Guacamole! Yes Please…and Thank You! I love the traditional guacamole I grew up with, but it’s fun to change it up once in a while and add some tasty add-ins. Bacon, feta cheese, pepitas and one of my all time favorites is pomegranate! Try it! Check out my picks for some of my favorite recipes for guacamole and then some.
Avocado Salsa with Garlic & Habanero~ Straight avocado with a little fresh garlic and a some heat from habanero peppers. It was hard not to want to add cilantro, lol! I was looking for an extra creamy finish and it sure was.
Ingredients
1 large avocado ( at least a full cup)
1 habanero pepper, sliced
1 clove garlic, grated
Juice of 1 lime
3/4 to 1 cup cold water
Salt to taste
Tips~ You can use any chile pepper you like, that’s what I had on hand. The fresh garlic is strong, so just add a liitle at a time.
Blend until smooth. Taste for salt. Garnish with more minced habanero, garlic and olive oil. Or not…
Basic Guacamole for Everyday!
2 ripe avocados, diced or mashed
4 Roma tomatoes, deseeded, diced
4 green onions, sliced or ½ white onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 serrano peppers, minced (seeds removed, optional)
Juice of 2 key limes or 1 regular lime
Handful of chopped cilantro
Salt and fresh cracked pepper
Directions:
1. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, adding a pinch of fresh cracked pepper and about 2 teaspoons of salt, stir well to combine. Serve right away, or cover with plastic wrap, directly onto the guacamole (keeps the air out) and refrigerate for 1 hour. Serve with chips as an appetizer or as a garnish for your favorite foods.
2. Almost anything goes! Variations: add chipotle peppers, habaneros, pepitas, bacon, grilled shrimp, crab, feta cheese, pomegranate, or mango!!
Above is an extra chunky-style guacamole. The same ingredients as the basic recipe.
Above, again, the basic guacamole recipe, minus the tomatoes.
Above, a basic guacamole recipe with no tomatoes, garnish with fresh pomegranate! So tasty!
Extra Creamy Tomatillo Avocado
1 pound tomatillos, husk removed and washed
2 serrano or jalapeño peppers
1/2 of a small white onion
1 clove garlic
1/3 cup cilantro
Juice of 2 key limes or 1 regular lime
1 large avocado
1/3 teaspoon pepper
salt to taste
Combine the tomatillos, onion and serrano peppers. Cover with water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Drain the water and let cool completely. Transfer to the blender, add all remaining ingredients for salsa. Blend on high until smooth, taste for salt.
2 avocados, diced
1/4 cup sweet red pepper, diced
1/4 cup yellow sweet pepper, diced
1/3 cup sweet onion, diced
2 green onions, chopped
1 serrano or jalapeno pepper, minced
1/3 cup, cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon honey
juice of 2 keylimes(or 1 regular lime)
1/2 tablespoon of chile limon powder
Salt and fresh cracked pepper
Quick and Easy Avocado Hummus
Ingredients
15 ounce can chick peas, drained and rinsed
1 large avocado
2 pickled or fresh jalapeños, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 cup cilantro
Juice of 1 lemon
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 teaspon white pepper
Salt to taste
Combine all ingredients in food processor, process until smooth, taste for salt.
Grilled Smoky Bacon Guacamole
Ingredients
2 jalapeños
2 fresno peppers
1/2 large white onion
10 thick cut hickory smoked strips of bacon
* I grilled the chile peppers, onions and bacon on an out door grill. Grill the veggies until caramelized and charred and bacon until crisp. Chop and dice finely.
2 avocados, mashed
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup to 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
1/3 teaspoon pepper
Salt to taste
Combine all of the ingredients, taste for salt. Serve right away or cover with plastic wrap, pressing all the air out. This will keep your avocados nice and green. Chill until ready to serve.
Spicy Garlic Guacamole with Sriracha.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup sweet onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 serrano peppers, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
2 large avocados, mashed
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup cherry peppers, quartered
Sriracha hot sauce, to taste or your favorite hot sauce
Directions
1. Heat the oil to medium heat in saute pan. Add the onions, garlic and serrano chile. Season lightly with salt and pepper and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until the onions starts to brown a little. Remove from heat and let cool.
2. Add the mashed avocados to bowl, add lemon juice, 1/2 of the cilantro, salt and pepper to taste. Add in the onion mixture, stir well to combine and taste for salt. Transfer to serving dish, garnish with cherry tomatoes and drizzle with sriracha hot sauce. Serve with chips! Yields about 3 cups.
Variations: Add in a little crumbled feta cheese and smoked paprika for some added smoky flavors with the salty bite of the cheese.
Roasted Garlic Tomato Salsa with Avocado.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 large roma tomatoes
4 green onions
10 to 12 cloves garlic, skins on
3 serrano peppers
1 large avocado, roughly chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Salt to taste
Directions
1. Preheat a large nonstick skillet or comal to medium heat for 5 minutes.
2. Drizzle the olive oil onto the vegetables and transfer to the hot skillet or comal. Cook until the veggies begin to blacken and blister, turning as needed. Remove the garlic and green onions after 15 minutes, so they do not burn. Let them cool.
3. Once the tomatoes and serranos are cooked, remove from heat and let cool slightly. Remove all the skins from the garlic and finely mince. Transfer to a medium bowl. Continue finely chopping the green onions, tomatoes and serranos, add to bowl.
4. Add the lime juice, cilantro, and avocado. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. let it sit for at least 20 minutes, stir again, taste for salt. Serve right away. If not serving right away, cover with plastic wrap directly onto salsa, so that no air get in. This will keep you avocados from turning brown. Keep chilled.
3 ounces lobster claw, chopped
1/2 cup lemon pickled red onions
1 habanero, minced
1 serrano, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 large avocado, diced or mashed(at least 1 1/2 cups)
Salt to taste
For Lemon or Lime Pickled Red Onion
1 small red onion, sliced thin
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt to taste
Directions
1. In a glass bowl, combine the red onion and lemon juice and stir well to combine. Start by adding 1/2 teaspoon of salt, stir well. Season with salt, to taste. Cover and let marinate for 30 minutes while you prep the other ingredients.
2. Combine all of the other ingredients in a bowl, leaving the avocado for last. After the onions have marinated for 30 minutes, drain the lemon juice and fold them into the salad, taste for salt. Yields up to 4 serving for an appetizer. Serve with tortilla chips.
Mixed Pepper Guacamole with Crisp Radishes
Ingredients
1/4 white onion, finely diced
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 serrano, sliced thin
1 chile guero, sliced thin
2 fresno chiles, sliced thin
2 tablespoons Chipotlé Tabasco hot sauce
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/3 cup radishes, finely diced
2 avocados, diced or mashed
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Salt to taste
Directions
1. Combine all of the ingredients, reserving 1/2 of the radishes. Stir well to combine, taste for salt. Top with reserved radishes before serving.
2. If making ahead, cover the guacamolé with plastic wrap and press plastic down so in makes direct contact with the guacamolé. Keeping the air out will prevent your guacamolé from turning brown. Chill until ready to serve. Yields up to 6 servings
Sun Dried Tomato and Chipotle Guacamole.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon dried chipotle flakes or 2 chipotles in adobo, minced
Juice of 1 lime
¼ cup sun dried tomatoes, finely chopped
2 shallots, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup chopped cilantro
2 avocados, mashed or diced
½ teaspoon pepper
Salt to taste
Directions:
1. In a small bowl, combine the dried chipotle flakes and lime juice and set aside while you chop the remaining ingredients.
2. Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl as you chop them, leaving the avocado for last. Fold all of the ingredients together and add 1 teaspoon of salt; stir well to combine.
3. Cover the guacamole with plastic wrap and press wrap down into the bowl until it is directly touching the guacamole. This will prevent any browning.
4. Let sit for at least 30 minutes before serving, stir again and taste for salt.
Great variations. I just found slim avocados which I will be using Friday. I usually use roasted jalapenos, but will try the serranos.