Since our teens were tots, we've loved celebrating Cinco de Mayo with a Mexican "feast." Mexican food is fast, and the holiday is an easy way to make dinner more fun.
When our kids were very young, we simply opened a taco kit and cranked up the mariachi tunes. In the middle grades, we introduced So Simple Salsa (find our five-minute recipe at www.desperationdinners.com). Years later, our daughters had advanced to making their own guacamole with fresh avocados. Buying the right avocados can make or break guacamole, so here's our favorite avocado tip:
Buy green, hard (unripe) avocados three days to a week ahead and ripen them yourself. Leave them on the counter, and as soon as they turn black and yield to gentle pressure, put them into the refrigerator to bring the ripening to a near standstill. (They'll keep at this stage for at least three more days and often up to five more.)
This method gives you ripe avocados still firm enough to use in a salad and prevent brown spots on the flesh. (If you buy a black, ripe avocado, make sure that it's not too soft when pressed, or it's likely to be marred with brown inside.) If you need to hurry the ripening process, put avocados into a brown paper bag with an apple or banana.
Today's recipe for Guacamole Salad is the latest chapter in our Cinco de Mayo saga. A bit more sophisticated than plain guacamole, this salad is a gourmet delight. Serve it with chilled shrimp or grilled-chicken skewers. No matter what you eat to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, we believe avocados improve the feast vastly.
Menu suggestion: Cinco de Mayo Guacamole Salad
Precooked and peeled shrimp or grilled chicken
Warm flour tortillas
CINCO DE MAYO GUACAMOLE SALAD
Start to finish: 20 minutes
3 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 dashes Tabasco sauce, or to taste
1 large ripe tomato (for about 1 cup chunks)
1 stalk celery (for about 1/2 cup diced)
2 scallions (for 1/4 cup slices)
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
2 ripe avocados (see Cook's note)
4 lettuce leaves, for serving, such as bibb, Boston, iceberg or romaine
1/4 cup crushed reduced-fat or regular tortilla chips, optional garnish
Cook's note: We prefer Haas avocados from California for their buttery taste. These are the smaller avocados with bumpy skin.
Combine the oil, lime juice, garlic powder, salt, pepper, sugar, Worcestershire, cumin and Tabasco in a small jar that has a lid. Shake to combine and set aside.
Core the tomato (but do not peel it), and cut it into bite-size chunks. Place the chunks into a 6-cup or larger bowl. Rinse and dice the celery, and add to the bowl. Slice the scallions, using all of the white parts and enough of the tender green tops to make 1/4 cup. Add it to the bowl. Mince the cilantro and add it to the bowl.
Cut the avocados in half lengthwise, and twist the halves apart. Remove the seed. Cut the unpeeled avocados lengthwise into strips about 1/2 inch wide. Pull the peel from the strips. Cut the avocado into bite-size chunks and add them to the bowl.
Shake the dressing to recombine and pour it over the avocado mixture. Stir gently to mix and coat the vegetables with dressing. (Stir until the green of the avocados begins to mix with the dressing a bit, but do not overstir or they will become mushy.) To serve, place a lettuce leaf on each plate and spoon the avocado mixture into the middle of each leaf. If desired, sprinkle 1 tablespoon crushed tortilla chips over the salad on each plate. Serve at once.
Yield: 4 servings
Approximate values per serving: 287 calories (69 percent from fat), 24 g fat (3 g saturated), 0 mg cholesterol, 4 g protein, 20 g carbohydrates, 10 g dietary fiber, 326 mg sodium.
Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross are co-authors of "Desperation Dinners!" (Workman, 1997), "Desperation Entertaining!" (Workman, 2002) and "Cheap.Fast.Good!" (Workman, 2006). Contact them at Desperation Dinners, c/o United Media, 200 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016. Or visit the Desperation Dinners Web site at www.desperationdinners.com. © United Feature Syndicate Inc.