Nachos with cheese sauce and jalapeños

Heat the oil in a small saucepan. Deep-fry the tortillas in batches, using tongs to push them back down when they rise to the surface, until they are golden brown and bubbly. Drain on kitchen paper.

To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Whisk the flour into the butter until the mixture is smooth. Gradually pour the milk into the flour-and-butter mixture, whisking continually. Continue stirring until the mixture thickens. Add the Cheddar and stir until the cheese melts, then remove from the heat. Season with salt and freshly ground white pepper.

To make the jalapeño pesto, blitz all the ingredients in a blender until smooth.

Place the tortilla chips on a baking tray, scatter with the cubed avocado and pour over the cheese sauce. Top with jalapeños and grill on high in a preheated oven for about 5–10 minutes or until the cheese is golden. Serve with jalapeño pesto.

Avo need-to-know:
When is an avocado perfectly ripe? Can you store it in the fridge? Here are the answers to these and other important life questions...

Place an unripe avo in a brown paper bag along with a banana or an apple at room temperature. The bag traps the ethylene gas produced by the fruit, speeding up the ripening process.

You’ll know an avocado is ripe when the skin has darkened in colour and fruit “gives” a little when you squeeze it gently.

Yes, ripe avocados can be stored in the fridge, but the cold will halt the ripening process.

Lime juice is a substitute for lemon juice to prevent the flesh from browning, and the tart acidity combines well with the avo’s mild creaminess.

Don’t let overripe avos go to waste: make guacamole (mash roughly, don't blitz), or purée and add to smoothies. The purée can even be frozen in freezer bags for later use.

See more recipes that feature avocados here.