Guacamole

Guacamole is amazing because 1) it is the ultimate fresh food 2) it is simple to make 3) it is so healthy for you! Feel free to take this recipe and add in whatever you like: tomatoes, jalapeño peppers, etc.

Guacamole

Serves about 4 people

INGREDIENTS

3 avocados (see tip below)

1/4 red onion, finely chopped

cilantro, chopped, to taste

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 a lime, juiced

1/4 tsp. salt, or to taste

METHOD

1. Place your avocado meat into a medium bowl. If you are unfamiliar with how to cut open an avocado, proceed on down to the avocado tips.

2. Combine the red onion, cilantro, garlic, salt, and lime juice with the avocado. Using a potato masher, mash and stir everything together until you get the desired texture and consistency you want.

3. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips. Our new favorite that we have found is Food Should Taste Good Lime Tortilla Chips.

4. Eat right away, it will go brown within a couple of hours or so. It is not like restaurant guacamole with MSG to preserve it - and that is a good thing! So you can't make it ahead of time before a party, but it is very simple and quick to make. Enjoy!

AVOCADO TIPS

Finding the right avocado:

You want to find a ripe avocado at the market, but not too ripe. I never go by the "ripe" sticker on the fruit, because it is usually too ripe and you'll cut into it and find that it is mostly brown. To find the perfect avocado, they will first be pretty much a dark brown, not green. Secondly, you want to pick it up and give it a slight squeeze. If it is really firm, then it is not ripe. If it is slightly squishy, then you have found a good one :)

Scooping out the flesh:

1. You want to scoop out as much of the flesh as possible, so the best way I have found (by working in the food service industry) is to take a big knife and slice all they way around the avocado, then twist apart to make two halves.

2. One halve will still have the pit inside. This is where you take the knife and whack the pit so that the blade sticks in. Be careful with this though! I usually don't hold the avocado when I do this, because with my luck I'll slip and get my hand instead. Twist the knife gently and the pit should come out (unless your avocado is not ripe).

3. Now take a butter knife and cut into the avocado flesh by making vertical and horizontal lines. You will then have squares cut into the avocado.

4. Take a spoon and scoop everything out of the shell. Repeat with the other halve.