party guacamole.

my favorite thing.

i had posted a super lame-o, vague recipe for my signature guacamole several years ago, but i realized it was not very helpful at at all!

so even though i don’t usually measure the ingredients when i make guacamole, i got out all the measuring tools this time and wrote it all down - for the sake of consistency and for the sake of the folks whom are strict recipe followers. 😉

these avocados were seriously the creamiest and most perfect ones of my life. i do not take primo avo texture or ripeness perfection for granted! bless the avo gods for this most excellent batch.

i say that when you mince your red onion and jalapeño for this purpose or for fresh salsas - if you think you’re done chopping, chop it up again. and then one more time. you just want these components to be like flavor crystals within the creamy guacamole nebula, not distinct chunks to chomp into.

i do like to leave some chunkier bits of avocado left behind, however. more texture, please!

i used to add a scoop of fresh salsa to my guacamole. sometimes i will if it seems like it needs a flavor boost. but the goal is to keep it avo pure. i know cumin is a key ingredient in traditional guacamole, but i don’t really enjoy that flavor. add some to yours if you want!

i’ve made this guac zillions of times for zillions of parties or bbqs and it is always a hit. i know its a pretty straightforward recipe with no surprises, but this is just how i always do it, and the people of my life have spoken. they want to eat it on all the things - and i’ve seen it first hand…. nacho cheese doritos, cheetos, fritos, burgers, sliders, hot dogs, tacos, with breakfast, with vegetables, with cheese, with the strangest of crackers or chips…..

it is a surefire crowd-pleaser.

Quinn’s Party Guacamole

Serves 6-10

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 6 extra large ripe avocados

• 1 3/4 - 2 tsp. kosher salt

• 1 cup finely minced red onion

• 2 medium jalapeños, seeded and finely minced

• 2 large limes (juiced + some pulp)

• 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro, plus extra sprigs for garnish

• 1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

Instructions-

Wash and dry all fresh ingredients. On a large cutting board, halve the avocados and score the flesh carefully with a knife. Use a spoon to scoop out all the avocado from the peel into a large bowl. Pour the juice of 1 lime over the avocado with a good pinch of salt and mash well with a fork (or even a potato masher if you’re making a large batch of guacamole).

Super finely mince the red onion and jalapeño. Add them to the large bowl and mash everything together well. Add the salt and pepper and fold in with a spatula. Add the juice of the other lime as well. Continue to mash the avocado mixture until it becomes quite smooth, leaving some chunkier bits as you desire.

Chop the cilantro. Gently fold the cilantro into the guacamole. Add larger sprigs on top if you wish.

Add salt, pepper, and lime juice to taste!

Serve immediately. Store in the fridge in a sealed container with extra lime juice squeezed on top if you’ll be serving it later. Be sure to give it a good stir if any browning occurs on the top before serving. Enjoy within 1-2 days.

qp

easy butternut squash & goat cheese spread.

after having looked at the word ‘squash’ for the last 10 minutes…..whoa. that’s a weird one.

oh, you butternut squash and your versatile ways.

i love eating all kinds of squash during the fall - in sooo many forms! you can roast a whole butternut squash and continue to use it in all kinds of different recipes all week long.

this week on the squash-for-dinner front: pete and i had stuffed acorn squash with arugula, sausage & goat cheese one night, butternut squash in a big salad the next night, spaghetti squash with pesto the next night, and spaghetti squash crisped up with pulled pork, corn & salsa the next night.

and the shirt i’m wearing right now is squash colored. I AM SQUASH.

this dip/spread is so simple and you only really need 2 or 3 ingredients, but you can spruce it up with some other fun stuff like lemon, green onion, sunflower seeds or pepitas for texture!

if you prefer feta cheese over goat cheese, that would be a great substitute.

serving this warm and fresh on toasty bread is quite cozy & delightful. it also goes great with different veggies for dipping!

Easy Butternut Squash & Goat Cheese Spread

Yields 2-3 cups

Total Time: 45 minutes, Active Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 a medium/large butternut squash, seeded and roasted

• 5 oz. soft goat cheese

• 1/2 tsp. sea salt

• lemon juice or 1 tsp. white vinegar (optional, for acidity)

• green onion (optional topping)

• pepitas (optional topping)

• sunflower seeds (optional topping)

Instructions-

To roast the squash, preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Carefully cut the squash in half lengthwise and remove all the seeds. Lightly oil the skin of the squash and poke all over with a fork. Place in a rimmed baking pan skin side up and fill the pan with a little bit of water to create steam and prevent the bottom of the squash from burning. Roast for about 30 minutes, until the squash is fork tender.

Allow the squash to cool for a few minutes and scoop the flesh out of the skin and into a large food processor. Pulse until smooth. Add about 1/4 cup of water to help smooth it out if necessary. Half of a butternut squash will yield about 2 cups of squash purée.

Add the softened goat cheese and salt to the food processor and run/pulse until very smooth.

If you’d like your dip/spread to taste a little more bright, add a squeeze of lemon or a teaspoon or vinegar to wake it up.

Serve warm with toasted baguette, pita or bread of choice & vegetables! Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

i am one with the squash.

enjoy!

qp