Avocado Tomatillo Salsa with Baked Seeded Tortilla Chips

Around our house football has rarely been something that is ever turned on.  The hubs is so busy with skydiving, BASE jumping, tunnel flying and tuning in to the Supercross series and X Games, etc. that there hasn't really been room in our lives for football.

Interestingly enough, for some reason, this past year he has been really into it. Go figure.

The fun part of that for me is that it means we have actually invited a few friends over to watch the Superbowl next Sunday. 

Which means I get to plan party food!

I have made this smooth, guacamole like dip a few times now and it can be somewhat dangerous to have on hand.  In fact, I admit a bowl of this with some chips has been my lunch or dinner more than once lately.

For a healthier, fun and crunchy alternative to regular dip chips you can make these baked flour tortilla strips that are laden with flax seeds, sesame seeds and poppy seeds.  The kids actually really loved them because they were so different and crunchy.

I like my dips to be more on the smooth side than the chunky side, possibly because then the kids don't worry so much about what they are getting with each scoop and eat it that much easier without all the usual, "what's this Mom?" inquiries that usually result.

It also means making the dip is that much easier because most of the prep work is done in the food processor.  You don't have to chop anything up terribly well or uniformly.

That said, if you prefer a chunky dip, feel free to do the prep by hand and just gently toss/stir everything together.

Enjoy, and happy game day!

Tomatillo Avocado Salsa

Makes approximately 3 ½ cups

Printable Version

7 oz tomatillos, husked and rinsed (depending on size, 4 to 7 tomatillos)

1/2 small red onion, chopped coarsely 

2 fresh Serrano chiles, seeded and chopped* (or more if you like it really spicy)

1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 large clove garlic

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)

juice of 1 large fresh lime

2 to 3 large avocados (about 1 lb) (pitted, peeled and sliced just before adding to the mixture)

1/2 cup sour cream (optional)

Preheat the broiler with a rack about 4 to 5 inches from the heat.  Place the husked and rinsed tomatillos in a heat proof shallow baking dish (a glass Pyrex pie plate is perfect for this).  Char the tomatillos under the broiler for 8 to 10 minutes, use tongs to turn them over and broil the other side until charred, about 5 more minutes.

*Note – when handling chiles you should always work with rubber gloves to avoid getting the oils on your skin.

Put the onion, chiles, cilantro, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin and the charred tomatillos in the bowl of your food processor or in a blender and process until smooth.  Add the avocado and lime juice to the mixture in the food processor and pulse several times to combine and smooth the mixture to your desired consistency. Fold in the sour cream if using (if the chiles are a little too spicy, this will cut the heat).

Serve slightly chilled or at room temperature with chips.  Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Seeded Baked Tortilla Chips

Makes approximately 32 chips

2 tablespoons flax seeds

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

4 10 to 12 inch flour tortillas

1 large egg, beaten with 2 tablespoons cold water and 1 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and set the racks in the upper- and lower-middle levels.  In a small bowl, beat the egg with the water and salt.  Place two tortillas each on the baking sheets and brush them lightly with the egg mixture.  In a small bowl, stir the seeds together.  Sprinkle the seeds generously over the brushed tortillas.  Using a pizza cutter, cut the tortillas into triangle pieces (about 16 pieces each, or smaller if you want).  Bake the chips in the oven for 10 minutes, then switch the position of the trays and continue to bake until the tortillas are crisp and lightly golden – about another 5 to 7 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow them to cool before removing from the pans.

Adapted from The 150 Best American Recipes, by Fran McCullough & Molly Stevens