Guacamole Tableside & A Super Fast Southwest Appetizer

As I mentioned before, one of the benefits of living in the Southwest (besides the fabulous warm weather) is the plethora of wonderful Mexican Restaurants.  The first time my husband and I ate at the Barrio Cafe, I was too dazzled by the showmanship of tableside guacamole to pay much attention to all the ingredients.  Once I had my first bite, I was on a mission to discover the recipe.  My next visit, I focused intently on the guacamole being created in front of me and then stealthily scratched the recipe on a piece of paper concealed in my purse.  Here is my interpretation of the Barrio Cafe's guacamole.  It is beyond imaginable.

You will need:  (plus 2 limes that I forgot to photograph)


Cut tomatoes in quarters.


Scoop out tomato goo and discard.  (This is the secret to keep guac or salsa from being runny).




Finely dice tomatoes.


Add 1/2 cup finely diced red onion.


Add 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro.


Add 1/2 cup dried cranberries.


Squeeze in the juice of one whole lime.


Open jalapeno and clean out seeds.  Then mince the jalapeno and put into a separate bowl.


With the back of a spoon, crush the mined jalapeno with 1 tsp. Kosher salt.


Add jalapeno/salt mixture to Guac.  Add 1 tsp. Olive oil.  Stir to combine.
***You may use more or less jalapeno here to adjust the heat.


**Okay, this is the place that you can stop and put the prepped quac/salsa in the frig until you are ready to serve.

Slice ripe avocados in half and remove seeds. 


Running your knife through the meat of the avocado, make a cubed grid.


Using a spoon, scoop the diced avocado into the salsa mixture.


Stir GENTLY, being careful not to smash the chunks of avocado. 


Taste to correct seasonings.   Add extra lime juice and more salt if needed.  I ended up adding an extra 1/2 lime and a sprinkle more of kosher salt.


Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.


The salty, sweet, tart, & spice of this guacamole is nothing short of AMAZING! 

Guacamole Tableside
3 medium tomatoes, goo removed and finely diced
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup dried cranberries
The juice of 1 to 2 whole limes
1 jalapeno minced
1 tsp Kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 tsp oilve oil
3 ripe avocados, cubed

Cut tomatoes in quarters. Scoop out tomato goo and discard. (This is the secret to keep guac or salsa from being runny). Finely dice tomatoes. Add finely diced red onion. Add 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro. Add 1/2 cup dried cranberries. Squeeze in the juice of one whole lime. Open jalapeno and clean out seeds. Then mince the jalapeno and put in a separate bowl. With the back of a spoon, crush the mined jalapeno with 1 tsp. Kosher salt. Add jalapeno/salt mixture to Guac.  Add 1 tsp. Olive oil. Stir to combine. (You may use more or less jalapeno here to adjust the heat).
**Okay, this is the place that you can stop and put the prepped quac/salsa in the frig until you are ready to serve.
Slice ripe avocados in half and remove seeds. Running your knife through the meat of the avocado, make a cubed grid. Using a spoon, scoop the diced avocado into the salsa mixture. Stir GENTLY, being careful not to smash the chunks of avocado. Taste to correct seasonings. Add extra lime juice and more salt if needed. I ended up adding an extra 1/2 lime and a sprinkle more of kosher salt. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.

All right, now for a zero labor, lickety split Southwest appetizer!  My husband and I have been serving this one since college.  You know, the good 'ol days when parties consisted of a giant trash cans, a keg of beer, red plastic Solo cups and maybe a few lime slices in a cereal bowl.   Ha! 

You will need only three ingredients:


Open the cream cheese and put it on a plate. Pour Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce over the top.  ( I purchase this at Costco but they also have a website if your Costco doesn't carry it, http://www.jelly.com/ )


Serve with crackers.  I've chosen wheat thins to make my lunch dietetic.  LOL.


The cool cream cheese is just perfect with the smokey sweet spice of the raspberry chipotle sauce.
Enjoy!

The winner of today's drawing for the romantic floral ring using random.org is
NUMBER #10
So, Muskie Mom, send me an email with your address and I'll get the ring to you in the mail.
thelemonista@yahoo.com.


Have a great weekend ladies.  I'm off to bake some spring cakes for a charity auction tomorrow.

~The Lemonista