}]; Noreen's Kitchen: A Fiesta At Your Table! Pico De Guaco! Fresh Homemade Guacamole!

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

A Fiesta At Your Table! Pico De Guaco! Fresh Homemade Guacamole!

Many of you know I grew up in Arizona.  Born in New Jersey, but moved to Az. when I was 10 we moved from the pastoral beauty of the garden state to the foothills of the grand canyon state.  That is where my family lived until 10 years ago.  Now we live in North Carolina, the gateway to the south.  While I love where I live now, I love Arizona and I miss her especially when it comes to good Mexican food!  So today I am going to share with you my way of making a great guacamole. 

The name comes from an Aztec dialect via Nahuatl āhuacamolli [aːwakaˈmolːi], which literally translates to "avocado sauce".  Avocados were first cultivated in South Central Mexico to Central America and as far south as Peru.  They made their way into Mexican cuisine and have been a staple ever since.

My version of guacamole is kind of like a combination of two of my favorite things on every Mexican restaurant table.  Guacamole and pico de gallo.  The first you know, the latter, if you don't is a delicious fresh salsa made with tomato, onion, jalapeno, cilantro and lime juice.   You can sometimes purchase this premade, but trust me, fresh made is best.  Take the two dips and mix them together for an amazing, fresh and creamy dip that will have you reaching for the chips or the tortillas or anything else you can think of to dip or smear this heavenly concoction.



The combination is quite simple really.  Mashed avocados, tomato, white onion, jalapenos or if you prefer, finely diced bell pepper, garlic, cilantro, lime juice and salt.  You can also throw in a dash of black pepper, and even some hot sauce.  You control the heat level here so add more or less jalapeno or none at all.  Garlic also provides a bit of heat so you can adjust that as well.  Mash the avocado, mix in everything else and you are all set.  Voila!  Pico -de-guaco!  Grab the chips and enjoy!

A word of warning.  I have seen a lot of recipes where people include either mayonnaise or sour cream as part of the guacamole.  I am hear to tell you that this is just wrong, wrong, wrong.  Guacamole, does not need the addition of a creamy ingredient to be creamy.  Sour cream may be pushing it for me, but mayo is just stepping over a culinary line that one should never go over!  Mayo has it's place in many things, but guacamole is not one of them.  If you are one of those mayo including folks,  this is not a way to call you out.  I will not apologize for this one though!  Keep the mayo for the tuna and keep it out of the guac!  This will conclude the warning part of my blog!  LOL!

This dip is really best made and eaten right away, however you can store this in the fridge for up to three days in an airtight container.  The avocado may tend to brown a little, but you can add a bit more lime juice, but not too much or it will be much too runny to enjoy.  Do that right before you put it away. 



Dipping is the most popular way to enjoy my pico-de-guaco, but for a light lunch think about making a quick wrap with some of the spread on a flour tortilla, topped with more tomatoes, onion and some shredded lettuce.  If you have some leftover grilled chicken or steak, this would be a great addition as well.  Roll that up, cut it in half and you have an amazing lunch ready to go in no time.  Also great for packing to take to work or school for a quick meal on the go! 

I think you are going to love this version of guacamole, my pico-de-guaco is an awesome way to enjoy a southwestern favorite like the kind I grew up eating in Arizona!  I hope you will give this a try and I hope you love it!

Happy Eating!




Noreen's Kitchen
Pico De Guaco

2 ripe avocados, mashed
1 cup diced roma tomato
1/2 cup diced white onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh jalapeno, minced
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced
2 to 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Salt to taste


Ingredients

Combine avocado, tomato, onion, jalapeno, garlic and cilantro together in a bowl.  Blend well.

Add lime juice a tablespoon at a time until you get the right consistency and flavor.  You want this to be thick but not runny. 

Add salt to taste and even some cracked black pepper and or hot sauce if you are so inclined.

Serve with tortilla chips, flour or corn tortillas or as an addition to a guacamole salad like you get on the side at a Mexican restaurant!



You can get a printable copy of the recipe on my website:

You can see how to pick the perfect avocado in my video here:





See how I made this in my YouTube video!






1 comment:

  1. Hi, Noreen! I just want you to know that I have loved your videos on YouTube for a year or so, but never knew you had a blog! Your recipes are always good and full of REAL food. My husband is Mexican, and I can attest that this is true guacamole, although our family loads in the onions and puts in an entire head of cilantro. Love cilantro, lol. It is such a superfood for health and immunity- I think everyone would be healthier eating it everyday! Thanks again!

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.