The Best Guacamole Ever

I posted my favorite Salsa Verde recipe a many months ago, so naturally guacamole must follow.  This is my favorite dip in the world, and I love bringing it to parties and social events.  I usually make a big batch, so this recipe feeds many -- but of course, you can easily cut it in half, and even in half again, if you just want to make it for the family or a few friends.

I start off with a bunch of really good avocados.  Selecting avocados is very important, and there are many good avocado options, particularly in California.  Hass are delicious and readily available, but when you can find them, Fuertes and Reeds are also excellent choices for guacamole.  It is important that the avocado be ripe, but not too ripe.  When you hold it in your hand, make sure that is feels like you could squish it, if you were to squeeze it really tight, but make sure that it does not feel "mushy" at all.  Great guacamole begins with great avocados!  I have 9 here, but there is absolutely nothing magic about that number -- it's just A LOT.  I start by cutting them in half, as pictured, and removing the pits by hitting each pit squarely with a sharp knife, and then pivoting it to the right or left to loosen the pit so that I can lift the pit right out.

Next, I scoop the avocado in large chunks into a bowl and immediately squeeze on some lime juice to preserve the rich bright color.

I chop up a bunch of white onion, green onion and cilantro.  I'd say heaping cup full for 9 avocados is about right.

And I finely chop two seeded jalapenos.  (Keep the seeds in if you like your guacamole extra spicy.)

Next, I mash the avocado very gently with a fork until I get just the right consistency.  It should be both chunky and creamy.

Then I stir in the chopped jalapenos along with a bunch of the onion and cilantro mixture reserving a about 1/4 cup for the top.  At this point, I add more lime juice (1/2 a lime at a time) and coarse salt to taste.

Now, if you have already made some Salsa Verde -- and I hope you have --  (here is the link to my favorite Salsa Verde recipe: http://mandybora.blogspot.com/2013/08/salsa-verde.html), spoon some on top of the finished guacamole, and sprinkle with the reserved onion and cilantro mixture.  Otherwise, just sprinkle on the reserved onion and cilantro mixture and serve with your favorite red or green salsa!

Guacamole is...

Whole Black Beans - Frijoles Negros

One of the best things to arise out of my little food blog is that my dad has starting taking pictures of the food he makes and sending the photos to me!  It totally cracks me up -- a little gesture with a bit of culinary competition thrown in that completely makes my day!  The pictures almost always feature eggs and meat -- so clearly we have different tastes -- and more often than not they are upside down.  But that's ok.  I enjoy them immensely!  Daddy, while you enjoy your breakfast of eggs, hash browns, and bacon, which I'm sure is absolutely delicious, I'm having beans!

Canned beans are convenient and pretty darn good, but when time permits, there is nothing like the real deal. This delicious and easy-to-make whole black bean or Frijoles Negros side dish is a great accompaniment to any Mexican meal.  I love these beans folded into a taco or burrito with rice and salsa, piled onto a yummy tostada, served as a side dish alongside tacos, tamales, or enchiladas, or served simply as a dip with good chips, salsa, and guacamole.  An essential part of any healthy vegan diet, black beans are nutritious, delicious and versatile! 

I start off with 1 cup of black beans, which I sort, rinse, and "quick soak" (as opposed to "overnight soak"). The quick soak method is ideal when you you do not have time for an overnight ordeal.  I simply sort and rinse the beans, cover them with hot water (4 cups of water per every 1 cup of beans), bring the water to a rapid boil and boil for 2 minutes, and then remove them from the heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour.

In the meantime, I assemble the other ingredients.  For 1 cup of beans, which makes about four servings, I prepare a diced juicy tomato,1/3 white onion sliced thin, 2 cloves of fresh garlic sliced thin, 1 Poblano pepper, seeded and sliced down the middle, a teaspoon of olive oil, and Kosher salt to taste.

Once the quick soak is complete, I rinse and drain the beans, combine them with the remaining ingredients, along with 3 cups of hot water, and cover the pot and set it over a high heat until it comes to a boil.  Then I reduce the heat and simmer the beans until they are tender, which can take anywhere from 2 to 3 hours. As the beans cook (largely unattended) I stir them every so often and add a bit more hot water if needed.

Once the beans reach the desired tenderness, I season them with a bit more salt (if needed), a few grinds of black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon of ground cumin.  Then I take a wooden spoon and break up any large chunks of tomato pepper pepper.  Finally, with the back of the spoon, I press down on the beans, mashing them until they reach a consistency that is somewhere in between whole beans and refried beans (which is just how I like them). 

 

One of my favorite breakfast treats is a fresh tortilla cooked on the stove top until it puffs up and chars a bit, topped with homemade Frijoles Negros, and garnished with fresh cilantro.  Delicioso!

Ingredients/Recipe:

1 cup black beans, sorted, rinsed, and either soaked overnight or prepared using the "quick soak" method described above.

1 tomato, diced
1/3 white onion, sliced thin
2 cloves of garlic, sliced thin
1 Poblano pepper, seeded and sliced in half longways
1 teaspoon olive oil
Kosher salt to taste
3 cups hot water

After preparing the beans by soaking overnight or using the "quick soak" method, strain rinse, and place in a heavy pot. Add tomato, onion, garlic, Poblano pepper, olive oil, and salt.  Cover with 3 cups of hot water, bring to a boil, and then cover and simmer on a low heat until the beans are tender (anywhere from 2-3 hours).

Once the beans reach the desired tenderness, season them with a bit more salt (if needed), a few grinds of black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon of ground cumin.

With a wooden spoon, break up any large chunks of tomato or pepper, and using the back of the spoon, press down on the beans mash until  the consistency is right in between whole beans and refried beans.

Enjoy!

Salsa Verde

I really, really love making homemade salsa because it involves a lot of dicing (something I totally enjoy for some reason), and the end result is colorful, spicy, and delicious!  An essential condiment to delicious vegan dining, salsa adds flavor and pizazz to beans, rice, raw vegetables, sliced avocados, and even baked potatoes.  And while I love all types of salsa, I am particularly fond of green salsa, or salsa verde.

This recipe makes a pretty big batch, so you may want to cut it in half.  Warning -- there are a lot of steps, but it's still an easy dish to make, and the end result is so much better than any "fresh" salsa sold in the supermarket, so it's well worth the effort.

I start with a bunch of ripe green tomatillos of varying sizes (about 20 or so).  Since tomatillos grow in a thin, paper-like husk, it is important to inspect each, one by one, by carefully lifting the husk, to ensure each tomatillo has a bright green appearance and a smooth, shiny skin.

First, I remove the husks and wash the tomatillos in warm water to rid them of their slightly sticky residue.  Then I put them in all in a pot, along with 1 jalapeno pepper, 1 Serrano pepper, a teaspoon of salt, and just enough water to barely cover the tomatillos and peppers.  I bring the water to a boil, and as soon as the smaller tomatillos start to soften, I turn off the heat and let everything cool down.  I intentionally cook them unevenly -- some more done, some less done -- so that my finished salsa will have a rustic texture.

Next, I roast two poblano peppers right on the burner over a low flame, turning frequently until they are charred on all sides.  When those are ready, I plop them into a plastic or paper bag, close it up, and let them sweat.  When they are cool enough to handle, I remove the skin and the seeds and dice them up and set them aside.

In the meantime, I dice 1 medium white onion, 2 scallions (including the green parts) and a large bunch of cilantro (including some of the stems, which are packed with flavor).  I add to that mixture 1 very finely diced jalapeno pepper and set that aside. (Note you may choose to include or omit the seeds and membranes of the jalapeno, depending on how spicy you like your salsa.) 

Then I put the cooked tomatillos in a food processor or blender, along with the cooked jalapeno and Serrano peppers.  (I chop up the cooked peppers a bit first, and keep in all the seeds.)  To that I add about a cup of the diced onion-pepper-cilantro mixture, 1/2 teaspoon of cumin, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon of sugar, and the juice of one lime.  You made need to do this part in batches if you are working with a smaller food processor, like I am.

Next I blend everything altogether on pulse mode, adding small amounts of the reserved cooking liquid until the consistency is just right, and pour it all into a bowl.  It should look like this.

I then add the remaining chopped onion-cilantro-jalapeno mixture to the salsa as well as the roasted and diced poblano peppers, stir it all together, and adjust the seasonings.

If the salsa verde is not hot enough for your taste, chop up and add more fresh jalapeno and Serrano peppers.  If it's too hot, don't worry -- the heat will mellow as the salsa cools and the flavors marry.  Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. 

Salsa verde is really a wonderful and versatile condiment that livens up many dishes and makes vegan eating all the more enjoyable, but of course nothing beats a bowl of it, all on its own, with some excellent tortilla chips.