Sunday, September 7, 2014

My Favorite Guacamole


I'm super excited to share my favorite guacamole recipe ever.  That is all.

(The above picture shows this served in a Small Bamboo Bowl on the Bamboo Cracker Tray with sweet potato chips I made using the Ultimate Mandoline and the Microwave Chip Maker.  That method will be in another post sometime.)

My Favorite Guacamole
chefjennylyn.com

2 ripe avocados, mashed
4 small tomatoes or a handful of grape tomatoes, diced
1/2 of 1 large jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. hot sauce
Salt, to taste

So the directions here are pretty simple.  Mix everything together, and enjoy.


The best tip I can ever give anyone interested in cooking at home more often is to get everything out at the same time.  It's frustrating to work through a recipe and pull ingredients right when you need them.  For one, you can forget things that way, and two, it just makes cooking kind of willy-nilly.  By getting everything out at once, you can streamline the part where you actually put the recipe together.

Above, I have my Measuring Spoon Set, a 1-Cup Measure-All Cup, my Manual Food Processor, my Bamboo Salt and Grinder Set, the Herb Keeper, Professional Shears, a Stainless Mixing Bowl, the Mix 'n Chop, a Citrus Press, two Forged Knives, a Mix 'n Scraper, the Avocado Peeler, and my trusty Large Cutting Board.  Let's do this.


All I can tell you about working with jalapenos is that you should wear gloves.  I learned the hard way to never, ever dig seeds out with your bare fingers, but today I also learned that cradling a hot pepper in your hand can lead to a delayed burning sensation on that tender skin between your thumb and pointer finger.  Don't be a hero.  Wear gloves.  Anyway, you definitely want to remove the seeds, and a spoon is perfect for doing so.  I sliced this pepper with the 5" Santoku Knife from the Forged Cutlery Collection.


The 4 1/2" Serrated Knife from the Forged Cutlery Collection is the ultimate for slicing tomatoes.  It breaks through the skin without smashing the... fruit?... vegetable?... Eh, whatever.


When I have multiple ingredients that need to be chopped, I throw them all in the Manual Food Processor together.  The cilantro, jalapeno, and green onions have all been swirled together to create a family of green awesomeness.  Note: I cut the pepper and onions into chunks before putting them in the processor.


I'm kind of shocked by the number of people who are intimidated by avocados.  First of all, let's talk about how to choose a ripe one.  It should give a little when you squeeze it, but it shouldn't be mushy.  If it feels like mush, you might have a mess inside.  If it feels as hard as a rock, give it a couple of days to turn to perfection.  Ok, for peeling, you just stick the Avocado Peeler in the side and let the large pit guide you all the way around.  Then you separate the two sides, and you end up with what you see below.  Scroll for the next step.


Remove the pit, and simply outline the meat, popping it out of the peel.  Done!  (If you want slices or cubes, just cut them while still inside the peel, and then pop them out.)


Mash the avocado with the Mix 'n Chop, and add everything else.  Here, I'm squeezing my lime juice with the Citrus Press.  You know what?  I've seen the Citrus Press featured in "Stuff chefs can't live without" type articles in three major food magazines over the last few months.  Get a Citrus Press, people!  Moving on... Isn't this looking beautiful now?


I'm using my favorite Stainless Mixing Bowl, the Mix 'n Scraper, and a Bamboo Grinder full of Pampered Pantry Himalayan Sea Salt.  The bowl is big and wide to ensure ingredients get mixed, the scraper keeps from anything being left on the sides, and the high quality salt says, "This guacamole was made with l-o-v-e." From here, taste, add more salt or lime juice if needed, and call it a day.  Your guacamole is ready to be enjoyed! 


One last picture and a tip for storage.  Put a pit inside, and cover the avocado with plastic that actually touches it.  Then cover your container with its lid.  This will maximize the time you have before your guacamole turns brown.

I'll let you know how things go over these next few weeks.  For now, let's all just enjoy guacamole deliciousness!


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