Day 14: Guacamole

Sorry about the container. I believe in easy leftover transition!

Part of Superbowl Sunday is the different dips. I've covered the Spinach and Artichoke dip and the Peanut Butter Cheese Ball already.

Tonight's dish is guacamole! I admit, I used to buy the pre-made stuff in a jar. It just never tasted like the stuff in authentic Mexican restaurants! I also used the mix and made my own. Better, but still lacking a certain something!

The first time I used the mix, I was all excited! I had just gotten my new food processor and it was the first time I was gonna get to use it. It was also the first time I had dealt with an avocado! (Non-picture tutorials on this subject DO NOT help!) I think I ended up using 3 bandaids and I only got maybe a total of one avocado in the mix. Needless to say, it tasted not so great! In fact, Jason politely asked me to just buy the jar stuff next time. That's a shot in the arm!

So, I kept watching cooking shows, and reading the internets, but for the next couple Mexican food nights, I bought the jar. All the while secretly longing for a recipe or tips about it to magically appear.

Then, when I thought I would never get the chance to make it correctly, Alton Brown's Good Eats did a dip episode that covered guacamole! The way he handled that avocado made my jaw hit the floor! I was inspired! I went right out and bought the stuff to make this again! Jason was skeptical! I did use the mix stuff, but the fruit/other ingredients mix was way better. Jason agreed that I could do it that way from then on.

Then, I found a recipe for the mix! I was ecstatic! Jason just didn't want me to mess it up for the big game!

The stuff in the picture above was by far the best guacamole I've ever had! The best part was it was basically 5 simple steps. Well, 6 if you count the avocado prep!

Ingredients:

3 Haas avocados, halved, seeded, and peeled
1 lime, juiced (juice reserved)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 Tbsp chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, place the scooped avocado pulp and lime juice. Drain and reserve the lime juice after all the avocados have been coated.

2. Using a potato masher, add the salt, cumin, and cayenne and mash.

3. Then fold in the onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and garlic.

4. Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved lime juice.

5. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour and then serve.