Deb Lindsey For The Washington Post / Getty Images
Football fans all over the world are getting ready for one of the most important sports events of the year: the Super Bowl. Sure, this Super Bowl is going to look very different since we should all be watching the game from home. But we should still be able to treat ourselves to the awesome snacks that come with the game, even if you’re not a legit sports fan.
The biggest party of the National Football League will take place this Sundayin Tampa Bay, home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This year has promised an unforgettable event that will feature The Weeknd performing for the game’s half-time show..
Of course, avocados are the official food of the Super Bowl but – as our tias taught us – there’s so much more to them than guacamole. Here are seven mouthwatering alternatives to guacamole to put those decadent avocados to good use.
Avocado Hummus Dip
Can’t choose between hummus or guacamole? Try this delicious mash-up of the two. Get the recipe here.
Cheesy Stuffed and Baked Aguacate
This is some superior stuffing technique, people. And if you haven’t tried cooked avocado before, trust us: You’re in for a treat.
Avocado Mac-n-Cheese
Mmm… Cheese is delightfully creamy, avocados are delightfully creamy — it sounds like a match made in heaven to me!
Baked Avocado Fries
With a crunchy, crispy coating and a mouthwatering, tender inside, these fries will have you coming back for more. And more. And more…
Avocado Banana Horchata-Style Smoothie
Credit: Aguacates Frescos – Saborea Uno Hoy
A twist on a traditional drink, avocados and bananas give this horchata a boost of fruit flavor and more health benefits, including a good source of fiber and calcium. Adding fresh avocados to smoothies is a great way to help the family — from kids to aging parents — get more nutrient-dense foods in their daily diet.
I can literally talk food until my babas drip. Don’t judge. The comelón life chose me and I’m not mad at it. Because growing up Latino meant breakfast wasn’t always cereal, and dinner wasn’t always mac and cheese. I grew up con más sabor en mis platillos than most Americans. And, at the time, I didn’t even realize that many of the foods my family was trying to get me to eat were ancestral foods. From chocolate to cocoa and chia to nopalitos, I blame los ancestros for my obsession with food and all the glorious ingredients that have been passed down for generations.
My knees already feel weak, fam, because today I’m gonna be talking nopalitos. Ya me estoy chupando los dedos, thinking back to how I grew up with these babies always in the refri in that Nopalitos jar, ready to be thrown into a sauce or encima de una carne asada. It turns out this soul-feeding food is one of the OG ancestral foods that have been used by our people for thousands of years. Ahí les va un poco de historia:
The Mexica introduced the world to the “fruit of the Earth.”
In Náhuatl, the word for nopal translates to “fruit of the Earth.” I don’t know what the Náhuatl word for “bomb-delicioso” is, but in my opinion, that should also be the name for nopales. And the Aztecs must have felt this way too because one of the most famous cities in the Aztec Empire – Tenochtitlán, the empire’s religious center – was named “prickly pear on a rock.” Iconic.
According to legend, the city was built after an Azteca priest spotted an eagle perched on a nopal plant, carrying a snake in its mouth. The priest, obviously extremadamente blown away by this, ran back to his village just so he could gather everyone to check out this crazy eagle with a snake in its mouth. As they watched, the cactus beneath the eagle grew into an island – eventually becoming Tenochtitlán. I’ll give you 3 seconds to just process that. 1…2…3. Please take more time if you need it. The image of the eagle carrying a snake, its golden talons perched on a nopal growing from a rock, can now be found on the Mexican flag.
Today, we know that the Mexica were right to call nopales the plant of life.
In Mexico, it’s still common to place a handful of nopal flowers in a bath to help relax achy muscles. And nopales are becoming more popular than ever in beauty treatments to help fight aging. But, y’all are too beautiful to be needing them for that, so let’s talk about what’s important — eating them.
There are so many ways you can mix this iconic ingredient into your meals.
We should all be eating our green foods. Your tía, your abuela, your primo, everyone…except your ex. Your ex can eat basura. I said what I said. But, nopalitos are especially important. These tenacious desert plants can be eaten raw, sautéed, pickled, grilled – they’re even used as pizza toppings. Though for some people, nopales – with their spines and texture – can be intimidating. After cutting off the spines and edges, and cutting them into slices, they will bleed a clear slime. But boiling for 20 minutes will take care of that. Or make it even easier on yourself and avoid espinas by buying them all ready-to-go from the brand we all know and love, DOÑA MARIA® Nopalitos.
Check it out, I’m even gonna hook it up with that good-good, because if you’re looking for ways to enjoy your nopales, I got’chu with some starter links to recipes: Hibiscus and Nopal Tacos, Nopal Tostadas, Roasted Nopales con Mole, and Lentil Soup con Nopales. One of my personal favorite ways to eat them is in a beautiful Cactus Salad, full of color and flavor. Trust. I rate these dishes 10 out of 10, guaranteed to make your babas drip, and when you eat this ensalada de nopalitos, you will remember even your ancestors were dripping babas over this waaay before it was cool to eat plant-based foods.
So let’s give the poderoso nopal the spotlight it deserves by adding it to our shopping lists more often.
Rich in history, mythology, and practical uses, the nopal’s enduring popularity is a testament to its versatility. It’s time to give this classic ingredient the respect it deserves and recognize just how chingon our ancestors are for making nopales fire before plantbase foods were even trending.
Next time you’re at the supermercado, do your ancestors proud and add nopales to your shopping cart by picking up a jar of DOÑA MARIA® Nopalitos. This easy-to-use food will definitely give you a major boost of pride in your roots. Viva los nopalitos bay-beh!
Mariah Carey continues to show us that it’s her world and we’re just living in it. The Songbird Supreme has never been shy about standing up for what she believes in, now matter how salty her critics can get.
On Sunday, when the rest of America was glued to their TV screens watching the Super Bowl, Mariah Carey tweeted out: “Happy Colin Kaepernick Appreciation Day!”
Man interpreted the tweet as shade directed at the NFL for airing a seemingly anti-racism commercial that simultaneously revealed that the organization would be committing $250 million to ending systematic racism.
The commercial consisted of an inspirational speech being played over footage of Black Lives Matter protests.
While our season is ending, our fight for equity is not.
It takes all of us to create change and advance social justice.
“Football is a microcosm of America. All races, religions, living, playing, competing, side by side,” said the commercial.
Many viewers pegged the ad and announcement as tone-deaf, considering the NFL’s containing failure to support Colin Kaepernick’s (and now other Black football players’) protests against police brutality.
“Just saw a commercial that the NFL is committing $250 Million to end systemic racism yet they can’t even commit a couple million to get Colin Kaepernick signed to a team…” wrote one skeptical Twitter user.
“The NFL creating a commercial that shows players kneeling, putting “Breonna Taylor” on the back of their helmets, and ends with the league committing $250 million to end systemic racism must have @Kaepernick7 feeling some type of way,” wrote another.
This isn’t the first time Mariah has publicly showed her support for the former quarterback for the 49ers.
In 2018, Carey posted a picture on her Instagram of herself and Kaepernick together in a photo-op that (most of) her fans were going crazy over. She captioned the picture: “Such an honor to meet @kaepernick7 today!”
Carey, who is of Afro-Venezuelan descent, has always been frank about her support of racial equality and the end to police violence. She notably postponed the release of her 30th anniversary album to not detract attention from the BLM movement.
“As we continue to fight for equality and justice within our broken systems, I thank you for using your platforms to educate, inform and invoke change. Together let’s bring on a change,” she wrote on her Instagram.
While she was at it, Mariah also used her Twitter account to bring attention to another grave injustice that took place at a previous Super Bowl: the blackballing of Janet Jackson.
When one fan replied to her “Colin Kapppp appreciation thread” with the tweet, “Don’t forget it’s also Janet Jackson appreciation day,” she responded with a sly: “Yes it is! *Heart emoji*”
