Nachos

I am always running late. Always.

I could claim it’s not my fault, but really it is.  At the least, my punctuality problem is rooted not in laziness or lack of ambition, but rather in its excess.  Dinner in an hour?  Surely I have time for an abbreviated workout.  Poker at 7:30?  I can read one more case before I need to leave.  Meeting friends soon?  Let me start another blog entry.

Which is exactly what happened on Superbowl Sunday.

One of my friends was hosting a party for the Superbowl and I thought these nachos would make the perfect appetizer.  So, naturally, I began making lasagna – an hours-long endeavor.  With the game-time fast approaching, and my lasagna only just starting to cool, I resigned myself to showing up empty-handed.

For anyone else with that spare bag of chips, this is the perfect recipe.

Nachos, incidentally, are named for Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Anaya, who invented the snack in 1943, in a restaurant in Piedras Negras, along the Rio Grande.  Needing to feed a group of Americans just as the chef had stepped out, Anaya threw together some chips, cheese, and jalapenos, and stuck the mix under the broiler.  Nachos were born.

Nachos

PREP TIME: 15 minutes
COOK TIME: 3 minutes

WHAT TO GRAB:
1 bag of Tortilla chips
1 cup chopped tomatoes
3 scallions, white and green parts finely chopped
2 tablespoons pickled jalapeno slices, drained and chopped
1 to 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 avocado, diced
1 tablespoon cilantro, diced
Sour cream to serve

HOW YOU DO IT:

1.  Preheat your broiler to high heat.

2.  In a large heat-proof platter, spread the chips evenly, and sprinkle with the tomatoes, scallions, jalapenos, and cheese. Stacking the chips will give you toasted chips instead of nachos.

3.  Broil for about 3 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.  Sprinkle with the avocado and cilantro.

4.  For presentation points, remove the chips to a separate serving platter, and spread the chips around the sour cream.