Loaded Guacamole

Step up your guac game with this loaded guacamole!

Chocked full of diced tomato, green onion and jalapeño, seasoned with garlic, lime and smoked salt, and topped with more diced veggies, plus toasted chipotle pepitas and crumbled cotija cheese, this guac is anything but ordinary. 

It all starts with a lime, smoked salt, and grated garlic seasoned base. The base should be so good that you question stopping there and eating the whole bowl. The base includes my secret ingredient: extra virgin olive oil! It may seem crazy, but adding a touch of olive oil, so slight that you cannot ‘taste’ it, really brings out the natural delicate flavors of the avocado. I have served guac with this secret ingredient many a time, and no one has yet to identify any olive oil flavor, so have no fear and give it a try!

To the base, add roughly 2/3 of the chopped tomato, jalapeño, and green onion plus all of the cilantro. Mix, taste, and add more smoked salt as needed. When everything tastes perfect, you are ready to add the toppings. Pile on the rest of the veggies, chipotle spiced roasted pepitas, and crumbled cotija cheese. Then dip, eat, repeat!

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Loaded Guacamole

Servings: makes 2 cups

Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 avocados (regular sized)
• 2 green onions
• Heaping ¼ cup diced tomato (I used cherry)
• 1-2 diced jalapeños (2 small or 1 large, remove seeds and veins for less spice)
• 2 tbsp. chopped cilantro
• ½ clove garlic, grated on a microplane or chopped to a paste
• 1 small lime; roughly 3 tbsp. of juice
• ½ tsp. of olive oil
• 2 tbsp. Pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• Cotija cheese (1 ounce or so)
• Chipotle powder
• Salt (I used smoked)

How-to:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Add a drop of cooking oil (I use avocado) to pepitas and mix to coat.
3. Sprinkle on chipotle powder and a pinch of salt until pepitas are well covered.
4. Spread pepitas onto a baking sheet topped with parchment paper and bake until toasted tossing half way through; they will smell nutty and will brown in color, roughly 5-8 minutes.
5. Allow pepitas to cool while preparing guac.
6. Prep guac base first by adding garlic, olive oil, lime juice, and salt to mashed avocados.
7. Taste and adjust for seasoning, it should be delicious enough to eat at this point; do not be shy with the salt!
8. Put aside 1-2 heaping tbsps. of diced tomato, green onion, and jalapeño; this will be your topping for a prettier presentation [optional].
9. Add chopped cilantro and remaining tomatoes, jalapeño, and green onion to guac base. Stir to spread ingredients evenly throughout guac base.
10. Top with veg from step 8, cooled toasted chipotle pepitas, and crumbled cotija.