Nachos and Guacamole

On my March 16 post about wheat free meals for kids, Wendy made a comment about nachos being her son's favorite dish.  I have found that Mexican food in general is a good bet for those eating wheat free -- corn tortillas can be substituted quite successfully for flour tortillas in recipes and restaurants too (just ask your server).  And what restaurants have been doing with nachos is nothing short of amazing!  Gone are the days of just chips and cheese (unless you're at the State Fair, of course).  Nachos have become an entire meal!  So I decided to put together some nachos to give you some ideas, and then you can cut loose and get all creative with your own nachos using your favorite ingredients (or whatever your kids will eat :).

Before I give you the ideas, though, have you seen these chips in your area?  They are wonderful -- addictive even!  And best of all, they're gluten free!  See the little GF symbol in the lower left-hand corner of the bag?  Try them, I think you'll be hooked too. 

Nachos

Chips -- Tortilla Chips, Fritos, or the Multigrain chips above
Meat -- shredded beef, shredded chicken, or browned hamburger with spices of your choice
Beans -- pinto and black are what restaurants usually use but don't let that limit you, drained and rinsed well
Sliced green onions
Sliced olives
Chopped tomatoes
Diced avocados
Any other chopped up veggies you and/or your kids like
Shredded cheese, cheddar usually, but other melting cheeses would be good too
Sour cream, if you like it, on the side or on top after melting the cheese

Stack it up and microwave until the cheese melts.

For the nachos above I used the multigrain chips, shredded beef (from leftover pot roast), sliced green onions, black beans, sliced olives, chopped tomatoes, diced avocado and shredded cheddar cheese, with a dollop of sour cream on the side.  Yummy!

I thought I'd also include in this post my mom's recipe for guacamole, which I think is the best I've ever tasted (of course, I may be prejudiced).

Mom's Guacamole

2 ripe avocados

1/2 small onion, very finely chopped

2 medium tomatoes, diced

2 Tbsp lemon juice or more to taste

salt and pepper to taste

6-8 drops Tabasco Sauce or more to desired heat

Thoroughly mash avocados; add at least 2 Tbsp lemon juice -- the lemon juice keeps the avocados from turning dark and also adds flavor.  Stir in the chopped onion and tomatoes.  Add salt, pepper and Tabasco to taste.  Serve with tortilla chips.

OK, that's the original recipe.  Now for my tweaks (I can't help myself!)  My mom likes lots of onion in hers -- hence the 1/2 small onion.  Me, not so much.  So I usually substitute two green onions, white and green parts, finely chopped.

Then, because I like the avocado chunkier, I just mash it gently, not thoroughly, using a potato masher.  And because I like the flavor of the Tabasco, but not all the heat, I throw in some Cholula Hot Sauce first (it's not as hot and very flavorful), and then add the Tabasco a little at a time until it gets to the heat I like.

So there you have it!  It's yummy and will disappear fast!  If you have any left over, be sure you put the plastic wrap directly on top of the guacamole to keep the air from darkening the avocados while storing in your refrigerator.  Enjoy!