Grilled Tortilla Chips and Grilled Tomatillo Guacamole

Prep time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 6 minutes | Total time: 26 minutes

Yield: 8 servings

INGREDIENTS:

Grilled Tortilla Chips:

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon chile powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 soft taco-sized corn or flour tortillas

Grilled Tomatillo Guacamole:

• 2 tomatillos
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 ripe medium avocados, halved, seeded and peeled
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

For the Grilled Tortilla Chips:

1. Preheat the panini grill to high heat.
2. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, chile powder, garlic powder and salt.
3. With a pizza cutter or a sharp knife, divide each tortilla into 8 equal triangles. Brush each triangle with the seasoned oil on both sides – be sure all those good seasonings make it onto the chip.
4. Grill the triangles, with the lid closed completely, until they’re browned and crisped, about 90 seconds for flour tortillas or 2 minutes for corn tortillas. Serve them warm or at room temperature.

For the Grilled Tomatillo Guacamole:

1. Preheat the panini grill to high heat.
2. Slice the tomatillos in half and drizzle olive oil on the cut sides. Place the tomatillos on the grill, cut side down, and close the lid so that it’s resting on the tomatillos without pressing them. Grill the tomatillos until they’re softened with grill marks, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Transfer the tomatillos to a cutting board, chop them and add them to a large bowl.
4. Add all of the remaining ingredients to the bowl and mash it all together with a fork until it’s combined to a uniform, but still chunky, consistency.
5. Serve the guacamole with tortilla chips.