Guacamole

Guacamole is one of my favorite dips. I enjoy it with corn or tortilla chips, and as a topping in my beef burger.

Guacamole is very easy to make and you don't have to make it hours in advance, as it is very quick to make. If you have the ingredients on-hand, it is a last minute snack or appetizer when unexpected guests stop by for a drink.

To make my guacamole I use a pestle and mortar. But if you don't have one, use a potato masher and a bowl.

For 4 to 6 servings, you will need:

• 2 large, ripe avocados
• One small red onion, for 2 tablespoons  
• A large handful of fresh cilantro, for 2 tablespoons
• One tomato, for 3 tablespoons
• One chili, for 2 tablespoons*
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper*
• 1 tablespoon of lime juice

Preparation time: 10 minutes

For the guacamole preparation, don't crush the ingredients to a paste, because you want a nice chunky texture at the end.

Start by dicing the red onion into small pieces and loosely dicing the cilantro.

Then, peel the tomato - I like it that way, so you don't end up eating pieces of tomato skin - and dice it. Finally, dice the chili. Reserve the diced tomato and chili until it is time to incorporate it to your preparation.

Crush the diced red onion and cilantro together in a mortar with the pestle.

Add the salt, cayenne pepper, diced tomato, and diced chili into the mortar and crush with the pestle.

Peel the avocado, remove the pit, and cut it into large chunks. Add the avocado chunks and the lime juice into the mortar and loosely crush with the pestle.

That was easy! Your guacamole is ready! Reserve it in the fridge tightly sealed until serving.

*Note: You can deseed the chili and substitute the cayenne pepper with paprika if you want your guacamole mild.

As with all the other recipes we put on this site, this is meant to be easy to follow. We are hobby chefs who love to cook, and we are always up for learning new techniques. If you know of anything in this recipe which can be done a different way, whether for increased ease of preparation or better taste, please add a comment below!

Whipped up by Charline Leblond

Quinoa Salad with Roasted Eggplant and Chickpeas

A hearty and wholesome savory salad to enjoy for lunch or dinner. This is a meal in itself, or it pairs really well with grilled meats, sausages, and other barbecue foods.

For 4 servings, you will need:

• 150 grams of quinoa
• 1 eggplant
• 1 can (400 grams) of chickpeas, drained
• 1 medium-size red onion or 2 small-size red onions
• A handful of fresh cilantro
• Some olive oil to roast the eggplant and chickpeas

For the dressing, refer to our sweet and spicy dressing recipe.


Preparation Time: 40 minutes
Resting Time: At least 1 hour if you'd like your salad cold


Start by pre-heating your oven at 220 C ( 430 F).

Drain the liquid out of the can of chickpeas, then rinse and drain them.

Rinse the eggplant, then shop it into small cubes.

Place the chickpeas and eggplant pieces in a large bowl. Add some olive oil and toss the chickpeas and eggplant pieces to have the olive oil coat your veggies.

Cover an oven rack with foil or parchment paper, and drizzle a little bit of olive oil.

Spread the chickpeas and the eggplant pieces on the foil, and place the oven rack in the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes, keep your eyes on it.

While the chickpeas and eggplant are roasting, prepare the quinoa per the packet's instructions - mine says one part quinoa for two parts water, and heat it up for about 15 minutes.

While everything is roasting and boiling, finely chop the red onion and roughly chop the coriander.

Once the chickpeas and eggplant are roasted and the quinoa is cooked, let them cool down for about 20 minutes.

Combine all the ingredients together.

Prepare the dressing by referring to our sweet and spicy dressing recipe.

Now, you have another decision to make!
If you would like to eat the salad warm, serve it right away after adding the dressing.
If you would like to eat the salad cold, which is my preference, cover the salad and place it in the fridge for at least one hour. Before serving, add the dressing, or simply let everyone help themselves to however much dressing they want to add.

Enjoy!

As with all the other recipes we put on this site, this is meant to be easy to follow. We are hobby chefs who love to cook, and we are always up for learning new techniques. If you know of anything in this recipe which can be done a different way, whether for increased ease of preparation or better taste, please add a comment below!

Whipped up by Charline Leblond

Salsa

Salsa picante! Corn chips! A good refreshing beer or a nice Margarita! Sounds like a good start for your evening.

Salsa is a very easy dip to prepare. You can adjust it to your taste, don't feel bad if you only add one chili or if you de-seed the chillies. It's fine, and it will still be tasty, and not too spicy.

Anyway, let's get started with this quick and simple salsa.

For about two cups to two cups and a half of salsa, you will need:

• 400g of diced tomatoes*
• A glove of garlic
• 1/2 a big onion
• 2 chillies
• A handful of fresh cilantro
• Some salt and pepper to taste
• A spritz of lime juice

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Start by finely dicing your ingredients; the glove of garlic, the 1/2 onion, the chillies, and the fresh cilantro.

In a bowl, add your diced tomatoes, the diced ingredients, and the salt and pepper.

Mix them so that the ingredients combine nicely together.

You just made your own salsa! That's it! Wasn't it easy?! So, no more need for those pre-made jars.

Cover your bowl and keep in the fridge until serving.

Before serving, give the salsa a good stir, and add a spritz of lime juice on top.

*You can use a can of diced tomatoes, or use fresh tomatoes finely diced or crushed with a hand mixer.


Tip: If you have some salsa leftovers, use your salsa to make enchiladas. Try our Chicken Enchiladas.

You can also use it to make a spicy omelet or some spicy scrambled eggs. Or, use the salsa to give a kick to your mac & cheese.

As with all the other recipes we put on this site, this is meant to be easy to follow. We are hobby chefs who love to cook, and we are always up for learning new techniques. If you know of anything in this recipe which can be done a different way, whether for increased ease of preparation or better taste, please add a comment below!