Walkin' holy

No, this is not about cowbell.

It's a silly way of saying guacamole.

I'm totally panicked and pressed for time here. You'd think that now that finals are over (omg breathe!) I'd be relaxed, but no. I've got a 2 week vacation coming up and I've gotta do laundry, buy hostess gifts, pack, clean my bathroom... Yes, I really do have to clean the bathroom, I haven't cleaned it in over a month because no housework is necessary when finals are approaching.

So, this week's post is actually only part of a post. I made a nice big TexMex feast way back in February when I had a house guest to cook with and for. It was awesome, but since I'm pressed for time, you're only getting part of it. I promise to post the rest ... eventually.

Guacomole

What you need:

• 2 avocados
• 1 jalapeno (pronounced jah-lap'-en-oh a la the Trailer Park Boys)
• 1 lime
• a handful of cilantro
• 1 clove of garlic
• salt

What you gotta do:

Finely mince the garlic and put it in a bowl.

Slice the jalapeno in half and remove the seeds and white membrane. Dice it into tiny bits and add it to the bowl.

Wash your hands. I'm freaking serious. Do it now. Don't wait until you're done preparing everything. One touch anywhere near your eyes, nose or mouth will leave you strangely tingly... on second thought, maybe that's your kind of thing. Never mind.

Remove as much of the stem from your cilantro as you can be bothered with. Depends on the day for me; sometimes I pluck every single leaf and some days I just really don't care. Slice it up a bit, and add it to the bowl with the garlic and jalapeno.

Run your knife around the lower equatorial area of the avocado. I know some people do this longitudinally, but latitudinally works too.

Twist gently to get the two sides apart. One half will have a giant freaking seed in it. 

Carefully, whack the heel of your knife, not the tip, the heel, the part closest to the handle, into the seed until it's good and wedged in. Now twist the knife and lift gently. Seed pops out! Yay! But now you have to figure out how to get the seed off the blade without slicing yourself open. Good luck.

Slide a tablespoon in between the skin and the flesh of an avocado half, then run it all around the edges and lift. Voila, perfect.

Now, I know I say 2 avocados in the ingredients, but you keep seeing 3 in the pics. Well, that's because I'm in the frozen wasteland and fresh produce is iffy at best in the winter (I made this back in February remember) and it's pretty common to get avocados that look like this when you cut them open.

They are usually salvageable. You can easily remove them from their skin like the one above and then use the spoon to scrape away the bruised or way over ripe parts.

So, dump the equivalent of 2 avocados into the bowl with all the rest of the stuff.

Now, the lime. Really, this part is to taste. I love lime in my guac. Lots of it. Lots. Did I say lots? Because I meant lots. But, my co-cooker and dinner partner prefers it to be a little more subtle. Of course we had to compromise. Add about half a lime's worth of juice to start, and adjust it until you're happy. 

So, before you can check to see if there's enough lime, you'll need to mash. Consistency is up to you. I've seen people make guac with diced avocado and I've seen it done in a blender. I prefer it somewhere in the middle. Chunky enough that it has texture, but mashed enough that it'll stay in a clump on a chip.

Now, it's time to taste it.

Don't use a spoon. Use whatever vehicle you plan on using to eat the guac. Why? Because every chip brand has a different salt content. If you salt to taste from a spoon, it's going to seem way too salty when you eat it off a salted chip.

Add whatever salt you need, and whatever lime you want.

Now, you've got a handy snack, or part of a fancy TexMex dinner.

The rest of which I'll show you another time.

For now, just add tequila. Make it a double.

 

Sloppy Jose! Olé!

No, that’s not a typo.  These are Sloppy Joes with a Mexican twist.  They’re simple and only take a few ingredients, but they taste fabulous.  On a night when I’ve been busy all day and want to just throw something together in half an hour, this is one of my go to meals. 

We’ll Keep this short and sweet and get right to it.  This recipe makes enough for about three sandwiches.  My husband and I usually each eat one for dinner, and then one of us will use the leftovers for lunch the next day.  You can easily adjust the amounts up or down depending on how many you are feeding. 

Here’s what you’ll need:

½ pound ground turkey breast
½ medium onion, diced
½ red bell pepper, diced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 cup good salsa
1 cup cheese, grated
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

You’ll notice that there is no bell pepper in my process.  My grocery store didn’t have one worth buying that day, so I just went without.  It really is better with it, though, so if you can get one, put it in. 

Add the oil to your pan over medium heat.  When it’s hot, throw in the onion and bell pepper and sprinkle them with a pinch of salt.

Stir them around for about a minute and add your turkey. 

Start chopping it into pieces and sprinkle it with chili powder. 

Continue chopping and stirring until it looks something like this.

Add the salsa.  As usual, I like to use homemade.  If you use store bought, remember, the salsa is where all the flavor comes from.  Splurge and go for something good. 

Stir it all together.  Starting to look pretty tasty, huh? 

Cover it and let it simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so.  Don’t skip the simmering.  See what happens during that time?

Stir it again and turn off the heat.  Throw in the cheese. 

I used a half cup of a pre-grated mix and a half cup of extra sharp cheddar.  It’s best to use a mix of some kind.

Stir it all together.  Did I mention I really like cheese? 

Cover it and let’s start on the buns.  I like to use the ciabatta buns that my grocery store makes.  You want something slightly crusty so that it will stand up to the filling, but soft enough to easily bite.  All those air pockets in ciabatta are helpful, as well. 

Scoop the filling onto the bun. 

Drooling yet? 

I like to serve them with just potato chips, but you could always add a pickle spear, potato salad, or whatever other side item you like. 

Try my Sloppy Joses and let me know what you think.  You’ll never want to go back to canwich again.