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Ultimate Nachos
From Nachos and Guacamole to Salsas and Cocktails
By Lee Frank, Rachel Anderson, Karen Wise St. Martin's Press
Copyright © 2013 Lee Frank Rachel Anderson
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-250-03973-6
CHAPTER 1
SALSA
Salsa is literally sauce. While traditional salsas predominantly feature tomatoes and peppers, we take that rule very liberally. When it comes to dipping chips and adding spice to nachos, the salsa can come from a variety of ingredients. We chose delicious ingredients such as clementines, mangoes, ginger, and pears to spice it up.
SIMPLE PICO DE GALLO
VEGAN • GLUTEN-FREE
MAKES 2 CUPS PICO DE GALLO
2 large tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 onion, diced
1 jalapeño pepper, minced
2 garlic cloves, diced
1 bunch fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Salt
When first learning to make salsas, it is easy to get carried away with ingredients; scale it back to this basic recipe for a delicious set of favors. From this recipe you can build up to the most intricate of picos.
1. In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, and garlic.
2. Fold the chopped cilantro into the mixture.
3. Add the lime juice and season the pico de gallo with salt to taste.
FIRE-ROASTED TOMATILLO SALSA
VEGAN • GLUTEN-FREE
MAKES 2 CUPS SALSA
4 tomatillos, husks and stems removed
3 jalapeño peppers
Juice of ½ lime
1 bunch fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
Salt
The tomatillo packs a sharper favor than the tomato and works well with the light spice of jalapeños in this recipe.
1. Preheat the broiler to 500°F.
2. Place the tomatillos and jalapeños on a baking sheet and broil for 5 minutes.
3. Flip the tomatillos and jalapeños and broil for 5 minutes more.
4. Dice jalapeños and remove seeds.
5. In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, puree the tomatillos, jalapeños, lime juice, and cilantro until smooth.
6. Season the salsa with salt to taste.
CLEMENTINE PICO DE GALLO
VEGAN • GLUTEN-FREE
MAKES 2 CUPS PICO DE GALLO
2 large tomatoes, seeded and diced
3 clementines, segmented, seeded, and diced
1 onion, diced
¼ jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
1 lime, halved
Salt
For a sweet citrus to add to your repertoire, consider the adorable clementine. It's little and juicy and, in this recipe, makes salsa more refreshing than ever. Consider this salsa highly addictive.
1. In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, clementines, onion, and jalapeño.
2. Squeeze the lime over the salsa and toss to combine.
3. Season the salsa with salt to taste.
PEAR-GINGER SALSA
VEGAN • GLUTEN-FREE
MAKES 2 CUPS SALSA
2 Bartlett pears, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
Juice of 2 limes
1 bunch fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
Ginger is not often associated with salsa, but it plays a major role in this recipe, complementing the crisp taste of the pear.
1. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, puree the pears, ginger, lime juice, and cilantro.
2. Chill in a small bowl for 1 hour before serving.
PICKLED SERRANO AND MANGO PICO DE GALLO
VEGAN • GLUTEN-FREE
MAKES 2 CUPS PICO DE GALLO
2 Pickled Serrano Peppers
1 mango, pitted, peeled, and diced
1 small onion, diced
This is the pico de gallo you bring to a barbecue along with some homemade tortilla chips to impress your friends. Once you've pickled the peppers, add the sweetness of mango to get taste buds applauding.
1. Dice the serrano peppers and remove the seeds depending on the desired spice level.
2. Add the mango and onion to the peppers and stir to combine.
3. Chill the pico for 1 hour to allow the favors to meld.
ROASTED PINEAPPLE SALSA
VEGAN • GLUTEN-FREE
MAKES 3 CUPS SALSA
Olive oil or vegetable oil
1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and sliced into 1/2-inch rings
1 red bell pepper, seeded
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded
½ red onion, diced
½ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of 2 limes
2 tablespoons dark rum
Salt and black pepper
This Roasted Pineapple salsa pairs perfectly with the Hawaiian Nachos. If you can, use dark rum to enhance the sweetness of the pineapple.
1. Oil a grill grate on an outdoor grill or a stovetop grill with olive oil or vegetable oil. Place the pineapple rings, bell pepper, and jalapeño pepper on the grill.
2. Cook the pineapple until lightly browned on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Continue to cook the bell pepper and jalapeño until blackened on all sides.
3. Dice the pineapple rings and set aside in a bowl. (If using the salsa for the Hawaiian Nachos, reserve 2 rings for garnish.)
4. Transfer the bell and jalapeño peppers to a paper or plastic bag and seal. As the steam from the pepper condenses, the skin becomes easier to peel off.
5. After about 5 minutes, and once the peppers are cool enough to handle, remove their skins, dice the peppers, and add to the diced pineapple.
6. Add the red onion, cilantro, lime juice, and rum and toss until well combined.
7. Season the salsa with salt and pepper to taste.
GUACAMOLE
In our minds, the avocado is the secret weapon of any nacho platter. It can go either way; a good guacamole elevates boring nachos, while gross guacamole ruins your day. In our long journey to this book, we have had the pleasure of hosting four Guactaculars. The Guactacular is our citywide search for the best guacamole recipe; starting off as a free Cinco de Mayo event, it got completely out of hand on its debut and we had to cut off future competitions at 300 attendees.
Every year, amateur hopefuls tweak on the traditional (Cumin at Ya Guacamole) or go a little crazy with their recipe (Raisin the Roof Guacamole) to wow the crowd and our esteemed judges. The winners go on to add their recipe to our summer boat cruise, Guac Rock, and, luckily for us, this book.
HOW TO PIT AN AVOCADO
1. Slice an avocado in half lengthwise.
2. Twist the two halves in opposite directions to separate.
3. Hold the half of the avocado containing the pit in a kitchen towel. Making guacamole shouldn't be dangerous! Using the bottom end of a chef's knife blade (closest to the handle), carefully knock it into the pit. Then twist the knife to remove the pit.
4. Slice the avocado in its skin with a paring knife.
5. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon.
6. Get to mashing!
SIMPLE GUACAMOLE
VEGAN • GLUTEN-FREE
MAKES 2 CUPS GUACAMOLE
2 avocados, halved lengthwise, pitted, and flesh scooped out
½ red onion, diced
½ tomato, seeded and diced
Juice of 1 lime
Salt
Purists will appreciate this recipe. Although we have heard that adding onions and tomatoes is a guacamole sacrilege, we love them and include them in our bare-bones guac.
1. In a medium bowl, mash the avocados with a fork.
2. Add the onion, tomato, and lime juice to the bowl.
3. Using a fork, fold the ingredients over each other to maintain the guacamole's chunkiness.
4. Season with salt to taste.
BACON-APPLE GUAC
GLUTEN-FREE
MAKES 3 CUPS GUACAMOLE
3 strips bacon
2 avocados, halved lengthwise, pitted, and flesh scooped out
1 Granny smith apple, sliced
Salt and black pepper
Bacon will not be the hippest food forever, but while it is, we realize that bacon and avocado is a match made in heaven (try a BLAT — avocado BLT — sometime, it's great). The addition of the Granny smith apple pushed this guac to the next level, a bona fide triple threat.
1. In a skillet over medium heat, fry the bacon until crispy. Flip and cook the opposite sides until crispy, 6 to 8 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towels to drain and cool.
2. Cut the bacon into small pieces.
3. In a bowl, mash the avocados with a fork.
4. Fold the bacon and apple into the mashed avocado.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
TEQUILA MOCKINGBIRD GUACAMOLE
VEGAN • GLUTEN-FREE
MAKES 3 CUPS GUACAMOLE
3 avocados, halved lengthwise, pitted, and flesh scooped out
1 roasted red bell pepper, (see box), diced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons tequila
Salt and black pepper
This recipe was first served at nachos NY's 2010 Guac Rock. A three-hour boat cruise along the east River, the event includes nine different guacamole recipes. In a pinch for a new favor, Rachel just brought her guacamole bowl to the bar and asked them to free pour tequila into it. We've cleaned up this recipe to be served on dry land.
1. In a medium bowl, mash together the avocados, roasted red peppers, jalapeño peppers, and garlic with a fork.
2. Add the lime juice and tequila.
3. Season the guacamole with a generous amount of salt and pepper.
HOW TO ROAST A PEPPER
1. If you have a gas stove, place the bell pepper directly onto the grate. Using tongs, turn the pepper over the flame until black and charred on all sides.
2. If roasting the pepper in the oven, preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, place pepper on the foil, then roast in the oven, turning the pepper every 15 minutes until blackened, 30 to 40 minutes.
3. Once the pepper is roasted, place it in a paper or plastic bag. As the steam from the pepper condenses, the skin becomes easier to peel off. Allow the pepper to cool for 5 minutes.
4. Carefully peel off the blackened skin and discard. This can be easily done with your fingers or using a sharp paring knife.
5. Cut off the top of the pepper and squeeze to clean out the seeds.
THE JOKER
VEGAN • GLUTEN-FREE
MAKES 3 CUPS GUACAMOLE
2 avocados, halved lengthwise, pitted, and flesh scooped out
2 garlic cloves, minced
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and black pepper
1 small beet, trimmed, peeled, and grated
Beets are sexy and this guac just proves it. The beet provides an earthy flavor to the guac while adding a visual twist. The vibrant purple color playing off the avocados' green hue pays tribute to Gotham's worst villain.
1. In a medium bowl, mash the avocados with the garlic and lime juice, using a fork.
2. Season with the salt and pepper.
3. Fold in the beet. Do not overmix.
4. Season again with salt and pepper to taste.
NOTE: Again, we must stress: Do not overmix! The guacamole should have a green and purple color. Overmixing will turn the whole guacamole purple.
THE CLAP (CILANTRO-LIME-AVOCADOPOMEGRANATE) YOUR HANDS GUACAMOLE
Contributed by Karol Lu
VEGAN • GLUTEN-FREE
MAKES 3 CUPS GUACAMOLE
3 ripe avocados, halved lengthwise, pitted, and flesh scooped out
¼ cup finely chopped onion
1 jalapeño or serrano pepper, seeded, ribs removed, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Juice of ½ lime
½cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
½ cup pomegranate seeds
At our debut Guactacular, we found a way to cram about 360 people into a tiny bar space, and Karol Lu was crowned the winner with an incredibly simple guac made with four main ingredients that provided all of the flavor needed.
1. In a medium bowl, coarsely mash the avocados with a fork.
2. Add the onion, pepper, cumin, salt, and lime juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
3. Fold in the cilantro and pomegranate seeds.
CUMIN AT YA GUACAMOLE
Contributed by Marcia Bunda
VEGAN • GLUTEN-FREE
MAKES 3 CUPS GUACAMOLE
3 avocados, halved lengthwise, pitted, and flesh scooped out
Juice of 4 limes
Roasted garlic from 1 large bulb of garlic (see box), mashed
1 cup diced onion
1 cup seeded and diced red bell pepper
3 to 5 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
After we retooled the Guactacular to include a bigger space and a larger cast of competitors, Marcia Bunda took the People's champion award with a guacamole featuring roasted garlic as the main attraction.
1. In a medium bowl, mash the avocados with a fork and immediately add the lime juice to prevent browning.
2. In a separate small bowl, mix together all of the remaining ingredients.
3. Gently combine the ingredients with the avocado. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more lime juice, jalapeño, salt, or cumin, as needed.
4. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, placing the wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole to preserve the color and prevent oxidation. Refrigerate and let the favors meld for 2 to 3 hours before serving.
HOW TO ROAST GARLIC
Roasted garlic elevates the flavor of any guacamole, or you can simply mash it and spread it on toast. Garlic becomes so sweet once it has been roasted and caramelized that you'll be tempted to eat it straight from the oven.
1 garlic bulb
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and black pepper
1. Cut off the top one-third of a full bulb of garlic so that all the cloves are exposed.
2. Place the bulb on a sheet of aluminum foil, splash with olive oil, and sprinkle
3. Wrap the garlic up in the foil into a bulb shape, so that all the moisture escapes out of the twist at the top. Roast the garlic in a 400°F oven for 30 to 40 minutes.
RICOTTA AND RED ONION GUACAMOLE
Contributed by Peter Borenstein
VEGETARIAN • GLUTEN-FREE
MAKES 4 CUPS GUACAMOLE
3 avocados, halved lengthwise, pitted, and flesh scooped out
3 garlic cloves
Salt and black pepper
1 tomato, seeded and diced
½ red onion, diced
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
Juice of 2 limes
¾ cup ricotta cheese
In the 2010 Guactacular, Peter Borenstein wowed our panel of judges with the odd but surprisingly delicious addition of ricotta cheese to his guacamole.
1. In a medium bowl, mash the avocados with a fork and grate the garlic cloves with a cheese grater on top. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Add the tomato, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeño. Add the lime juice. Season again with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Season the ricotta with salt only, then mix it in with the avocado until the mixture is creamy.
GINGER GUACAMOLE WITH VEGAN SRIRACHA MAYONNAISE
Contributed by Chris Willets
VEGAN • GLUTEN-FREE
MAKES 2 CUPS GUACAMOLE; 1½ CUPS MAYONNAISE
24 perfect chips; if prepared fresh, use 4 corn tortillas, each cut into 6 triangles
Sriracha Mayonnaise
1 cup vegan mayonnaise
2 scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons sriracha sauce salt
Guacamole
2 avocados, halved lengthwise, pitted, and diced
1 tomato, seeded and diced
1 white onion, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1 serrano pepper, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced
Salt and black pepper
Garnish
5 radishes, sliced into ¼-inch slices
2 carrots, julienned
½ bunch fresh cilantro
½ cup coconut milk
Also placing in Guactacular 2010 was Chris Willets, whose guacamole comes assembled with a vegan mayo and a carrot and radish garnish.
1. In a bowl, mix together all of the ingredients for the Sriracha mayonnaise. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. In a large bowl, coarsely mash the avocados with a fork. Fold in the tomato, white onion, lime juice, pepper, ginger, and salt and pepper, until you get a chunky yet creamy consistency.
3. To serve: Put a generous spoonful of the guac on each tortilla chip and top with 1 radish slice, a sprinkling of carrot, and a leaf or two of cilantro. Drizzle on some of the spicy mayonnaise and ½ teaspoon of coconut milk.
"AVICHE" — THE GUACAMOLE OF THE SEA
Contributed by Lindsay Liu, Ellie Ratcliff, and Lauren Cooper
GLUTEN-FREE
SERVES 4–6
Pickled Red Onion
1 cup water
1 red beet, peeled and quartered
¼ red onion, diced
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Ceviche
½ pound fresh, white fish fillet, such as flounder
1 cup fresh lime juice (about 8 limes)
½ cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
½ red onion, diced
½ Vidalia onion, diced
Pickled Red onion (recipe above)
1 ear of corn, roasted, kernels removed (see box)
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 mango, pitted, peeled, and diced
1 avocado, diced
3 avocados, halved lengthwise, pitted, flesh scooped out, and diced
Salt and black pepper
The judges loved this guacamole from Lindsay Liu, Ellie Ratcliff, and Lauren Cooper back in 2011. This is well put together, and turns the guacamole into a seafood cocktail.
To make the Pickled Red Onion
1. In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add the beet to the water and boil for 5 minutes.
2. Add the red onion to the water along with the sugar and vinegar. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, until the onion is bright pink.
3. Remove the beet and drain the water. Set the onion aside.
To make the ceviche
1. Cut the fish into ½-inch pieces. In a shallow dish, cover the fish with the lime and lemon juice. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 20 minutes, or until the fish turns completely white, stirring as needed to keep all of the fish covered with the acid.
2. While the fish is "cooking" in the citrus juices, roast the corn (see box).
3. Once the fish is completely white, drain the majority of the lime and lemon juice, reserving enough to keep the fish wet, about ¼ cup.
4. Add the jalapeño, onions, roasted corn kernels, cucumber, mango, and diced avocado to the fish and mix together. Season the ceviche with salt and pepper to taste.
5. In a separate bowl, mash the avocados with a fork and add the reserved citrus juice, salt, and pepper to taste.
6. Serve the ceviche and guacamole layered on a tortilla chip and garnish with the Pickled Red onion.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Ultimate Nachos by Lee Frank, Rachel Anderson, Karen Wise. Copyright © 2013 Lee Frank Rachel Anderson. Excerpted by permission of St. Martin's Press.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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