Guacamole Two Ways: Bacon and Tomato + Toasted Pepita

What would you say if you had to name your favorite dip?  Your favorite spread?  On most days, my answer to both of those questions is the same.  There's just something about avocados that I find irresistible.  You can moosh 'em up until they're chunky.  You can take it even further and make them creamy and smooth.  Slice them to add beautiful green layers to a sandwich or salad.  Chunk and sprinkle them over tacos or nachos.  Puree them and turn them into dessert.  Or, for one of the best dips and/or spreads of all time, smash 'em up with some lime juice, salt, chiles, garlic, onion, tomato, and cilantro to make a simple guacamole.

That last sentence is true.  I go fairly straight-forward with everyday guac, but it's always fun to shake things up a little and try some fun variations.  Rick (Mr. Bayless if you're nasty) has a few pages of variations in the front of his latest book.  I decided it was high time to knock some of them out.  I wound up with a new favorite (I didn't doubt it by the ingredients) and one that was just sort of meeeeh (good for themes or special occasions, perhaps).

Can you guess which was which?

My new favorite that I unapologetically ate the whole bowl of by myself (relax, I only made a half batch) was the Bacon and Tomato Guac.  BOMB!  Seriously.  Thick, smoky bacon combined with the smoky heat of chipotles accented by tomato and enrobed in glorious avocado.  Per. Fec. Tion.

Bacon and Tomato Guacamole

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 20 minutes +

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Keywords: appetizer condiment side sauce avocado bacon tomatoes Mexican

Ingredients (~3 cups)

• 5 strips thick bacon, cut into julienne
• 3 medium-large (~1¼ lbs.) ripe California avocados
• ½ medium onion, ¼" dice
• 3 chipotles en adobo stemmed & finely chopped
• 1 medium-large ripe tomato, cored and ¼" dice
• ¼ c. loosely packed fresh cilantro + more for garnish
• salt
• 1-2 Tbs. freshly squeezed lime juice

Instructions

Cook bacon until just crisp, ~10 minutes. Drain on paper towel.

Peel the avocados and remove the pits. Scoop out the flesh and place into a large bowl. Mash using a potato masher (or large fork or spoon) until you have a coarse puree.

Place onion in a small strainer and rinse under cold water. Shake off excess water and transfer to the bowl, along with the chipotles, tomato, cilantro, and most of the bacon. Gently stir to combine everything.

Taste and season with salt. Add lime juice to taste.

Serve immediately, garnished with remaining bacon and some cilantro or cover with plastic wrap (directly on surface of guac), until ready to serve.

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My not-so-favorite was the toasted pepita guac.  Don't get me wrong, it wasn't bad.  It was just not my favorite.  The ground pepitas (pepita butter, if you will) lend this crazy, unexpected, extremely pungent flavor that borders on overwhelming the delicate avocado.  So again, good...just not my favorite.  I'll probably make it again in the Autumn, when I'm feeling the whole pumpkin thing.  Don't let me dissuade you from trying, though!  Never know, it could be your new favorite.

Toasted Pepita Guacamole

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes

Keywords: appetizer condiment side sauce avocado pepitas Mexican

Ingredients (~3 cups)

• 3 medium-large (~1¼ lbs.) ripe California avocados
• ½ small red onion, ¼" dice
• 1 serrano chile, seeded, stemmed, & finely diced
• 2 Tbs. loosely packed chopped cilantro + more to garnish
• 2-3 Tbs. freshly squeezed lime juice
• ¾ c. pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds), toasted and salted + more to garnish
• salt

Instructions

Pit and peel the avocados. Scoop the flesh into a large bowl and mash up. Place onion in a small strainer and rinse under cold water. Shake off excess water and then add to avocado along with serrano, cilantro, and lime juice.

Place pumpkin seeds into a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Scrape down sides of bowl and run processor again until you have a chunky paste. Add paste to avocado mixture.

Stir everything together and then season to taste with salt. Serve immediately garnished with some extra pepitas and cilantro. Alternately refrigerate (w/ plastic directly on surface of guac) until ready to serve. Best eaten within a couple of hours.

slightly adapted from Fiesta at Rick's

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How do you like your guacamole?  And if you don't like guac (I'm sure there's somebody out there...), what is your favorite dip or spread?




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Join Dine & Dish and Cookin’ Canuck for the California Avocado 4th of July Blast, sponsored by the California Avocado Commission.
IHCC theme: June Potluck!

Hass Avocados: Recipe Contest, Rose Bowl Game®, Boxes of Avocados, and Avocado Paletas

✽This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Hass Avocado Board featuring Hass Avocados. All opinions are 100% mine.✽

What is creamy and rich, and easily one of the foods I'd pick to bring with me were I to be stranded on a deserted island? Why, that would be avocados, of course! Aside from the fact that add that irresistible layer of richness to so many dishes, Hass Avocados contribute good fats to your diet! Over 75% of the fat in avocados is unsaturated (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated), which makes them a fantastic substitute for foods that are high in saturated fat. Just one-fifth of a medium avocado (1 oz.) has 50 calories and contributes nearly 20 vitamins and minerals; this makes avocados a nutrient-dense foo choice.

I love adding a smooth layer of avocado to almost any type of sandwich or torta...from BLT's to smoked turkey and swiss to warm, shredded pork to deeply spiced beef.  Of course, my favorite use has to be as one of the major components of Tortilla Soup.  I mean, in my opinion, tortilla soup isn't complete without it.  I also love scooping all but a thin layer of flesh from a hass avocado, then dicing and folding it together with anything from chicken to salmon to tuna and piling it high back inside the hollowed out shell.  And let's not forget the classic smooshed up version of avocado, better known as Guacamole.  There are so many other avocado recipes that lend themselves to finger foods, as well.  Check out these tailgating tips and recipes and recipes to get some great ideas for this football season!  And how awesome would it be to put these tips and recipes into motion whilst tailgating in Pasadena before the Rose Bowl Game®?  As a Midwestern girl with a deep love for the Big Ten (Michigan State, in particular), it's always been a dream of mine to head out to California and watch my boys play there in person!  While I don't have much control over whether or not the boys in green make it there this year, I can still try to get there in hopes that they'll join me!  How, you ask?  Well... check this out.

Kick Off with Hass Avocados Recipe Contest

Two ways to participate:

1. Enter the weekly sweepstakes where a box of avocados will be given away every week for 14 consecutive weeks (runs September 5 - December 9).

        ✽find information and to enter, visit Hass Avocado website or Facebook page

2. A recipe contest where the winner will win a trip to the Rose Bowl Game® (runs September 5 - November 4).

        ✽This Grand Prize Package (for 4 people) includes round trip airfare, hotel accommodations, participation in a Rose Bowl Game® Welcome Reception, admission to the “behind-the-scene” Rose Bowl Parade® decorating site, sightseeing tour of Pasadena, admission to the Rose Bowl Game® on January 2. 2012 + more!  More information on how the winner is chosen can be found in the official rules on their Facebook page.

So, in anticipation of tailgating in the warm sun come bowl time, I wanted to try out something I've been meaning to make for quite some time now-  Avocado Paletas!  They are cool, creamy, and reminiscent of melons- not to mention packed with nutrients.  That's my kind of dessert on a football day!

Avocado Paletas
adapted from Paletas
makes 4-6

½ c. warm water
¼ c. superfine* sugar
1 small, ripe Hass avocado
pinch of fine sea salt
1 Tbs. freshly squeezed lime juice

Stir the warm water and superfine sugar together and add the jar of a blender.  Peel and pit the avocado and scoop the flesh into the blender jar along with the sea salt and lime juice.  Blend to a smooth purée.  Fill popsicle molds (add sticks now or later, depending on the type of mold you have), and freeze until firm, ~4-5 hours.
*I should tell you that, if you are not using superfine sugar, you will need to heat your water to dissolve the granulated sugar and then let it cool down to at least room temperature before proceeding with your paletas!

But don't stop at popsicles...find more great avocado recipes at Hass avocados or click through for one of my favorite summer snackin' foods, guacamole.  Or perhaps an Avocado, Salmon and Cucumber Salad?  Or maybe one of my favorite meals of all time, Tortilla Soup (heavy on the avocado).  Don't forget to layer the Hass avocado slices onto your favorite sandwiches, such as a Crispy Pambazo, a Roast Pork Sandwich, or any variety of a Torta.

Later on today I will be making Fried Avocado with a Creamy Cilantro Lime dip...watch for that recipe to come soon.
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 Or head on over to visit some of my friends wonderful recipes using avocado, such as Vegan Avocado Creme Brulee from Joanne.  Or perhaps you need a different type of dip for you chip?  Why not try Leslie's Chunky Avocado Salsa?  Maybe you need a flavorful summer salad like this Avocado Corn Salad from Natashya?  What's that?  You say you want chocolate?  Well, satisfy that urge with Bonnie's Chocolate Avocado Cupcakes.

photo credits: 1. Joanne- Eats Well with Others, 2. Leslie- La Cocina de Leslie, 3. Natashya- Living in the Kitchen with Puppies, 4. Bonnie- Sweet Life

For more great recipe ideas and nutrition information, sign up to receive free emails from Hass Avocados...they'll load you up with great ideas once per month!

My perfect summer snackin' plate... Pico, Guac, & Tortilla Chips

I anticipate mid-August every year...waiting for the glorious globes of summer tomatoes to be hot & juicy and in proper chin-dribbling mode.  I love to just cut some up and sprinkle them with sea salt...close my eyes and commence joy-making.  Know what I also look forward to?  THE freshest, most addicting, most flavor-laden salsas, picos, and guacs of the year.  So, after nearly a year of toe-tapping, finger-wiggling anticipation- the time has finally arrived!

Everybody's got their own versions...labeled 'the best ever' and 'my favorite'.  I have no doubt that those labels are fitting.  But as long as everything is at its glory...anybody's can garner those labels.  This is how I make them...just a guide...I use what I have...and so should you!

Pico de Gallo

 Use all of the ingredients in whatever proportion you prefer and/or have available

ripe, juicy garden tomatoes of any sort

fresh jalapeños or serranos or any hot chile you prefer

onion

garlic

salt

freshly squeezed lime juice

cilantro

Chop the tomatoes.  Small dice the chile and onion.  Mince the garlic.  Toss them all together in a bowl.  Sprinkle on a little salt.  Squeeze the lime over the whole thing.  Toss in a fair amount of chopped cilantro.  Mix everything together...taste. Adjust any ingredients to suit you.  Enjoy!

Guacamole

Use mostly avocado and add just a little of the rest to taste

ripe Avocados

ripe tomato

green onions

garlic

freshly squeezed lime juice

salt

Cut the avocados in half and remove the pit.  Scoop the flesh from the peel and place in a bowl.  Mash it with a fork/spoon/potato masher.  Mash as much as you like...it can be chunky or smooth, it's all a matter of preference.  Dice some tomato small, chop the green onion, mince the garlic and mix it all in.  Squeeze over some lime juice and a pinch or two of salt.  Mix it all together, taste.  Adjust seasoning as needed.  Eat this immediately, or add the pits back in to help retard browning, cover and refrigerate until ready for use (but not more than a day).

Don't forget to make some chips for dipping!  Cut a stack of corn tortillas into wedges.  Make them with your preferred method...fry them quickly in hot oil...bake them in the oven...lay them on a sheet of foil and bake them in the midday sun....  Hey, whatever floats your boat!

Kick back with a platter of Pico, Guac, and hot chips...perhaps a margarita or cerveza or kid-friendly bevvies...and some good company! 

 *Monday Mania*