Mixed Salad with Yogurt Tahini Dressing from "It's All Good"

At one point or another, we have all said something along these lines, "Sure I could look like Gwyneth Paltrow, if I had her money and could hire a nutritionist, trainer, a nanny and a staff to clean the house."  All of that stuff is true but thankfully, Ms. Paltrow is putting the recipes on full display so we can at least know what to eat.  I was not planning on picking up her new cookbook, "It's All Good", because frankly, her Marie Antoinette musings are a bit much.  However, I was out and about on a random weekend, had a little time to kill before a dinner reservation and decided to stop by Barnes & Noble.  Her cookbook was sitting front and center on that table they have at the entrance of every Barnes & Noble on the face of the earth.  I picked it up and after looking through the recipes, was intrigued.  

Mom's Rockin' Guacamole

As my friends and family know, I have a tendency to talk down my Mom's cooking. I love my Mom to pieces but she would take her garden any day of the week over cooking. The beauty of her gardening obsession and her blasé attitude toward cooking is that she hides her disinterest so very well. Over the years, I have seen her host numerous dinner parties, family gatherings, impromptu visits from friends and of course, the dinner she made for my Dad, my Brother and me on a nightly basis. Throughout it all, I never saw her call a caterer, call in extra help, or buy a pre-made meal; she always did it all herself and it was always wonderful. So yes, she can cook but make no mistake, her heart is in her fabulous garden.

So, all of that said, my Mom has been spending her winters in Mexico for a few years now and she has amassed a treasure trove of Mexican friends who have guided her in making this guacamole; add a little of this, take out that, etc. So she has been coached and the result is some serious rockin' guac. Enjoy!

Rockin' Guacamole courtesy of my Rockin' Mom, Linda Jones.

Ingredients:

3 ripe Haas avocados
2 plum tomatoes, seeds and juice removed, diced
1/3 white onion diced
1 small lime
1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro, chopped
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Kosher salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon chile rellanos, seeds removed, chopped - to taste
1/2 teaspoon sauce/juice from chile rellanos - to taste

Method:

Dice the avocados and place in a large bowl. Squeeze the lime juice into the avocados and toss lightly. Add in the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, cumin, salt, pepper, chile rellanos and juice. Toss all together and taste for seasoning. Pile mixture high on tortilla chips and serve immediately.