Give Your Guacamole The Grill Treatment

Every cook has their "foolproof" recipe. You know, a go-t0 recipe that is sure to please a couple at an intimate dinner party or a Super Bowl party for 20. My playbook includes rockstar guacamole recipe that calls for avocados, tomatoes, garlic, onion, lime, cilantro, a few splashes of hot sauce, and salt and pepper. That's it. It's not the simplest of guacamoles, but it's a winner every time.

How can we make this taco better? Add grilled guacamole!

Two nights ago Bryan and I had just gotten back from Las Vegas -- mostly business for me, mostly pleasure for him -- and we wanted an easy homecooked dinner. We went with steak tacos, knowing we could throw some meat and corn tortillas on the grill, top it with chopped onions and cilantro and call it done. That sounded great by itself, but I upped the ante and chopped up some homemade pico de gallo. Then Bryan said, "If you're going to make pico de gallo, maybe you could make guacamole, too?" How can I say no to an adorable man who loves my guacamole more than most things in life? Especially when he picks up the puppy and pretends to have Charlie ask for the guacamole?

Throw Your Avocados on the Grill & Thank Me Later.

Photo Credit: WannaBeAVegan.com

I was suckered in, but I was inspired by the grill. I threw a jalapeño, slices of sweet onion and halved cloves of garlic on the grill for a few minutes. No salt or pepper. The veggies were naked. When they got some nice grill marks, I chopped them up and added them to a small bowlful of chopped tomato, cilantro and lime juice. Then I halved the avocado, sprinkled it with salt and pepper and threw it face down on the grill. After about 2 minutes the avocado was sporting gorgeous grill marks, and I spooned it out into the bowl, mashing it ever so slightly into the other ingredients (keeping the integrity of the chunks). As a finishing touch, I threw in a few dashes of jalapeño hot sauce and the guac was done. Up until then, my signature guacamole had never been given the grill treatment, but I'm so glad I did it! Grilling the veggies gave the jalapeño and the onion a slight smokiness while mellowing out the garlic's bite. The heat made the avocado almost silky and incredibly easy to mash. Not to mention, the grill marks were a lovely touch.

Never grilled your guac? Try it out and share with your tips below!

Caprese Meets Crostini: Campari Tomato, Balsamic Glaze & Mozzarella on Toasted Baguette

A few days ago I posted a recipe for a beet and goat cheese crostini. While I personally love beets, I can't say the same for some close friends and family members. And the last thing I want to do when heading to someone's house – even to my own parents' – is to bring an appetizer that I know will only be enjoyed by half of the people there. So as I was making the beet crostinis, I grabbed some Campari tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella out of the fridge and decided to make an alternative for the beet-averse folks in the crowd. I followed the exact same instructions from the beet and goat cheese crostini recipe, still toasting the baguette slices, spreading them with the goat cheese mixture, but then adding a layer of buffalo mozzarella and marinated Campari tomato slices. A sprinkle of chopped tarragon finished off the crostini and before you know it I was ready to head out, two appetizers in hand.

Caprese crostinis; these will disappear at your next dinner party!

Of course, it would be irresponsible of me not to try my own appetizer. I love nothing more than taking a bite and then getting a second opinion from my husband; our household's official taste tester. If he closes his eyes and lets out an escalating "mmmm!" I know I've got a winning recipe on my hands. In this case, as I took a bite several layers of flavor immediately came through. First, the sweetness from the balsamic reduction and Campari tomato flesh. Then the salty creaminess of the mozzarella, the tang from the goat cheese, heat from the raw garlic and slight hint of licorice from the tarragon. Granted, this flavor explosion was over in about 10 seconds; just enough time to take a second bite!

While small, Campari tomatoes have a lovely natural sweetness and juicy flesh

My go-to mozzarella (same with ricotta): Angelo & Franco

The moral of this one-recipe-turned-two-crostini story is that you should never be afraid to modify a recipe. Instead, be original, use ingredients that you (or others) love and get creative. You just might end up with a winner!

Caprese Crostini

For the baguette slices:

• 24 (1/2-inch-thick) slices diagonally cut French bread baguette, toasted
• 1/4 cup olive oil

For the goat cheese spread:

• 1 (5-ounce) package goat cheese
• 1 tablespoon light mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 garlic clove, crushed

For the Caprese topping:

• 6 Campari tomatoes, sliced
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (I used a balsamic reduction)
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 package buffalo (or water) mozzarella, cut into 1/3" slices

Prepare the crostini slices: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and move one oven rack to top slot. Slice baguette into 1/2-inch thick slices. Using a pastry brush, coat one side of each slice with olive oil. Place on a cooking sheet, olive oil side down. Once the oven has reached 450°F, place a tray of bread slices in the oven on the top rack. Toast for 5-6 minutes, until the bread just begins to turn golden brown. Note: Make sure to watch very closely as the bread can go from brown to burned in an instant!

Prepare the goat cheese spread: combine goat cheese, mayonnaise, tarragon, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and garlic in a small bowl. Spread each baguette slice with one teaspoon cheese mixture.

Spread each baguette slice with one teaspoon cheese mixture

Prepare tomatoes and mozzarella: In a medium bowl combine the balsamic vinegar, lemon zest & juice, salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add tomato slices; toss gently to coat. Set aside. Slice the buffalo mozzarella into 1/3-inch thick slices. Set aside.

Slice buffalo mozzarella into 1/3" thick slices

Top with two slices of buffalo mozzarella and two slightly overlapping slices of tomato. Sprinkle with chopped tarragon as a garnish and serve immediately!

Arrange mozzarella on top of goat cheese mixture

Add two tomato slices, slightly overlapping. Sprinkle with tarragon for garnish & enjoy!