Best Guacamole Ever

Okay, I don't usually make grandiose statements like the one above. But by now I hope you can trust that I wouldn't mislead you. And I feel pretty secure in the truth of the title of this post. One of my great tastebud pleasures is guacamole, and this recipe comes from my favorite guacamole purveyor, Chipotle. Yes, I said Chipotle. No, not some fancy authentic Mexican restaurant, nor some shack in the Yucatan. I heart lots of guacamole, but my favorite comes from the local fast food burrito bar. So, when I wanted to make guacamole I wanted to know that I was going to love it. I searched the interwebs for the Chipotle recipe, and I found it. And to my great pleasure, it's just as good as the stuff I get with my burrito bowl. So, if you have any faith in me, give it a shot. I really don't think you'll regret it.

Guacamole
Recipe from Chipotle Mexican Grill; Makes appx. 1 cup




















1 large ripe Hass avocado, peeled and pitted
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup finely chopped red onions
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 serrano chili, seeded,chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt

• In a bowl, mash avocado with fork (or potato masher, like me). Add lime juice and mix. Add all other ingredients and blend well. Serve with tortilla chips. If preparing in advance at all, be sure to place plastic wrap directly on surface of guacamole to help prevent discoloration, and store in refrigerator.

My notes: Confession time- when I made it Monday night I totally forgot the garlic. Result? Still totally delicious. Josh and I ate it all that night, despite that we were practically out of chips. We scooped with tiny shards of tortilla to try and not waste any of it. Make sure you've got plenty of chips when you make it (unlike yours truly), because you won't want to waste any of it either. Also, be sure you don't accidentally throw away your one lonely serrano when you get home and unload the groceries. Not that I'm speaking from previous experience or anything. But they are so small, and can easily wander off.

Rub Down

Whew, sorry it took me so long to get back. I had a real rhythm going, keeping up with posting, but then a busy weekend came right along and interrupted everything. I guess it's not that bad though, since at least I have a couple of things to post about while I'm making repeat recipes this week. Last Thursday for dinner I whipped up the cover meal from January's Everyday Food. Well, with a little alteration. A certain grocery store wanted me to pay more than $7 for less than 2 pounds of chicken breast. I wasn't okay with that, but I was also in a rush so I grabbed the breast tenderloins which were slightly cheaper. Makes no difference, as Josh and I both really, really liked this dish. I wasn't sure how he would feel about the salsa, as he typically doesn't go for things like it. I told him that I thought it was really good, but put it on the side of his chicken all the same. He surprised me by saying that it was really delicious and eating all of the salsa with this chicken. Obviously I'll add this recipe to the rotation.

Cayenne-Rubbed Chicken with Avocado Salsa
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 4












Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 oz. each)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 Hass avocado, pitted and cut into chunks

• In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and cayenne; rub all over chicken.
• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add chicken, and cook until browned on the outside and opaque throughout, 8 to 10 minutes per side.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine onion and lime juice; set aside. Just before serving, fold avocado chunks into onion mixture; season with salt and pepper. Serve chicken topped with salsa.

My notes: I didn't worry about how finely I diced my onion. After last week I was just trying to get it cut and be done with it. I also mixed all my spices in a pie dish, then dumped the chicken in and coated them that way, much easier if you ask me. Aside from that everything else is pretty much by the recipe.

Green With Envy

Oh my goodness, almost a week since my last post! All I can say is that I haven't had anything interesting to post, so I probably spared you more by not trying to come up with something to fill the space. It would no doubt be boring, as yesterday I was entertaining the thought of just typing the contents of the grocery receipts for this week!

Josh is feeling much better, thanks to the Nexium he's been taking for over a week now. But we aren't going back to his wild food ways. At least not yet. Now he is eating anything I make for dinner as leftovers the next day, as he gets home too late to eat before bed half of the time. And I'm still trying to be cautious about what I prepare for him. Tonight's meal was something that I had seen in the pages of my June 2006 Everyday Food, but despite the appetizing photograph I hadn't bothered trying it. However, Jordan over at Oh Happy Day recently mentioned enjoying it for a second time, and it made me take a second look.

Asparagus, Snap Pea, and Avocado Pasta
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 6
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths
1 pound sugar snap peas, strings removed
1 pound bow-tie pasta (farfalle)
4 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ripe avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint, parsley, or basil
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan or pecorino cheese, plus more for serving, if desired

• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook asparagus until bright green, about 2 minutes. Add snap peas; cook 30 seconds. With a slotted spoon or a small sieve, scoop out vegetables; transfer to a bowl.
• Return water to a boil; add pasta and cook until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta water; set pasta aside in colander.
• In pasta pot, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add asparagus, snap peas, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing, until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter, cooked pasta, avocado, herbs, cheese, and reserved pasta water. Toss to combine; season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with additional cheese, if desired.

My notes:
I decided at the last minute to leave out the avocado in this recipe. The main reason being that I didn't want to fuss with keeping the avocado seperate for Josh's meal tomorrow, or giving him a meal that would be filled with brown avocado chunks. I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything while I chowed down, but I'm sure it's great with the avocado. Also, Italian parsley was my herb of choice and I found it delicious. I'm sure it would also be great with basil or mint, although I am personally not crazy about that latter. And, as it serves 6 I cut the recipe in half, which resulted in a two hearty portions for Josh and I, and a smaller portion leftover for my lunch tomorrow.

I'm just crazy bout 'Cados, 'Cados crazy bout me....

Last night's dinner was a variation on something I'd done before. You may recall the Southwestern Turkey Clubs I blogged about in March. This time around I decided to eliminate the middle slice of bread, resulting in Southwest Turkey BLTs. Equally delicious, slightly easier to eat, and less calories since removing the middle slice of bread also eliminates the need for extra bacon and applying multiple layers of the avocado spread. I served these up with Chili Roasted Sweet Potato Fries. An easy and enjoyable dinner for our Monday evening.

Southwest Turkey BLTs
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart; Serves 2
4 slices whole wheat bread
1 avocado, pitted and peeled
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 to 2 tablespoons pickled jalapeno, chopped
coarse salt and ground pepper
4 slices bacon
4 slices peppered turkey breast
1 Roma tomato, thinly sliced
torn lettuce leaves, I prefer romaine

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Bake bacon for 20 minutes, turning slices halfway through cooking time. Remove from baking sheet and place on paper towels to drain.
• While bacon is cooking mash avocado, jalapeno and lime juice together in small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Toast bread. Spread one slice with avocado mixture. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, 2 slices bacon, 2 slices turkey and second piece of bread. Repeat for second sandwich.

Chili Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 4
1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (2 to 3 medium)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
coarse salt and ground pepper

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut each potato into 8 wedges lengthwise; halve long wedges crosswise.
• On a large rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper, toss potatoes with oil, sugar, chili powder, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, and 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper, until coated. Arrange wedges, cut sides down.
• Roast potatoes until browned and tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Season with additional salt, if desired, before serving.

My notes: Like I said, this sandwich is just as good, and even easier, than the original it was inspired by. I forgot that last time I decided it was too limey, and had similar results this time. Still good, but very limey. Next time I will only use half the amount. And I only used 1 tablespoon of jalapeno. I think I will try 2 next time. As far as the wedges go, I typically mix everything in a bowl with tongs and then transfer to the baking sheet. This time for better coating I added each ingredient one at a time and tossed after each addition. I think they were definitely coated better this way. Also I cut this recipe in half, since there is just the two of use and I even have a few wedges leftover to go with my lunch today.