Guacamole for Cilantro Haters

This guacamole recipe is for the picky eater; we all have at least one in our lives!  Guacamole for Cilantro Haters has three things that make it different than any other guacamole recipe.  Even though this version has dried cilantro instead of fresh, cilantro haters, this one is for you!

Yes, this Guacamole for Cilantro Haters recipe is for all of us foodies who absolutely despise the use of cilantro in our food.  But, get this – this guacamole has cilantro in it!  But, you won’t know; trust me!    Rather than subject myself to the soapy taste of fresh cilantro, I have personally stumbled upon a way to get around it.  You see, I’m not sure if I hate the taste of fresh cilantro or the smell of it more.

On a recent trip to the Bulk Barn for some baking supplies, I caught sight of dried crushed cilantro leaves.  (The Bulk Barn is a bulk food supply store.  If you don’t have one in your area, look for Food Town or Bulk Nation, they should have it.  You can also try ordering it from Amazon.)

The dried cilantro?  Well, I couldn’t resist smelling it.  It didn’t smell badly.  So, of course, I had to buy it, bring it home, and put it to a taste test.   I was very pleasantly surprised!  I could taste a very slight hint of cilantro, but not enough to stop me from eating more.  Suddenly, all of these recipes and foods that I’ve wanted to try, but couldn’t because of cilantro, became a new possibility. This guacamole is one such recipe!

PREPARATION MAKES THINGS EASIER

The best way to tackle this Guacamole for Cilantro Haters recipe is to get all of your ingredients ready first.  Leave the avocado prep for last because left exposed to oxygen, avocado will brown very rapidly.  There’s nothing worse than avocado that has been left to oxidize for too long.  Who wants to eat brown guacamole?

Get all of your ingredients diced, chopped, squeezed, or whatever before you cut into that avocado.  That way, you’re sure to avoid losing that wonderful green colour!

3 SECRETS OF GOOD GUACAMOLE

I had mentioned in the first line of this post that this recipe has three secrets.  The first, the dried crushed cilantro leaves, I’ve already shared with you.  If, however, you are not opposed to using fresh cilantro, go ahead and chop up some of the fresh stuff and stir it in!

The second is more a personal choice of mine.  I’m not a fan of raw onion.  Actually, that’s quite the understatement.  I can’t stand the thought of eating raw onion.  So, in an effort to make my guacamole recipe more palatable, I chop the red onions quite finely, and then soak them for forty five minutes or so in a bowl of ice cold water.  This helps to remove some of the onion’s pungent flavour.  Of course, you don’t have to do this for your version.

My last secret has to do with controlling the amount of water content in the guacamole.  Most guacamole recipes call for diced fresh tomato.  For this recipe, I’m using sun dried tomato that has been packed in oil.  I will pat the sun dried tomatoes as dry as possible to rid it of the oil, and then chop it into small pieces.  The flavour of sun dried tomato is much stronger than fresh tomato, and I tend to like the chewier, saltier taste of sun dried tomatoes over fresh chopped tomatoes.  Again, the choice is yours.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this Guacamole for Cilantro Haters recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Avocados – Read the section below about how to select perfectly ripe avocados.
• Garlic – Use fresh garlic and grate it finely using a box grater or a zester. Big chunks of garlic in the guacamole is never a good thing.
• Dried Crushed Cilantro Leaves
• Red Onion – It’s more delicate than a white or yellow onion and they taste sweeter.
• Sun Dried Tomatoes – The type that you can buy in a jar, packed in oil, is the best for this recipe. They’re softer and usually brighter in red colour too. Plus, the oil is super flavourful!
• Lime Juice – Please use fresh lime juice! It makes all the difference in the world!
• Dried Red Chili Flakes – This is optional. You can add as much or as little as you’d like, or omit it completely.
• Salt and Ground Black Pepper

HOW TO TELL IF AN AVOCADO IS RIPE

I want to preface this section by asking you to do just one thing. After reading this, I do not want you to use this bit of information while shopping. Buy your avocados first and you can do this to them once you get home. To do so in a grocery store would be inconsiderate to say the least.

To determine whether an avocado is ripe, most of us will gently squeeze it. If it’s hard, it needs more time; if it’s soft, it’s good to go. But, I have to say, I’ve tried this before and the flesh of the avocado felt like it would be buttery smooth when I cut into it. However, it was already brown in some spots. Since then, I never use the squeeze test.

To really tell the ripeness of an avocado, locate the little stem where the avocado was once attached to the tree. It should come off quite easily. You will see a little circular divot where the stem once was. The colour will tell you all you need to know. If it is green or yellow, that means the avocado is ripe and ready to eat. A bit of brown means there is probably brown inside your avocado, therefore it is over ripe. Lastly, if the stem doesn’t come off easily, that means the avocado is under-ripe and not ready to eat.

STORING GUACAMOLE

When all is said and done, you’ll end up with a very flavourful and creamy guacamole.  By far, this particular version is the best one I’ve ever made or eaten.  In fact, both John.e and McKenna are not lovers of guacamole like I am.  But, when I made this recipe just recently, between the three of us, we ate the entire thing with just a helping of tortilla chips.

If you need to store any leftover guacamole, you know, in the off chance that your household can’t finish the entire bowl of it in one day, then be sure to store it with a layer of plastic wrap firmly pressed against the top of the guacamole.  To do this, spread the guacamole out in the bowl so that there’s a flat surface.  Lay the plastic wrap directly onto the dip and push down into the corners and along the edges of the bowl.  Basically, try to rid all risk of oxygen coming into contact with the guacamole.  This will prevent browning and you can store the guacamole for two or three days in the refrigerator.

USES FOR GUACAMOLE

Tortilla chips are great with guacamole, but not the only great use for this wonderful condiment.  Try smearing a nice helping of guacamole on rye toast.  Top with freshly sliced tomatoes with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.  So simple and delicious!  You can even use it instead of mayonnaise or mustard on a sandwich.  Guacamole loves bacon and deli meats!

Another great option is to use Guacamole for Cilantro Haters instead of mayonnaise in deviled eggs.  Or place a few scoops of the guacamole into a blender with more lime juice, a tablespoon or so of olive oil, and a bit more black pepper for a great salad dressing.  Oh, and I almost forgot, guacamole on top of baked potato is awesome!!

If all else fails – and really, there’s not much of a risk associated with not being able to finish up this awesome guacamole recipe – you could just use it as a dip with your favourite veggies – carrot, celery, radish, grape tomatoes, etc.

Now, that’s a lot of ideas, and even though guacamole is most used in burritos and with tortilla chips, my absolute favourite way to enjoy it is with rice cakes.  I know, it’s so weird!  I’m one of those people that loves to eat rice cakes – often for dinner!  Smear the guacamole onto the rice cake, followed by a little salsa, and then some sour cream.  It’s such a wonderfully easy dinner and no clean up either!  Ok, I’m going to stop talking about guacamole and let you get back to your every day life.