Simple Guacamole

Avocado: a delicious healthy fat that tastes good on top of or mixed into anything. Seriously. There are avocado brownies, avocado toasts, avocado ice cream, fried avocados, stuffed avocados, the list goes on. Avocados are everywhere! But one of my favorite ways to eat those delicious, fatty, green guys remains the classic guacamole. Perfect for topping salads, sandwiches, tacos, dipping, or eating with a spoon. I mean…what? Guacamole can get really fancy; you can go spicy, sweet, and with all sorts of mix-ins, but this “recipe” (I feel bad even calling it that!) is one of my favorite ways to make a flavorful yet simple guac that will go good with anything. It’s quick to make, with minimal chopping, and loved by my whole family. In fact, I left my toddler with a bowl of it in her near vicinity, and when I came back into the kitchen, she had climbed up on a chair and was licking guacamole off her hand, saying, “mmm that’s good ‘cado!” I couldn’t even be mad because it was so cute, and I was glad she was getting her healthy fats in! Anyways, let’s get to this super simple recipe that can transform any meal!

My guacamole thief 🙂 

Serves 4-5. Definitely double this recipe if you’ll be feeding a big crowd.

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe avocados
• Juice of one lime (I use this juicer to get out every last drop!)
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp finely chopped cilantro
• 1/2 tsp of garlic powder
• 1/4 finely chopped red onion
• Other possible mix-ins
  • diced tomato
  • fresh garlic (just a little!)
  • fresh or pickled jalapenos
  • a splash of your favorite salsa
  • charred corn
• Chips to dip
  • Plantain chips (my favorite!)
  • Gluten free sweet potato crackers
  • Veggie chips

Directions:

• In a small mixing bowl, combine the flesh of the avocado and lime juice
• Mash until semi-smooth
• Add remaining ingredients
• Stir until combined
• Dip, spread, or spoon (not just me, right?) away!
• Store leftovers, covered, in fridge. It will turn a little brown due to oxidizing, but just give it a stir and it will be fine!

And that’s it! Easy, huh? Adding a little guacamole will seriously transform your dinner. Boring chicken breast? Top with guacamole and you have “Fiesta Chicken”! Boring salad? Nope. Add guacamole and it’s “Taco Salad”! You get the point 😉

For more delicious dips, check out my Classic Garlic Hummus, Dairy free Garlic Herb Ranch, and Spicy Garlic Salsa. For some simple dinner ideas that would go perfectly with this guac, check out my One Pan Chicken and Shrimp Fajitas, Salmon Burgers, or Spicy Garlic Chicken Nachos. These are all good ideas for any March Madness parties you may be throwing, too! I know you’ll find something easy to make that the whole family finds easy to eat. Add a little guacamole, and it’s a party! Party on…and enjoy your pinch of crazy!

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase using the links, it is of no extra cost to you, just a small commission for me to keep my pantry stocked! Thank you for supporting A Pinch of Crazy!

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Classic Garlic Hummus

Generational Food

Hummus has gained popularity in the last few years as a healthy, good-for-you food, and it is! But at the risk of sounding like one of *those* people… “I was into hummus before it was popular”.  Actually, though, hummus and I do go way back.

My grandmother, Elizabeth Aijian Munroe, was a first generation American whose parents fled Armenia to escape the Turks. Because of their traumatic experiences in Armenia, they wanted to raise their children as Americans not Armenians. So they spoke English in their home and did not keep many Armenian traditions…except food. While my sisters and I wish that we knew the Armenian language or some of the customs and traditions, we are all thankful we grew up with the tradition of Armenian hospitality and food.

As a child, we lived about 6 hours north of my grandparents so it was always quite the ordeal driving down to Mimi and Papa’s. Whenever we would arrive, Mimi would always, without a doubt, have out an appetizer spread which always included hummus. To be honest, I hated it as a kid. I would much rather eat the pita bread, Armenian cheese, and kalamata olives she’d set out. Now, however, I love hummus!

My Mimi and Papa were married for 64 years, and just last year, they passed on into eternity a mere 12 days apart. So now, I see hummus in a whole new light: a love of culture, food, and hosting loved ones in your home…all in one little dip. In fact, when I was making this hummus, Zemirah helped me squeeze the lemon juice and I felt a rush of emotions (and maybe my eyes watered a bit) and gratitude as I thought about the history and love in this little bean dip. I imagined my great-grandmother making hummus with my grandmother, my grandmother making hummus with my mom, my mom making hummus with me, and now, here I was, continuing on in the tradition.

This recipe is based on the one found in the cookbook, Armenian Cooking Today, which was gifted to me by my sweet mom, who was wise and kind enough to have herself and Mimi write notes in the margins. Food has such history, can tell incredibly vast, beautiful stories, and brings us all together to enjoy eating with ones we love. I hope this simple, healthy dish can bring some history and love to your table, too.

Classic Garlic Hummus

Serves 10-12. Delicious as a veggie or chip dip, or as a spread.

Ingredients:

• One 15 oz can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
• 1/3 cup of olive oil
• Juice of one lemon
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• Water as needed
• Optional garnishes:
  • a drizzle of olive oil
  • chopped parsley
  • a sprinkle of paprika

Directions:

• Combine chickpeas, tahini, and olive oil in blender
• Blend until smooth
• Add remaining ingredients
• Blend until smooth
• Adjust consistency with water if needed (I like mine thicker, but not too oily and heavy, which is why I use water)
• Best if chilled overnight before serving
• Garnish before serving, if desired

Thank you for letting me share a little about myself and my family. I hope you keep this easy hummus on hand for a quick snack or spread, but just be warned, you might want to pop a breath mint after eating it haha! Although, garlic is nature’s antibiotic, so eat up and stay healthy! Eat all the garlic…and enjoy your pinch of crazy!

Spicy Garlic Salsa

Sad Salsa No More

Confession time: one of the things I miss most about Texas is Tex-Mex. I know some people think it’s gross or inauthentic, but I am not one of those people.

In fact, I wish I could sit down right now with some salted chips, spicy salsa, and a frozen margarita. SoCal Mexican food is very different from what I grew up with, and I like it, too, but it’s not home.

We often have more than one jar of store bought salsa in our fridge, but nothing beats fresh, homemade salsa. And it’s healthier, too; it is lower in sodium, sugar, and has no additives!

What really amps this salsa up is the charred jalapeno. Seriously. Don’t skip this step! You can either lay the jalapeno on top of your gas burner on the stove, which is what I do, or you can put it in the broiler, just make sure to keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn. Once your jalapeno is all black and blistery, you just need to blend up your ingredients and that’s it! I’ve included a picture of the ingredients so you can see what the jalapeno looks like after it’s been charred.

Enjoy this versatile salsa with your eggs in the morning, with your beans and rice, on top of tacos or fajitas, or to dunk your plantain chips in.

Spicy Garlic Salsa

I make a small batch for just the two adults in our family, but feel free to double up the ingredients if you want.

Equipment Needed:

• Blender or food processor

Ingredients:

• 1/2 to one charred jalapeno, with or without seeds, depending on taste
• 1/2 tomato
• 1/3 cup tomato sauce (no added salt or sugar)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
• Juice of half a lime

Directions:

• Char jalapeno either on gas stovetop or in the broiler, making sure it doesn’t burn
• Once charred, add all ingredients to blender or food processor
• Blend until desired consistency
• Store in airtight container in fridge for up to a week, although it never lasts longer than three days here

I hope this salsa adds some spice to your meals and snacks! Dunk away…and enjoy your pinch of crazy!