Avocado Cocktail (Coctel de Aguacate)
Jalapenos are the most popular chile peppers in the US. This is probably due to the availability and versatility of the chile. Jalapenos have a balanced combination of flavor and heat.
The demand for these have caused breeders to develop a broad range of varieties. You can now get jalapenos with various heat level and sizes. These can be used in salsas, stuffed, or eaten straight with cheeseburgers (my personal favorite).
Ingredients:
1 large ripe tomato, peeled and seeded
2 fresh jalapeno or serrano chiles, stemmed and seeded
1 small white onion
12-15 springs of cilantro
juice of 1 lime
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 large, firm, ripe Mexican-type avocados
1/3 cup capers, rinsed, patted dry with paper towels, and spread out to dry completely
Instructions:
Finely chop the tomato, chiles, onion, and cilantro. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the lime juice and olive oil and add the chopped ingredients. Mix thoroughly and set aside.
Peel and pit the avocados, then cut into a 1/2″ dice. Fold into the reserved ingredients and serve at once
Yields 4 servings.
Recipe by Zarela Martinez.