Superbowl Bar Food, Guacamole and...

Guacamole

With Superbowl rapidly approaching it's time to make a decision. What to serve for Superbowl? Why not bar food? Sandwich bar, taco bar, nacho bar, baked potato and potato skin bar, chili bar, bloody Mary bar, sushi bar, slider bar, cheese and cracker snack bar, or a decadent sweet bar. You get the idea.

Bloody Mary for the cook

Being from the Midwest neither of our family's teams are in the Superbowl this year so who wins really doesn't matter. After all, it's not about the game, it's about the party.  If you have a taco bar then you must have a guacamole bar, or a nacho bar since both use the same or similar ingredients.

Emergency snacks

In my family everybody has their own idea about who makes the best guacamole and what goes in it. So why not make a generic guacamole base and then customize it by adding other ingredients you choose. Whoever makes it, the guacamole is always good.

Juice of fresh lime

I did some checking on the Internet and found that most guacamole recipes are very similar in the basic ingredients. The rest is up to your own personal taste. I think most people avoid making guacamole because it can turn an unappetizing brown color rapidly if it comes into prolonged contact with air. Adding a layer of lime juice on the surface of the guacamole acts as an antioxidant and will prevent this oxidation process for a little while. Plastic wrap placed directly on the surface of the guacamole until ready to serve will also slow down this oxidation process.

Plastic wrap on guacamole

INGREDIENTS (Basic)

2 whole Avocados, pitted, cubed, mashed
1 whole Lime, juice only
Salt to taste 

NOTE: The above are pretty much the basic ingredients. This is where you take over. Get the prep work out of the way first. The size of your chop or mince depends on how you like your guacamole. I prefer a more chunky texture so the cut is a little bigger than most.

INGREDIENTS (Custom)

as needed Bacon, fried, crispy

1 whole Tomato, diced fine

1 small Onion, diced fine

1 large Garlic clove, mashed 
1 whole Jalapeno pepper, seeded, minced fine

black olives, sliced

hot sauce, I like Frank's

to taste Cilantro, chopped fine 
NOTE: Many people don't like the taste of Cilantro. If you are one of those people try some parsley instead. 

Remove jalapeno seeds

DIRECTIONS
Smash and process your garlic with a little salt until it looks like paste. Chop your onions, tomatoes, and cilantro. Cut the jalapeno in half lengthwise and scoop out all of the seeds and ribs and discard them. Do not touch your face, mouth or eyes! Mince the jalapeno so that the pieces are very small. This will allow you to distribute them evenly in the guacamole. 

Fresh lime juice

Using a juicer, or reamer, squeeze out all of the juice of the lime and set it to the side.

Avocado cut in half seeds removed

You are now ready to cut your avocados. This is really a simple process once you try it. Take a sharp knife and hit the side of the avocado in the center with the sharp side. The large seed of the avocado should stop the knife from going through to the other side, and your hand. Holds the avocado firmly turn it in a complete circle so that the knife blade makes a cut all of the way around it. Remove the knife and twist. Scoop the pit of the avocado out with a spoon or whack the pit with a sharp knife and lift it out. Use the spoon to scoop out the meat of the avocado right down to the skin. Mash in a small bowl with a fork. Mix in all the ingredients except the tomato. mash or blend until well mixed and the texture is chunky or smooth depending on your taste. Fold in the tomatoes. Pour the lime juice over the surface and stir if serving immediately. Put the pits back into the mixed guacamole if not serving immediately to keep it from turning. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap down to form a skin on the guacamole. Refrigerate to keep it cold.

 

 

Drain excess moisture

If you are having a Superbowl party this year and have a great recipe, send a comment and even a picture if you like in a jpg or pdf format. I will post as many as I can. 

© TMelle 2014