When it comes to making guacamole, I follow the KISS principle. Although I’ve never really met a guacamole I didn’t like, I find that the versions with the fewest number of ingredients and the ones I like best. As an example, I don’t really appreciate the addition of sour cream or Greek yogurt to a guacamole. Some would argue that sour cream makes the guac creamier, but if a creamy texture is desired, it can easily be achieved by using avocados that are ripe enough. Why overshadow the taste of the avocado? For years, I’ve followed the same guacamole recipe, and for years, people who’ve eaten it have raved about it, and it’s a taste I never grow tired of, so I’ve just kind of stuck with it. Why mess with a good thing? Making guacamole is more of an art than a science; I’ve never measured a thing when making it. My best guess as the winning combination, however, is as follows:
Ingredients:
3 ripe avocados, diced
1/2 small white onion, finely diced
1 clove of garlic, finely mined
1 large ripe Roma tomato, seeded
The juice of half a lemon
Seasoned salt (to taste)
A handful or so of Cilantro, finely chopped (optional)
See this link (Steps 1–3a) for excellent step-by-step directions on how best to cut and peel an avocado for guacamole.
Add all ingredients except the avocado to a bowl. Mix well. Next, fold in the diced avocado to achieve a chunky texture. If you’re of the creamy guacamole camp, just puree everything in a food processor or mash well with a fork or potato masher. Serve with corn tortilla chips.
You may have noticed from the title of today’s post that I actually promised two guacamole recipes. Considering the season as well as the popularity of the great Rick Bayless’ Toasted Pumpkinseed Guacamole recipe (find it here), I thought it only appropriate that I incorporate roasted, hulled pumpkin seeds into my guacamole. This recipe is nearly the same as my classic recipe, but I’ve added hulled, toasted pumpkin seeds, and some jalapeno for a spicy kick:
Ingredients:
3 ripe avocados, diced
½ small white onion, finely diced
1 clove of garlic, finely mined
1 large ripe Roma tomato, seeded
The juice of half a lemon
Seasoned salt (to taste)
A handful or so of Cilantro, finely chopped (optional)
¾ cups of hulled, toasted pumpkin seeds (salt, garlic powder, freshly cracked black pepper, 1–2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil)
One small jalapeno, very finely diced, seeds included (optional)
Soak pumpkin seeds in salt water for a minimum of 30 minutes. Dry the seeds, then toss in extra virgin olive oil, and season with salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Roast on a sheet pan in a 400-degree oven for 20 minutes or so (until seeds turn golden brown color), stirring often to prevent seeds from burning.
When the seeds cool, you can crack them one seed at a time and remove the shell, but this is extremely arduous, time consuming work. I don’t recommend this method. Instead, put the seeds into a ziplock bag, and using a rolling pin, hammer, or meat tenderizer, smash the seeds, shattering the shells. Transfer the seeds/broken shell fragments into a bowl of water. Stir vigorously for about 30 seconds or so. The kernels will sink to the bottom of the bowl, and the empty shells will float to the top. Use a wire mesh strainer to remove the empty shells and discard. Rinse the strainer, being sure to remove any leftover shell fragments, then transfer the remaining contents of the bowl to the strainer to drain out water. The kernels will remain in the strainer.
Add all ingredients except the avocado to a bowl. Mix well. Next, fold in the diced avocado to achieve a chunky texture. If you’re of the creamy guacamole camp, just puree everything in a food processor or mash well with a fork or potato masher. Serve with corn tortilla chips.
The addition of the pumpkin seeds adds a great nutty flavor to the guacamole. It’s a subtle but extremely tasty addition! Enjoy!
Cyndy
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