Last week for Cinco de Mayo my husband I shared a very low-key dinner at home. Our menu consisted of bean and cheese enchiladas, guacamole and entirely too strong margaritas.
The enchiladas were as basic as it gets: corn tortillas coated in canned enchilada sauce and filled with a mixture of shredded cheddar cheese, canned diced green chiles and canned chili beans, arranged in a baking dish and topped with extra cheese, sauce and green chiles and baked until golden and bubbly.
But the guacamole. Wow. That was some guacamole. I got the recipe from Tasting Table (a food and drink themed website and electronic newsletter) and it is definitely a keeper.
At first adding chopped roasted pecans to guacamole sounded a bit, um, nuts. But after stopping to think about it, I could see the appeal. And now that I've tried it, I'm a believer. The crunchy, meaty pecans were the perfect foil for the buttery soft avocado and juicy bits of onion.
Even my husband, who prefers salsa, thought it was good.
Roasted Poblano and Pecan Guacamole
1 poblano chile, cut in half, seeds and membranes removed (see note)
4 ripe avocados, halved and pitted
Juice from 1 lime
1/2 cup diced sweet onion
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cumin seed
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1/3 cup lightly salted roasted pecans, chopped
Heat broiler. On a foil-lined baking sheet, broil the poblano, until the skin is blistered and charred, about 5 minutes. Tent foil around pepper and let stand for 10 minutes or until cool enough to handle.
When the poblano is cool, remove and discard skin. Finely dice flesh; set aside.
Using a paring knife, score through the avocado flesh, creating a grid-like pattern. Scoop out the avocado flesh into a medium bowl and toss with lime juice. Add the diced poblano, onion, olive oil and cumin, and season with salt and pepper. Lightly mash using the tines of a fork to create desired texture. Gently stir in pecans. Serve immediately.
Note: Poblano chiles are large, dark green chiles about the size of a bell pepper, but more cylindrical. If you can't find poblano, substitute any mild- to medium-hot chile you like.
Food on 05/13/2015