Guacamole Salad

Avocados go on sale quite frequently in my neck of the woods, and when they do I like to buy a whole bunch. Everyone in our house loves them, and it isn't unusual for my kids to split one for a snack after school. I know they are high in fat, but at the same time it's the "good for you" kind. In case you didn't know, Avocados are a fruit and not a vegetable and have the highest protein content of any fruit. They also contain more potassium than bananas, so all in all, despite the fact that they are high in calories, they are really good for you.

Guacamole is always a popular choice in our home and is prepared very frequently, but last week after an abundance of avocados in the refrigerator (it will slow down the ripening process) and having had guacamole a couple of times already, I was ready to find a different recipe using the green fruit. For a second I thought about making Avocado ice cream, but I couldn't quite get "there" mentally, it sounded just a little bit too strange for the time being. So on the internet I went looking. I didn't have to search very long until I found this recipe for Guacamole Salad from none other than the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten.

The salad sounded like it would be quickly made and I loved that it had a great Southwestern twist to it. Red grape tomatoes, yellow bell peppers, black beans, red onions, green jalapenos and bright green avocados make this salad a colorful feast for your eyes. The salad is dressed with a simple lime and oil dressing which receives a little additional kick from cayenne pepper, and finally diced avocados are added right before serving (to prevent browning) to the mix.

This salad was delicious! Everyone had seconds and this dish will be made over and over again. I served this alongside Southwestern seasoned grilled steaks with some crusty bread. This salad is a beautiful addition to any dinner table and reminded me that I need to look for more of Ina Garten's recipes, which always seem to turn out well.

Guacamole Salad

(adapted from Ina Garten)

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and 1/2-inch diced

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup small diced red onion

2 tablespoons minced jalapeno peppers, seeded (2 peppers)

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (2 limes)

1/4 cup good olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

2 ripe Hass avocados, seeded, peeled, and 1/2-inch diced

Preparation:

Place the tomatoes, yellow pepper, black beans, red onion, jalapeno peppers, and lime zest in a large bowl. Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic, and cayenne pepper and pour over the vegetables. Toss well.

Just before you're ready to serve the salad, fold the avocados into the salad. Check the seasoning and serve at room temperature.

Creamy Bacon, Tomato, and Avocado Pasta Salad

I love BLT's. I love them even more with the addition of avocado, but then ANYTHING tastes better with some of the green creamy goodness in it. It is also no secret if you've been following my blog, that I love bacon. I think just a little bit of bacon goes a long way in flavoring a dish and making it a standout. Tomatoes are another of my favorites, and I use them almost daily in the summer time when they are ripe. So, when I saw the picture for this salad on Photograzing, I had to click on it. I was not disappointed. All of my favorite things rolled into one delicious sounding salad. I was sold!

This salad is another very quickly made dish, which is great, especially during the week with the dinnertime rush a lot of us experience. Bacon is chopped and cooked until crisp.  Meanwhile, pasta is cooked, and while cooking, you can go ahead and chop the tomatoes and make your dressing. A quick dressing of mayonnaise (you can use light mayo as well) with lots of lemon juice, seasonings, and dill is whisked together and then added to the cooked pasta along with the bacon and tomatoes. The salad is chilled for about 30 minutes (fix your sides during this time), and right before serving you add the cut up avocados (any earlier and they turn brown). Done! I told you it was quick.

This salad was a HUGE hit in our house. We loved the tartness of the dressing along with the creamy avocado and smokiness of the bacon. I served it with grilled chicken, but I could certainly eat a bowl of this all by itself and be happy.  The recipe called for dried dill, and while it was good, the next time I will make sure to use fresh dill. This dish will be making many more repeat appearances in our home, and if you like all these ingredients as well, this is a great salad to fix!

Creamy Bacon, Tomato, and Avocado Pasta Salad

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

6 slices bacon, chopped into 1-inch pieces

3/4 pound (12 ounces) dried Rotini pasta

1 cup mayonnaise

Juice of 1 lemon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons dried dill (or 1 tablespoon freshly chopped dill)

1 1/2 cups tomatoes, seeded and diced

2 avocados, pitted and cubed

Directions:

Cook bacon until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Set aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Strain. Run cold water over the top until the pasta is cooled.

While your bacon and pasta are cooking, whisk mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, garlic powder, pepper and dill together in a bowl.

Stir cooled pasta, diced tomatoes, and reserved bacon into the dressing. Toss to combine. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Right before serving add cubed avocados.

Adapted from: Life's Ambrosia 

Southwest Corn Guacamole

Aside from grilling a lot in the warmer month we also like to eat a lot of Mexican food. Restaurants unfortunately are really hit and miss here, so we make most of our Mexican fare at home. By using fresh ingredients and being able to control what goes into each dish, most of the meals are beloved by the whole family.

Guacamole is one of those dishes. I usually make a traditional one that is mainly avocado and tomato along with seasonings and another version that is blended (and fantastic) which was given to me by a Hispanic friend.

When I was flipping through my May 2010 Issue of Food Network Magazine I got excited to see they had a few different guacamole recipes that I had never tasted before and that sounded really good. I had a hard time deciding, but ultimately went with the Southwest Corn version.

The recipe called for broiling some of the vegetables before putting the dish together, but in true fashion my husband decided it would be even better if we grilled them. Boy, was he ever right. Unfortunately the pictures don't do this wonderful guacamole justice. I made the recipe as written, but doubled up on the corn which made the dish even more delicious.

We loved this recipe. The slightly charred vegetables added a wonderful flavor throughout. This recipe makes a big batch, but for us this wasn't a problem since we just ate it with tortilla chips for dinner. Remember, guacamole does not keep well overnight in the refrigerator, so if you are just serving this as a side dish or for a smaller crowd then scale back accordingly.

 

Southwest Corn Guacamole

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

2 ears of corn, grilled and kernels cut off

2 plum tomatoes

1 bunch green onions

3 avocados, diced

2 jalapenos, minced

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Juice of 1 lime

Chili powder

Ground coriander

Kosher Salt

Directions:

Oil the corn; sprinkle with chili powder, ground coriander and kosher salt. Grill the corn, the plum tomatoes, and scallions, 5-7 minutes or until slightly charred (you might have to remove the tomatoes before the corn).

Chop the scallions and tomatoes; mash with 3 diced avocados, jalapenos, cilantro, and the lime juice. Add the corn kernels and season with chili powder, coriander and salt. Serve immediately with your favorite tortilla chips.

Adapted from: Food Network Magazine