’s probably a 100% chance they will have had these – and love them. i got this recipe from my mom, who got it from…someone. between the two of us, this recipe has been made a bajillion times (thereabouts). if you make no other recipe from me except one, please make this one. it’s easy and always, always a hit (and almost always guarantees a ‘can i have that recipe?’ request).

chicken wontons

¾ lb. boneless chicken breast, cooked and diced

½ c. ranch dressing

1 c. finely shredded taco cheese

1 t. chili powder

1 pkg. wonton wrappers

preheat oven to 350. insert wonton wrappers into cupcake tins. bake for 5-10 minutes (varies by oven) until lightly browned (make sure not too brown as they go back in). mix chicken with ranch dressing. put a spoonful of the chicken mixture into each wonton wrapper (still in cupcake tin). mix cheese with chili powder. top each wonton with cheese (about a tablespoon or so) and bake for approx. 5 minutes, until cheese is melted. devour.

(i don’t even use a recipe anymore, which is very very rare for me.  i usually cook 2-3 chicken breasts, dice and then squirt on some ranch until pretty moist – don’t skimp as you want to taste it, but don’t drown the chicken. same goes for the cheese – i just throw a large handful in a ziplock bag, sprinkle some chili powder on it and toss around until mixed. you can’t really go wrong with chicken, ranch and cheese.)

these can also be prepped in advance. bake  the wonton wrappers and store in a tupperware or ziplock. mix the chicken with the ranch in a tupperware, and the cheese with the chili powder in a ziplock, and simply assemble when ready on a sheet pan, and bake for 5 minutes as directed above.

{these are wonton wrappers. they also come in larger squares labeled ‘egg roll wrappers’. both work the same. just cut the egg roll wrappers into quarters.}

{place the wrappers in the tins so the sides stand up and make an open pouch}

{perfect finger food}

the superbowl is this weekend, a perfect excuse to make these. or you can just have them for dinner, like we do from time to time. enjoy!

{justine}

 

linked to remodelaholic

recipe: easy peasy taco dip

last weekend the chicago bears had a playoff game. this, of course, called for a party (and they won, so another party this sunday!). thinking of the nature of the party — football and drinking — i wanted to keep my food simple and yummy, so i made taco dip.  an easy peasy (not 7 layer) taco dip (although those are delish).

cast of characters: taco seasoning, cream cheese (whatever brand and calorie count you want), salsa, iceberg lettuce, tomatoes (regular or grape or even diced in a can…these were adorable so i bought these this time) and cheese (cheddar or mexican blend, shredded)

(no, we will not be using all of the humongous salsa or humongous taco seasoning or humongous cheese. we shop at costco, obvi)

let’s begin.

mix the cream cheese with the salsa and taco seasoning. try to mix evenly, but don’t worry, it will still taste good if you have some pockets of non-mixed cream cheese. spread the cream cheese mixture in bottom of dish. (not gonna lie, the pinkish reddish mixture is not the prettiest sight you’ve ever seen…i neglected to take pics of this step. i’m sure you’re so disappointed)

shred your lettuce. i thinly slice about 1/2 of the head of lettuce (i don’t care much about the leftover lettuce), then chop the opposite way. and then i might change up my cutting direction again, because i like smaller pieces of lettuce.

top your cream cheese mix with the shredded lettuce. (i did try to take a photo of this in action, but let’s just say it’s not worth your while). i suppose you could always put the cheese first, but i like it after so that it weighs down the light lettuce.

top the lettuce with your cheese.

chop your tomatoes. since i bought the adorable grape tomatoes, i only sliced them in half lengthwise. if you bought whole tomatoes, i would suggest removing most of the seeds/pulp so your dip doesn’t get to wet, then dice (and if you went the can route, drain those puppies first).

top your cheese with the tomatoes.

voila! easy peasy squeezy.

serve with tortilla chips. try not to hog it. be sad when there’s none left.

here’s the steps in one handy dandy area (so if you actually want to save this, you only have to cut and paste one area. you’re welcome.)

taco dip

2 packages cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 c. salsa
1/4 c. taco seasoning (or one packet)
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
2 c. cheese (cheddar or a mexican blend)
1 c. tomatoes, diced or split half depending on size

mix the cream cheese,  salsa and taco seasoning; try to mix evenly. spread the cream cheese mixture in bottom of 13×9 (or similarly sized) dish. top with shredded lettuce. top with shredded cheese. finish with the tomatoes on top. serve with tortilla chips. (keep in fridge until serving)

(i do want to come clean and tell ya that all of the measurements above are my best guesses; i did not use a measuring cup or spoon anywhere in the process. but you can’t go wrong with any of the ingredients, so don’t worry, just trust me and yourself want more cheese? go for it. no tomatoes? no problem)

now i have to go and decide what i’m making for this sunday’s party. bruschetta? spinach artichoke dip? any suggestions?

{justine}

p.s. i also made brownies, so stayed tuned for that super easy recipe