Cinco de Mayo 🥑 🌮
It's time for tacos. Or fajitas. And "guac" and all of the other delicious things.
As a girl from Texas, things like tacos and “guac” (our shorthand lingo for guacamole) are everyday foods at my house (even though the Northeast has been home for over twenty years). Which means I’ve passed down these traditions, and now my daughter is the resident guac maker in the house, and darn does she do a good job.
Guac Recipe
As with any popular recipe, there are many ways you can make guacamole. I am a purist (and therefore still remember the viral uproar when Melissa Clark (of NYT Cooking) put peas in her recipe). There are some foods that don’t need to be improved upon or changed. I prefer guacamole at its simplest, and even eliminate common ingredients like cilantro, garlic and onion (although these make delicious guac too).
It probably goes without saying, but a dollop of guacamole punches up any salad, taco, quesadilla, and of course, is also delicious with a crispy tortilla chip and fresh salsa.
Ingredients
Three medium avocados, perfectly ripe1
Juice from one lime
Salt to taste
Directions
Scoop out the avocado flesh into a bowl. (Discard avocado pit.) Mash and “whip” with a fork until creamy, but not completely smooth. Squeeze in juice from half of a lime and stir in. Add salt to taste. If needed, add more lime juice and salt. Serve immediately!
Nutrition Notes: Avocados are an excellent source of monounsaturated fat, plus fiber and potassium. Lime juice adds Vitamin C.
Make the Tacos
When I think of family-friendly (or group-friendly) meals, tacos are always at the top of the list. They are very easy to modify to accommodate different protein preferences, allergens, eating habits etc.
Tacos are also just plain easy. Great for a weeknight dinner, or if you are having friends over, super quick to pull together while entertaining. Cooking and actually talking with your guests!
fish tacos
These fish tacos are one of the most requested recipes from my youngest daughter. Baja Fish Tacos from Sam Sifton at NYT Cooking.
crisp black bean tacos with feta and slaw
Smitten Kitchen is a great place to search for taco recipes. I’ve already mentioned Deb’s Sweet Potato Tacos in another post. These Crisp Black Bean Tacos are another great vegetarian taco recipe. Use no-salt or low sodium canned black beans.
As a note — Sometimes at their simplest, tacos can be just meat and cheese stuffed in a refined-grain tortilla. So no fiber, and no veggies. (A sprinkling of shredded lettuce or topped with pico de gallo doesn’t count!) Fortunately there are simple solutions to this. You can add raw or grilled veggies, beans etc to the taco. Or keep your taco as is, and go crazy with side dishes. A seasonal veggie salad, warm black beans or bean salad, grilled or roasted veggies... There are endless sides that go well with tacos, and multiple sides (most being simple to pull together) are another way to accommodate different likes and preferences.
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Determining this can be a bit of an art form or acquired skill. A ripe avocado should give slightly when pressing it gently with your thumb. Also, I’ve found that buying avocados from a grocer that you reliably count on for good produce helps to ensure a good avocado and reduces the chances of being disappointed with a bruised/brown avocado inside.