GUACAMOLE (2 banana difficulty)

It's summertime and Guacamole is oh so good and goes with oh so many things.  Every monkey should know how to make fresh guacamole from scratch since it is easy stuff.  Today, 'This Monkey' will show you how to make fresh guacamole!

WHAT YOU NEED:
1 Medium Onion (preferable white)
1 Large Green Pepper (or 2 Jalapenos if you like some spice in your life)
3 Garlic Cloves (peeled)
2 Medium Tomatoes (firm & ripe)
3 Large or 4 Medium Avocados (ie Hass)
4 T Cilantro (chopped)
Fresh Lime Juice from 2 Limes
1 t Kosher salt or to taste
1/2 t Sriracha Sauce or to taste

WHAT ELSE YOU NEED:
Medium Mixing Bowl
Food Processor (mini FP works well)
Chef's Knife skills
Fork & Spoon

WHAT YOU DO: (using a mini FP)
1.  Cut Onions & Peppers in 2" pieces, then cut into 1/4" pieces in food processor by pulsating for 1 sec, 10-15 times.  Then scoop into your Medium Bowl

2.  Peel the Garlic, place in food processor & pulsate in 1 sec bursts until minced, about 10-15 times.  Scoop into Medium Bowl.
3.  Repeat Step 1 using your Tomatoes.
4.  Using a knife carefully cut your avocados in 1/2 lengthwise & remove the pits with your spoon.
5.  Gently score your avocado meat like a tic tac toe board being mindful not to cut into the outer skin.
6.  Using your spoon, scoop out the avocado meat into the medium bowl.  Discard or Compost the Avocado skin.

7.  With your Fork (or a potato masher), mash together the avocado with the everything in your bowl.

8.  Add the chopped Cilantro (can be done in the mini FP in 1 sec bursts), Lime Juice, Kosher Salt, & Sriracha Sauce (optional) & mix thoroughly.

9.  Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator with plastic wrap placed directly on the guacamole to reduce browning.
10.  Enjoy!!

Making Guacamole is a bit like making pesto.  You follow the basic guidelines, but add your own touches.  In the above I left out the tomatoes because I didn't have any.  I like the taste of cilantro and lime juice so I emphasize those flavors.  I also like a bit of spiciness so that's where the Sriracha sauce makes an appearance.  I had some Bell Peppers in my garden so that was my pepper choice, otherwise it would have been Jalapeno! 

See, 'anymonkeycan' make great Guacamole because this one just did!!

Gourmet Grown up Grilled Cheese (1-2 Banana difficulty)

Grilled Cheese or Toasted Cheese?  I grew up calling it "Toasted Cheese" but it's really not "Toasted."  It seems like most people call it "Grilled Cheese", but it's not grilled either...I'm going to go with "Grilled Cheese" because "Gourmet Grown up Grilled Cheese" sounds much better than "Gourmet Grown up Toasted Cheese"!

I loved Toasted...I mean Grilled Cheese Sandwiches when I was a kid...I mean a little monkey.  I especially loved dipping it in Tomato Soup.  Wow!  What a treat!  Well, grown up tastes call for a "Grown Up Grilled Cheese Sandwich."  That's what 'this monkey' is going to show you how to do today.

WHAT YOU NEED:
Bread (sliced), of course!  Your call on the type, I recommend some fancy artisan bread, preferable homemade.  (I'm using homemade whole wheat)
Cheese (thinly sliced), of course!  Your call on this also, however I recommend avoiding Kraft singles...unless you are going for a retro vibe.  (I'm using Mozzarella, Asiago Stella, White Cheddar)
Butter 2-3 T


OPTIONAL NEEDS:

Sauteed Peppers, Avocado, Arugula, Spinach etc.

WHAT YOU DO:

1.  Set out the butter & prepare the "optional needs" (spinach, peppers etc)

2.  Melt 1 T butter in skillet over Medium High heat

3.  Place the "Bottom" slice of bread in the melted butter & begin building your sandwich

4.  Add the top slice of bread to your sandwich

5.  After a total of 2-3 min from when you put the bottom slice in the butter, it's probably time to carefully flip your sandwich over.  So check to make sure your bread is a nicely browned.  If it is, then add about 1 T of butter to the pan, let it melt, then flip the sandwich over to cook the other side.

6.  Cook for another 1-2 min until that side is nicely browned.



Mozzarella with Spinach & Avocado



Arugula with Peppers & Avocado

7.  Enjoy your sandwich(es)!

: (

So, this isn't the healthiest of recipes...well it's not really healthy at all with the butter and cheese, but at least you can put a little spinach it it which is better than when you were a kid.  It's great to feel like a kid again though!

Well, give it a go!  It's pretty simple stuff because 'anymonkeycan' make a Gourmet Grown up Grilled Cheese sandwich!

Roasting Peppers (1 banana difficulty)

If you have an open flame (grill or gas stove top), then you really should be roasting peppers.  Heck, you can even roast them in your electric range oven at 375 deg if needed!  It is a pretty easy technique and a good change up from always sauteing your peppers.  The basic goal is to purposefully char the skin of the pepper.  Seriously, anymonkeycan do that!  Here's how:

 WHAT YOU NEED:

Red/Yellow/Green Bell Peppers, Poblano Peppers, or any other larger Pepper
(I think Red and Yellow Bell Peppers work best)
Fire

HOW YOU DO IT:

1.  Rinse the Peppers with water, then dry thoroughly.
2.  Turn you grill/gas stove top burner to at least medium-high and place the pepper directly above the flame until the skin is mostly charred (about 5 min depending on the heat of your flame)
3.  Rotate the pepper at least 90 deg & cook until that side is mostly charred
4.  Repeat step 3 until ALL sides of the pepper are mostly charred
5.  Place the peppers in a bowl covered with plastic wrap or a zip lock bag for 20 min.  This will loosen the skin and allow the pepper to cool.

6.  Grab the stem of the pepper and gently using a knife or your fingers, peel away and discard the charred skin.

(Before and after peeling away the charred skin)

7.  After the skin has been removed, cut and discard the stem and seeds.

There you go!  What's left is a sweet, deliciously roasted pepper that can be added to rice and pasta dishes instead of sauteed peppers.  Anymonkeycan roast peppers!!