Seeing that neither of us are huge avocado fans, it was surprising that we decided to make guacamole. I actually like it more than Ryan does, and some how this was Ryan's suggestion for a From Scratch Weekends project.
I have never made guacamole from scratch before and I was surprised at how easy it was.
Ryan chopped some tomatoes as I got started. The recipe we used for the guacamole used some tomatoes, and then we needed some more for a topping for the tacos.
I had a lot of fun mashing up the avocados.
I have no idea why, but the recipe called for tossing the pits back in. We didn't question this. Anyone know why it would say to do this?
Then we chilled the guacamole while we moved on to the tortillas. We used the new tortilla press Ryan bought for me for Hanukkah.
Since we have made tortillas before, this part was not as time consuming as it was in the past. We mixed up the dough for the corn tortillas.
Ryan was the tortilla presser for the day.
I was the tortilla cooker or griddler. I love the electric griddle!
It is so easy to make tortillas at home, and they tastes so good.
The last part of the cooking process was the proteins, or filling for the tacos.
I made shrimp. I bought these. I am not an expert in cooking shrimp so I wanted to start off with precooked shrimp.
I made some garlic lime shrimp. It was my first adventure with these (other than adding to soup), so I learned a few things along the way.
Overall, they turned out well.
Ryan made chicken. It was a great thought to make the same thing for dinner, but cook two different proteins for the bulk of the meal. It did not take much extra time, although we cooked them at different times so that the chicken wasn't crackling and popping into my shrimp.
He used this spice pack from McCormicks (I am from Baltimore so I have a soft spot for all things McCormick). While he could just have easily used spices we had at home, we were really curious about this. It is a cute idea, but cheaper to buy the spices separately and mix them yourself.
Here is his chicken, which he added bananas too for a tropical feel.
Check it out! This was a beautiful meal, and tasty too.
I filled my tortilla with shrimp, guacamole, tomatoes, and shredded cheese.
YUM!
QUESTIONS: Have you ever used the precooked, frozen shrimp (and for what)? Do you make your own tortillas? Have you ever tried those pre-made seasoning mixes? Do you like guacamole?
7 comments:
oooh I love guacamole! I learned how to make it as a kid because my parents had a second home in Mexico. I use a lot of salt and lime juice in mine! My fiance didn't think he liked guacamole because he'd only had the packaged mixes... the real stuff tastes nothing like the mayo version :-) <3
Oh yeah, and I have never seen anyone put the pits back in after, so that recipe is definitely intriguing me!
I never buy the pre-cooked because I tend to over-cook them and they get rubbery :( That's mostly my fault, though :) I am so impressed you made your own tortillas! That's awesome! As for the guac, I can't believe you guys aren't avocado fans! I could eat that stuff by the cup :) And I think the pits get thrown back in to help the avocados from browning through oxidation.
Nicole is right, when you store any leftover guacamole, make sure a pit or two are put back in, then put plastic wrap and make sure to cover the wrap to the top of the guacamole so no air touches it - it will stay fresher longer.
I don't buy pre-cooked shrimp the same reason as Nicole - it gets rubbery, and its usually more expensive - give raw shrimp a try!
Here is my fool proof shrimp cocktail recipe - it comes out perfect every time and you will definitely taste the difference. :D
http://mybizzykitchen.com/2009/10/18/best-shrimp-cocktail-ever/
Your dinner looks delicious!!
I just love guacamole!
This meal looks amazing..even better because it is made from scratch.
Do you leave the seed in so it doesn't brown?? Who knows.
The pits are supposed to keep the guac fron turning that ugly brown color...did this the other day when I made guacamole as well!
No shrimp for me. It's one of the few foods I dislike, but I LOVE avocado and homemade guacamole. As everyone else said, the pits are put back in to help prevent the guac from turning brown. I haven't made tortillas yet, but its on my "to do " list. I did make corn sopes recently (on the Bobs Red Mill blog). They turned out great and use the same flour as for corn tortillas. Your table looks very pretty :-)
Post a Comment