Pomegranate Guacamole

It's that time of year the weather is cooling down which means boots and sweaters...well maybe in most other places than Texas. It's hard to find festive recipes for this time of year, but I finally found one! Pomegranate guacamole. Guacamole is one of my favorite things and I would have never thought of this flavor combination. The sweetness of the cranberries and the acidity of the onions and lime juice help create a balance with the creamy avocado. Since Tex-Mex is a huge part of the food world here, I thought that this was a really unique dish. Plus the pops of red against the green makes for a very pretty dish. It can be whipped up in a flash and doesn't require much effort.


Ingredients:

1/4 cup pomegranate flavored dried cranberries (Note*: I didn't have any but the original recipe called for pomegranate seeds so you can substitute those in)
2 ripe avocados, ripe and diced
1 garlic clove, minced
Lime juice
1/4 cup onions, diced
Fresh cilantro
Pepper and salt (optional)

Directions:

Cut the avocados in half and remove the pit. In a medium bow, mash the avocado with a fork or potato masher. Then add the pomegranate cranberries (or seeds), garlic, onions, cilantro, lime juice and pepper and salt if you wish.

Mash everything together until you reach the desired consistency. I let mine chill for an hour or so to get cold and to blend the flavors. You can serve this with veggies, pita chips, on chili or with Mexican quinoa. 

Mexican Quinoa with Lazy Guacamole

I love one pot wonder meals. Not only does it make life super simple, but it makes me feel warm and fuzzy on the inside because usually these are soups or stews. Though the weather never dictates that this is an appropriate meal, I have decided to go with my inner clock and start making those wonderful fall dishes. I found this recipe for Mexican quinoa with lazy guacamole. I love guacamole so as soon as I read that I knew that I was going to try it. This is a simple, hearty dish that you can throw some ground beef or turkey into. Plus it makes quite a few servings, which means lots of leftovers (which I am definitely not going to complain about!) If you can put things into a pot, then you can make this recipe. I am not a huge fan of jalapenos, so I left them out of the recipe but feel free to add them in.

Ingredients:
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 can (15 oz) no salt added black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14.5 oz) no salt added diced tomatoes
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
Olive oil

Guacamole Ingredients:
1 avocado, pitted and peeled
Lime juice
1 garlic clove, minced
Handful of fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper

To Make Guacamole:
In a small bowl, add the avocado, garlic, lime juice, cilantro and salt and pepper. Mash the ingredients together until you get the desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. You can also add in salsa, onions or jalapenos to the guacamole...this is the foundation of guacamole for you to customize.

To Make Quinoa:

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. While that's heating, drain your black beans and make sure to rinse them. Add in the minced garlic and cook for a minute.

Add in the vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, black beans, corn, salt and quinoa. Stir and bring the mixture to a boil. Then reduce to low and cover, letting it cook for 35 minutes. (*Note: the recipe said to cook for 25 minutes, but my quinoa wasn't done.) You will know when it's done when the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is opaque with the fiber ring on the outside.

Stir in the lime juice and cilantro. I love cilantro so I put an extra handful in. Top with the guacamole and dinner is served. You can also add cheese, sour cream, tortilla strips or salsa to it as well. You can also throw in chicken, ground turkey or ground beef. This isn't the typical fall flavor combination, but when you live in Texas fall is much different.

Saint Genevive

Happy hour is a treat for me, as I don't get to go too often so of course I wanted to try some where new. We popped on over to Saint Genevieve in West Ave for some quality catch up time. Trying new drinks is sometimes just as exciting as the food and the drinks were really unique. I had a thyme, honey and orange champagne cocktail. My friend had a citrus vodka and lavender drink. We started off with some parmesan guacamole. Who would have thought to put parmesan cheese in guacamole?.... I don't know, but it was delicious! It was served with some super thin and crispy pita chips. The guacamole had a hint of tang from the cheese, but was rich and smooth. Since my friend had been a bit more proactive than I had and read the reviews, we decided to split a lobster empanada and crab cake.

The crab was good, but the lobster empanada won hands down! Don't get me wrong, it wasn't that the crab cake was bad, it was just the lobster was better. The outside was crunchy and the filling was creamy and rich. The crab cake had a nice balance between the crab and the filler, without having too much mayo or being too bland. Either way you can't go wrong, but definitely try the lobster empanada (and order more than one!) Since those were small, I also tried the short rib taquitos. These weren't too heavy and had lots of fresh hers and texture going on. The drizzle of sauce added enough moisture to the taquito without it getting soggy. I heard that their brunch was to die for too, so I will definitely be back. Saint Genevive is a great place to relax and enjoy some unique food and drinks, so be sure to stop by and enjoy their patio and toast to a beautiful day!

Austin's Buried Treasure

While taking in the sights and sounds of Austin with my sister, I was gifted with one of the best restaurant suggestions that I have been given in a while, La Condesa. It's the real Mexican food that you have always wanted...seriously. Situated a short walk from the river, this super trendy place is full of life and food that is beyond words. Since this was a celebration trip, we decided to go for it and do the whole works. Here is the run down of my to die for dinner.

Chips, Salsa, and Guacamole

It started out with four different homemade salsas and one of the best guacamoles I have ever had. The ridiculously smooth texture and the perfect balance of salt made it absolutely delicious. The salsas were a creamy avocado, a habanero and green apple, a smokey red sauce, and a spicier salsa. These were literally dripping with freshness and should be salsa staples. The chips were the perfect thickness, handling the thicker guacamole and the delicate salsas.

Tortilla Soup

I am always a fan of tortilla soup and was very pleasantly surprised that this was not a broth based soup. It was creamy and spicy, with chunks of avocado and chicken. I usually try tortilla soup at most Tex-Mex places I go, and this was the best tortilla soup I have ever had. The freshness of the cilantro tones down the heat, but gives the soup the extra boost of flavor.

Pollo Rostizado Taquitos

Alongside the soup, I had pollo rostizado taquitos, which were small tacos. They had pulled roasted chicken with a citrus rub and salsa verde. These were even more perfect when I added a little bit of guacamole. The queso flameado taquitos were not what I was expecting. There were three corn tortillas served with a bowl of toasty goat cheese and queso mixto. It was almost as good as the Tex-Mex version of queso, but the authenticity made it ten times better.

Dulce de leche

Of course, this meal couldn't be complete without a sinful dessert. Though this one was a bit out of the ordinary, I thought I would give it a try. Dulce de leche is always a delicious dessert, but this one had a sweet corn sauce and was topped with caramel popcorn. Weird combination, I know. But... do not judge it without trying it first. It was a surprisingly magical combination. It was a melt in your mouth cake served with a cream cheese ice cream. The ice cream had a true cream cheese flavor and cut through the sweetness of the cake. The popcorn powder added crunch to the dessert and the perfect amount of savory to cut through the super sweet cake. 

This was one of the best Mexican restaurants I have been to and my sister said it made it on her top 10 restaurant list. This says a lot because she has been to quite a few restaurant around the world. If you live in the Austin area or visit Austin frequently, this is an absolute must the next time you are there! If you have been there, let me know what your favorites were or your favorite Austin restaurant.