Chips, Smoky Salsa & Guacamole

Serves 4

Hot off the heels of my new obsession of making my own tortilla chips, I wanted to share with you my recipes for smoky salsa and tangy guacamole. The combination makes the most perfect of trios and is always a massive crowd pleaser.  Made with lovely fresh ingredients, I use the salsa and guac for tacos, nachos or just simply as a dip for crudités too.

But I have a dirty hidden secret that all Mexican food lovers would pour scorn on me for – I don’t like coriander.  I think it tastes like I have a bar of soap in my mouth and I can sniff out even the faintest whiff of coriander in any meal.  So in light of this, I use fresh basil in my salsa and it works a treat.  But of course, if you are all about authenticity and don’t wince at the thought of coriander, then by all means, swap the basil for it and enjoy!

Another food I don’t particularly like the taste of is spirulina – in fact, I’m yet to actually meet someone who actively likes the taste!  But since I’m all about maximizing the nutritional content of my food without compromising on taste, I thought I’d experiment by adding a little bit to the guacamole and honestly, you just can’t taste it!  It adds a gorgeous green hue to the dip as well as a nutritional boost.  Of course, this step is completely optional, but it’s always good to have an option to pimp your dip up even more in my eyes!

Making your own tortilla chips are also entirely optional but very much recommended. It is so easy and I find them much more delicious than a store bought pack.  I simply cut up my favourite high fibre wholegrain wraps, brush them with a little olive oil and pop them in the oven to get golden and crispy.  The combination of the slightly spicy and smoky salsa coupled with the creamy guacamole and warm tortilla chips really makes the perfect pre-dinner nibble for a summer BBQ that everyone will enjoy.

INGREDIENTS

For the Salsa

·     200g Cherry Tomatoes
·     75g Sundried Tomatoes
·     Handful of fresh Basil (or Coriander if you are that way inclined)
·     1 tsp Smoked Paprika
·     1 tsp Fresh Chilli or dried Chilli Flakes (I like Chipotle chilli to add to the smoky taste)
·     ¼ of a raw Red Onion
·     Salt & Fresh Pepper to taste 

For the Guacamole

·     2 Avocados
·     Juice and zest from 2 Limes
·    1 tsp Spirulina
·     Big handful of chopped fresh herbs (I like to use a Dill & Chive combo but Coriander is typically used) 
·     10 Spring onions (finely chopped)
·     Salt & fresh Pepper to taste 
·     Optional - A handful of chopped Cherry Tomatoes

For the Tortilla Chips

·     4 Wholegrain Wraps
·     A little oil to brush 

METHOD

For the Salsa

·      Pulse all of the ingredients in a high-speed blender but be careful not to over blitz because you still want some texture to the salsa.

For the guacamole

·     Mash the avocado into a bowl and finely chop the herbs, spring onions and tomatoes, if using.
·     Zest and juice the limes.
·     Combine all of the remaining ingredients and mix well.

For the tortilla chips

·     Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees.
·      Slice the wraps into triangles and place them on a parchment lined roasting tray.
·      Brush with a little olive oil and popped them in the oven to get golden and crispy.