Double Dipping
- Andrew
- Jul 10, 2024
- 6 min read
Updated: May 1
Classic guacamole and creamy cheesy chickpeas are just two easy to make recipes you can make in less than an hour. One cold and one hot. Both are perfect for almost any table. Grab some chips or carrot sticks and scoop away!
Every time I make anything with cilantro, I take a moment to be grateful that I get to enjoy it. Unless you have that gene that makes cilantro taste like soap, you can never go wrong with guacamole. It’s a fact. Take a quick look at those cookbooks you own, and there is a good chance you will find a recipe for guacamole. It’s a classic for a reason. Store-bought is fine, but homemade guacamole is so much more delicious, I can’t find a reason not to make it myself. If that isn’t reason enough, guacamole is also incredibly easy to make.
When Lisa and I were looking at recipes, she noted that if we were going to make guacamole, we might as well make it a party and make a hot dip alongside the cold one. We enjoyed the next dip, cheesy and creamy chickpeas a couple of months ago when I picked up Make This Tonight: Recipes to Get Dinner on the Table, and we had all the ingredients in our pantry and fridge. We knew it was going to be good when we pulled it from the oven, and it was bubbling and crispy along the sides. It’s also amazing how deep the flavor is, considering the humble ingredients. I think something magical happened when I combined some cream cheese with a drained and rinsed can of chickpeas. I can’t say which of us thought to add this dip, but it took a nanosecond of consideration to decide on its inclusion.
If you plan on making both dips at the same time, make the guacamole first. I say this because anyone who has made homemade guacamole will tell you it gets better with a bit of time in the fridge. Don’t worry, from prep to fridge shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes.
WHAT IS CLASSIC GUACAMOLE?
What exactly is guacamole? There really aren’t any other dips or, let’s face it, condiments like it. Let’s get into it. This all may come as obvious, but it’s good to examine for no other reason than I consider guacamole to be a perfect balance of flavor. Please note, I’m not going to go crazy deep and talk about the rich history of avocados and their immense importance to the food world. You can go down that rabbit hole yourself, and if you’re a curious person like me, I highly recommend that you do.
Avocados are unique. They are fleshy, custardy, sweet, vegetal and a perfect vehicle for launching dips and spreads. Nothing tastes like them, and when they are just ripe, making a chunky guac sounds like heaven to me. You also need to add cilantro, sometimes called fresh coriander. As I mentioned earlier, some people have a genetic issue of the plant tasting like soap, famously, Julia Child was one of these unfortunate souls. I truly am sorry if you are one of these people. Finally, the other two mandatory ingredients are onion – I prefer white onion, and lime juice. Optional, and commonly added ingredients also include hot chilis, such as Jalapeño, tomatoes, and garlic. I’m adding tomato for a little extra acidity and flavor. You can use it, and you should, on tacos, burritos, burgers, salads, and just about anything else that could use a little extra something. My favorite lately is to add a scoop to BLTs
HOW TO MAKE CHUNKY GUACAMOLE
Having established the main components of guacamole, let's look at the steps I followed to prepare this Chunky Guacamole, inspired by Rick Bayless and his recipe from the book Authentic Mexican.
Dice and chop. In any order you like, dice the onion and tomato and rough chop the cilantro. Try and get the dice of the onion and tomato to be about the same size. This, believe it or not, is the hardest part of the whole recipe. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over top, and move on to the avocados.
Scoop those avocados. I recommend using two medium-sized Hass avocados, which are readily available at most grocery stores, for serving 2-4 people, or just me. To check for ripeness, gently press the rounded end of the avocado, as it is the last part to ripen. If it yields slightly to pressure but remains firm, it is ready to be sliced. Proceed by cutting open the avocado, removing the seed, and scooping the flesh into a medium-sized bowl.
Prepare the guacamole. Mash the avocados in a bowl with either a potato masher or, if the avocados are soft enough, the back of a spoon. Then, add the juice of one lime, the onion, cilantro, tomato, another pinch of salt, and a few twists of pepper. Mix with a spoon, trying to avoid mashing the tomato too much.
Wrap it up. Wrap your chunky goodness with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least an hour. I prefer my guac cold, but feel free to serve it however you like.
Can you believe it? How can something so easy to make be so darn good? This sentiment, I promise you, will come to mind if this is the first time you’ve made guacamole. I also think making guacamole is a great way to get over recipe timidness. Maybe you’ll branch out, start experimenting, make different variations of recipes, and sometimes use your gut instinct, substitute ingredients and techniques you’ve learned. Sooner or later, you may find yourself staying up way too late, reading about the history of Mexico and how the avocado has impacted world history. Who knows? One thing is for sure, you’ll look at store-bought guacamole in a whole different light.
WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH A BORING CAN OF CHICKPEAS?
I was debating whether I should call chickpeas boring, but let’s face facts, chickpeas, by themselves, are pretty much screaming for help. Don’t get me wrong. I really like chickpeas or garbanzo beans - I just looked it up, and they’re the same thing. I love them in hummus, falafel, curries, and as a part of salads. They are super healthy and easy to work with. They just aren’t in a lot of Western cooking, so it isn’t immediate that I look at them for inspiration. As weird as it may sound, you should approach them as you might potatoes. After all, you could rattle off a dozen awesome potato dishes without thinking too hard. They are just a blank canvas, waiting to carry the spices and flavors you throw at them. And they also do well in many methods of cooking from deep frying to braising. So, instead of looking at those boring chickpeas, get excited. This cheesy dip is likely to blow you away.
HOW TO MAKE CHEESY, CREAMY CHICKPEAS
Remember when I said to make the guacamole first? Well, this one takes a little bit longer, but not too much. I did promise that you’d be done with both in about an hour. Prepping the ingredients is honestly the hardest part. And you’ll be happy to know that the extra onion you diced can be used here.
Begin by preheating the oven and heating your pan. Start by preheating the oven to 400°F and warming up a 10 or 12-inch oven-safe pan over medium heat. Since our induction stovetop tends to get very hot, we opted for medium-low heat to cook the onions in melted butter to prevent burning. This process usually takes around 5 minutes. It's okay if the onions get a bit of color, but burnt onions can spoil the entire dish. Remember to season with salt and pepper, add the minced garlic, and proceed to the next step.
Cook the other ingredients. Once the garlic is fragrant, in our case in just about 15 seconds, add the mustard, cayenne, horseradish, and flour. Cook the rawness out of the flour while you enjoy how amazing this dip is already shaping up to be. Add the chickpeas and your preferred stock. Use veggie stock if you want to keep it vegetarian. Cook until the chickpeas start to show signs of falling apart, 5-10 minutes. You will likely need to add more liquid during this step as it will reduce down quickly. We had to add about a half cup of water. Don’t forget to deglaze while you do this as you may notice a fond building up.
Cheese! Using the back of a wooden spoon, mash approximately one-third of the chickpeas. Next, incorporate the cream cheese until well combined, followed by the addition of shredded Monterey Jack. Season with salt and pepper once more.
More cheese, please! We have two cute cast iron pans that we've owned for some time, so we split the dip between them. If you prefer, you can simply leave the dip in the same pan. Now, evenly sprinkle the parmesan cheese over the dip and place it in the oven. After around 15 minutes, remove it and admire your bubbling masterpiece. While it's still bubbling, add some red chili flakes and a handful of chopped parsley.
What more can I say about this one? The flavor is deep and complex, but not unfamiliar. It’s rich, but not heavy. Lisa and I both agree that the best way to eat it is with pita chips. But, use what you have. Next time I think we’ll try adding more herbs and spices, but we’ll definitely keep that boring can of chickpeas.
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