Italian-Inspired Guacamole

Photo Credit: (Instagram & Twitter) - @ChiJayhawk

When in the kitchen, reinventing old classics is one of my favorite things to do. There's something about bringing your own creativity to the table and putting your signature on a dish to make it unique and unlike anything others have made or tasted before. 

Guacamole is one of my trademark dishes. Traditional guacamole includes: avocado, tomato, Serrano peppers, red onion, cilantro, fresh lime juice, salt and pepper. I add fresh garlic and pomegranate seeds to give it that extra flair. After making my version of "traditional" guacamole over and over again, one day, I became inspired to try something new and "keep things interesting". I thought, why not make an Italian-inspired version of this classic dip? What would it taste like with basil, instead of cilantro? Let's find out. 

It's very important to follow the instructions and measure out exact amounts of each ingredient when baking. However, when cooking, I typically go by taste, rather than recipe. I make what I want to in that moment, so, when you create your work of food art from my blog, I encourage you to make it your own and add your own personal touch.

Ingredients:

2 Small Avocados

2-3 Tablespoons of Fresh Garlic/Onion/Shallot Mixture

Small Dash of White Horseradish

1-2 Roma Tomatoes

5 Basil Leaves

5 Drops of White Truffle Oil

1/4 Cup Creamy Toscano Cheese (can substitute for cheese of choice)

1 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

1 Package Parmesan Crisps (can substitute for croutons)

1/2 Lemon

Kosher Salt & Pepper to taste

Balsamic Glaze

Servings: 2

Directions: 

Mash up the avocados to a consistency that's chunky, rather than smooth. 

In a separate dish, after dicing up the garlic, onion and shallots, combine the three ingredients, along with a small dash of white horseradish and 5 drops of white truffle oil. 

Mix together with the avocados, then add diced up tomatoes, 4 finely chopped basil leaves, diced cheese, red pepper flakes and squeeze some of the lemon. 

Take 1-2 crisps and mash up into the dip. Remember that the Parmesan crisps are to add a crunchy texture to the creamy dip, so you won't want to make breadcrumbs out of them. 

At this point, taste and season to your liking. Plate and drizzle with balsamic glaze and 1 basil leaf. 

Enjoy!