Guacamole – A Taste of South of the Border

One of things that we love about travelling to Mexico is that when you order guacamole, you get a lot of guacamole. Here in the United States, you would think that avocados were a precious commodity by the way they charge you for a couple of tablespoons of guacamole.  There are a lot of good uses for avocados, but guacamole is probably our favorite.  It can be used with chips as a dip or it can be used as a spread on a sandwich.  We leave the seeds in the jalapenos, but if you don’t like it as spicy, the seeds can be removed.  This recipe is for a small batch, but obviously it can be increased if you are serving it for a larger crowd.

Ingredients in Bowl

Ingredients

  • 2 Avocados – diced
  • 1 Medium Tomato – finely diced
  • 1 Jalapeno – finely diced (seeds removed if you don’t want it spicy)
  • 1 Garlic Clove – minced
  • 1 tbsp Red or Yellow Onion – finely diced
  • Juice of 1 Lime
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

Cut the avocados in half, using your knife to carve around the large seed.  Twist the avocado to separate the two halves, the seed will remain in one of the halves.  Using a knife, carefully chop into the seed so that the knife is slightly embedded.  Twist the knife to remove the seed and carefully remove the seed from the knife blade.  Use a spoon to separate the flesh of the avocado from the skin by tracing the spoon along the inside of the skin and place the flesh into a medium bowl.  You can dice the avocado prior to removing it from the skin or after it is in the bowl.  Add the rest of ingredients and mix thoroughly.  If you prefer a creamy guacamole, you can mash the avocado dices as you stir, or leave some of the dices whole if you prefer a chunkier guacamole.  Serve with chips.

Avocado Halves
Remove the Seed
Remove Flesh from Skin
Diced Avocado
Mince Garlic
Guacamole

 

Baked Manicotti – Simple and Delicious

Manicotti is one of those meals that is perfect for any occasion and, best of all, it is even better the next day. When we’re looking for a meal that can satisfy our tastes as well as offer multiple dinner options, manicotti is an excellent choice. The spaghetti or marinara sauce can pull double duty and be frozen or put over pasta later in the week and the leftovers make a wonderful lunch as well.  Baked manicotti can be made for a large party or for just the two of us, which works out perfect with our busy lives.

Ingredients

  • 1 box Manicotti Shells (10 shells) – If you can’t find manicotti shells, you can substitute cannelloni shells.
  • 2 cups Spaghetti or Marinara Sauce – we used our own semi-homemade sauce, but you can use your favorite sauce.
  • 16 oz Ricotta Cheese
  • 8 oz Mozzarella Cheese – shredded
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 2 tsp Italian Seasoning
  • 1 egg
  • Parmesan Cheese – shredded as desired
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
Baked Manicotti

Instructions

Cook the shells according to the box instructions leaving them slightly al dente since they will be baked afterward.  Mix the ricotta cheese, three-quarters of the mozzarella cheese, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, egg, salt, and pepper in a medium-sized bowl.  In a casserole dish, spread about a half a cup of the sauce into the bottom of the dish.  When the shells are cool, stuff them with the cheese mixture and place into the casserole dish.  Cover the shells with remaining sauce.  Top with the remaining mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese, if using.  Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for thirty minutes or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly.

Our Semi-Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
Ricotta Cheese Mixture
Stuffed Shells
Ready to Bake
Dinner is Served

 

 

Classic Mai Tai – Cure for a Beach State of Mind

Since winter has been lingering around too long here in Colorado, we’ve been longing for the beach and sun. Our solution, a drink that will take you away to memories of an ocean breeze and salt air.  There are a lot of ways to make a Mai Tai, but this is the classical way that we used to make it back when we worked at the resort where we first met.  It seems especially fitting since today is our 26th wedding anniversary that we share a cocktail that reminds us of when we first met.

Classic Mai Tai

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 ounces (1 jigger) of Coconut Rum
  • 1/2 ounce of Dark Rum
  • 3 ounces of Orange Juice (preferably fresh)
  • 2 ounces of Pineapple Juice
  • 1/2 ounce of Grenadine
  • Ice
Ready for a Drink

Instructions

In a shaker, add ice, the coconut rum, orange juice, pineapple juice and shake vigorously. Pour the punch into a highball glass filled about three-quarters full with ice.  Slowly pour the grenadine over punch, it will sink to the bottom of the glass.  Float the dark rum onto the top of the punch, either by pouring slowly using a pour-spout or, if you don’t have one, by pouring over the back of a spoon.  Garnish with pineapple and maraschino cherries and enjoy.  This recipe makes a single cocktail, so feel free to repeat until you can smell the beach. 🙂

Shaken Not Stirred
Add the Grenadine
Float the Dark Rum
It isn’t Beachy Until it is Garnished
Now that is a Mai Tai