I thought for a long time when someone mentioned guacamole that there was only one kind and that was that. To my surprise there are some really interesting variations and I I want to try each and every one!
Here are just a few recipes that I have tried and they each have their own individual taste, one sweet, one more roasty, one more herbal and one full of lovely chunks of crab. Any of these would be perfect for serving at your next wine tasting or cocktail party.
And don’t stop with just serving these as a party dip but try on a grilled cheese sandwich or just about any sandwich in place of mayonnaise.
Mango Pineapple Guacamole
Ingredients:
- 4 ripe avocados
- 1/2 cup medium Vidalia onion, minced
- 2 jalapeno peppers, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons lime juice
- 1 medium ripe mango, diced
- 1/2 can pineapple chunks, drained & diced
In bowl or molcajete, mash avocados. Add minced onion, jalapeno peppers, salt and cilantro. Add lime juice and mix well. Gently stir in mango and pineapple.
Serve with tortilla chips, vegetable chips or pita chips. For a healthier alternative, serve with cucumber slices or carrots.
– A little more rustic version is this roasted guacamole. This is actually one of my favorites.
Roasted Guacamole
Ingredients:
- 2 medium ripe tomatoes
- 1 medium green bell pepper
- 2 medium ripe avocados
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 tomatillo, finely chopped
Preheat broiler. Set tomatoes and green pepper on a non-stick cookie sheet, sprinkle with little olive oil, and place under broiler. Keep a close eye on them and keep turning until all sides are blistered. It will probably take about 5 minutes. Place in large glass measuring cup or bowl and seal with plastic wrap for 10-20 minutes.
While tomatoes and pepper are cooling, place avocado in medium bowl and mash. Stir in lime juice, garlic, cilantro, cumin, pepper and tomatillo.
Take the pepper and tomatoes out of bowl and remove the skins. Chop finely and add them to the avocado. Stir and place in refrigerator.
Serve with tortilla chips, vegetable chips or pita chips. For a healthier alternative, serve with cucumber slices or carrots.
– If you love Italian then you will love this one with basil and sun-dried tomatoes.
Guacamole with an Italian Flair
Ingredients:
- 4 ripe Haas Avocados
- 1 Tablespoon wine vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons fresh basil leaves, shredded
- ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and chopped
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions:
To toast pine nuts, place in dry skillet over medium-low heat, shaking to ensure even browning. It usually takes about 3 minutes.
Mash avocados but still leave slightly chunky. Stir in remaining ingredients.
Serve with bread sticks or crostini.
– And lastly, if you want to add some protein to the mix, try this variation with crab.
Crab Guacamole
Ingredients:
- 3 large ripe avocados
- 3 Tablespoons lime juice
- 1/3 cup cilantro leaves, chopped fine
- 1Tablespoon jalapeno, minced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/2 cup red onions, minced
- 1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh jicama, chopped
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 pound lump crabmeat
Directions:
In a large bowl, mash avocados but keep chunky. Add remaining ingredients except for crab and stir well. Fold in crabmeat and chill.
Serve with tortilla chips, vegetable chips or pita chips. For a healthier alternative, serve with cucumber slices or carrots.
Let me know how you like these recipes.
Once in a while my husband and I like to have a meatless meal just for a nice change-up. Black beans are such a good source of protein, 1 cup offers about 30% of your daily protein requirement, as well as providing high percentages of iron, folate and fiber, that they are always one of our top choices for just such a meal. Black beans have also been recognized as providing health benefits for the digestive tract and the colon. Research has found that eating 3 cups of legumes a week will provide optimal health benefits.
2 Cookin' Mamas 