It’s Memorial Day, which is always a good time for gathering with family and friends to celebrate freedom and enjoy some good food. In Arkansas it’s already in the 90s, so firing up the kitchen is just too much. Let’s take it outside.
Here’s a quick cook grilling meal that is vegetarian-friendly. To keep it quick, we used store-bought vegetarian black bean burgers, but dressed them up with fresh homemade guacamole and grilled corn served Oaxacan style, with salty Cotija cheese, cool sour cream, tart lime juice, chopped cilantro and a Mexican-flavored spice mix (I use Penzey’s Arizona Dreaming).
Here’s a link to the recipe for Oaxacan Street-Style Grilled Corn. The guacamole recipe is below.
As an Arkansas touch, we served the burgers with McClard’s Bar-B-Que sauce. McClard’s has been operating in Hot Springs, Arkansas since 1928, when the owners received the BBQ sauce recipe from a traveler who was unable to pay his $10 tab for a two-month stay at the Westside Tourist Court. The owners Alex and Gladys McClard loved the sauce, and ended up changing their business’s name to McClard’s Bar-B-Que. Arkansas history was made.
- 1 avocado
- 2 T diced tomato, with seeds removed
- Fresh chopped cilantro (we grow this in our garden. It's very easy to grow, and grows quickly. You can pick up seeds at the garden store)
- Fresh squeezed lime juice (from ¼ of a lime)
- Salt
- Fresh ground pepper
- Cut the avocado in half. Carefully whack the pit with a knife, and twist the knife to dislodge the pit. Use a spoon to scoop the avocado into a bowl.
- Add in the diced tomato, the chopped cilantro and the lime juice, and stir well. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. You could use smoked salt if you have it.
- Check the seasoning, and adjust with more lime juice, cilantro and salt and pepper as necessary.
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