Guacos (Guacamole Tacos)

Fooduzzi was always a figment of my imagination. “How cool would it be to have my own blog?” is what ran through my head as I poured over pages and pages of Oh She Glows, How Sweet It Is, Sally’s Baking Addiction, & Edible Perspective. Getting to write about something you’re passionate about? And having people actually read it? It all sounded too good to be true.

Although I’m in school for a technology-driven major, I didn’t know the first thing about how to go about hosting my site or designing a theme. Although Fooduzzi was always an idea, it just never seemed like a possibility for me.

Enter: my friend, Mark.

Mark and I attend the same college, and we met through mutual classes. He’s a total brain – he actually built me this beautiful blog with his very own technology-savvy hands. He’s the kind of person you didn’t think lived outside of Disney movies; his positivity and kindness is almost infectious.

Another thing about Mark – he was newly vegan when I first met him. Actually, the first time I cooked for him, I decided upon a simple veggie stir-fry with brown rice. When I showed up, he said something along the lines of, “I’m really glad this is what you chose to cook because I’m a vegan.” While a warning prior to spending $30 on groceries would have been most welcomed, I took this as proof of the beginnings of a beautiful friendship.

We recently went to one of my favorite restaurants, Verde, which is a fresh and inventive Mexican restaurant in Pittsburgh. They have the most sinfully delicious guacamole and chips – While I could seriously eat the entire appetizer myself, I’m always happy to share it with someone like Mark.

Chips and dip are great, but I’m not a huge fan of the fried component of the duo. As a firm believer that tacos should never be served in a “hard shell,” these Guacamole Tacos were born as a way to get my guacamole and chips fix without the added calories and fat. A healthy play on guacamole and chips? Now, that’s an idea I can definitely get behind.

We’re making guacamole today, folks! And no, you don’t have to pay extra for this stuff. I’m not a huge fan of junked-up guacamole, as I believe the standard guac ingredients like avocado, tomatoes, cilantro, jalapeño, lime, and salt speaks to the beautiful simplicity of the dish. Woah-oh-oh it’s magic as the fatty creaminess of the avocado is balanced with the zip of the lime and salt, the tomatoes and onion amplify the sweetness, the jalapeño adds some needed heat, and the cilantro brings a wonderful herbiness to the green party. I’m telling you, guacamole may just be the world’s most perfect food.

Now, for the vessel. I chose to serve these tacos with corn tortillas. The only ingredients in these tortillas should be corn and water. There are so many corn tortilla imposters out there, pretending to be all healthy and gluten free. Those phonies are nunyabusiness. You’ll truly be getting the best flavor out of the tortillas when these two simple flavors are doing all the talking.

Last, tacos always need some toppings. I love topping these tacos with some protein-filled chickpeas and some crunchy kale chips. Yes, hipster food at its finest. Chickpeas are the perfect cooling counterpart to our spice in the guacamole. And the kale chips…Kale chips add that beloved crunch we removed via those fried chips. Texture = <3

Creamy avocado, subtle spiciness, crunchy kale chips – I’m telling you: Guacos will become your newest obsession. So bring a little flava to your life via these Guacos, and be sure to share them with a friend. After dubbing them of their name, Mark happily gobbled them down.