· By Barbara Bonner
Have a Sweet & Spicy Cinco de Mayo
You can't please everyone..you're not an avocado.
But this guacamole recipe is sure to make you a fan favorite! Our beloved teacher Kiya is sharing her tried-and-true guacamole recipe to elevate your Cinco de Mayo celebrations.
Interested in taking it a step further? We've got you covered! Take Kiya's instant-access online class where you'll learn the history of Cinco de Mayo as well as tips like how to manage spice levels when working with spicy peppers, the one big secret to flavorful homemade salsas, which tequilas and liquers make the best margarita, and more.
Can you guess what the step in the image below is for? Keep scrolling to find out!
Classic Guacamole
Ingredients
- 1-2 jalapenos or serrano peppers, seeded and diced
- ½ cup onion, diced
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- ⅓ cup chopped cilantro leaves and stems
- 4-5 ripe avocados, halved, pitted, and scooped out of the peel, pits reserved
- ½ tsp salt
- 3-4 tbsp lime juice (from about 2 juicy limes)
- ground cumin to taste
Instructions
- On a large cutting board, make a pile with the chopped onion, garlic, cilantro, and jalapeno and sprinkle with the salt.
- Use a heavy mug, flat bottomed measuring cup, or bowl to crush and smash the onion, garlic, and jalapenos to release their oils and flavors. Smash until broken down and liquidy, and transfer to a large bowl.
- (If you have a molcajete, use the molcajete to grind the pepper, onion, and garlic instead!)
- Add the avocado, salt, lime juice, and cumin to taste, and mash with a fork, leaving some whole chunks of avocado for texture. Adjust salt, lime juice, and cumin as needed!
- If you have leftovers, add the avocado pits to the guacamole before storing to prevent browning!
Homemade Tortilla Chips
Ingredients
- Corn tortillas, staled (spread out and left out overnight)
- Neutral, high smoke point oil (such as canola or vegetable oil)
- Salt and/or seasoning
Instructions
-
Stack the staled corn tortillas on a cutting board and cut crossways into 4 or 6 wedges (your preference) to form chips.
-
In a large cast iron or heavy bottomed steel pan, heat 1” of oil to 365F over high heat. Fry the tortillas in batches until bubbly and golden, about 3 minutes.
-
Drain the chips on paper towels and sprinkle with salt or seasoning while hot. Chips can be cooled and stored in an airtight container or zip top bag at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Note: The chips will be quite pale while frying, but the color will become more golden as they cool. The oil used to fry the chips can be cooled and stored in an airtight container and saved for another use.
Sweet + Spicy Tortilla Chip Seasoning
Ingredients
- ½ tsp chipotle chili powder (ancho chili or standard chili powder are also good options, but aren’t as spicy)
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1.5 tsp salt
Instructions
- In a food processor, clean coffee grinder, or spice grinder, blitz the chipotle, salt, and sugar until fine (this will help the seasoning stick to the chips more uniformly.)
Super Fine Salt
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
Instructions
- Add 1 cup of kosher salt to a food processor. Put on the food processor lid and drape a large, dampened kitchen towel over the top of the machine (this will keep salt dust from getting everywhere.)
- Process the salt for about 1 minute, until the texture is fine and dusty. Let the dust settle for a minute or two before opening the lid unless you want a lung full of salt!
- Transfer the salt to an airtight container and use for homemade tortilla chips, potato chips, popcorn, and french fries!