Perfect Guacamole | Friday Night Bites

The weather in the Bay Area this week feels more like spring than winter.  Considering we are in an El Nino year, the last two weeks have yielded no rain. I heard on the radio today during my drive back from a client appointment that in the next week or so we should have some more rain. Keep your fingers crossed – we really need here in the Bay Area.

Can you believe that the work week is almost over?  Don’t know about you, but for me it flew by.  You know what the end of the week means – it is Friday Night Bite time.  I look forward to our traditional Friday Night and just simply relaxing and unwinding from the work week. Since we are such television fans, we finally upgraded our television in our family room from a 42 inch to a 65 inch.  The picture is AMAZING and it is a whole new viewing experience.  We remark that we can see every line and pore on each person, where previously we did not.  I would hate to be an actress on TV these days. 

We have some movies recorded that we are going to enjoy this week with our wine and appetizers.  For some reason I was craving a great guacamole and chips for our weekly ritual. Here in California, we have some of the best avocados and I simply can’t get enough of them.  They are creamy, rich and the flavor is second to none.  This recipe is both simple yet full of flavor.  It would go beautifully with an ice cold beer or your favorite bottle of wine.  I plan on starting with a cold Corona to keep in the spirit of the guacamole.

If you happen to live near a Safeway, in the deli section I have found these homemade tortilla chips that they make.  They are some of the BEST tortilla chips I have found.  They are light with a hint of salt and thin and just perfect.  Check them out the next time you hit your local Safeway.

Perfect Guacamole

4 Ripe Avocados

3 cloves garlic, minced

¼ teaspoon Salt

1/3 Cup Red Bell Pepper, finely diced

¼ Cup Cilantro, rough chopped

2 pinches of Red Pepper Flakes

1 Cup Scallions, finely chopped

Cut each avocado and remove the seed.  With a spoon remove the avocado from the peel and add to a bowl.  Peel and finely mince the garlic.  A trick that I use is to add a bit of salt to the garlic and work with a chef’s knife to get almost a puree of garlic.

Add the red bell pepper, cilantro, scallions and red pepper flakes.  Mix well with a fork until creamy.  Taste and add salt if needed.  Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.